Busselton, Western Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (June 2007) |
 |
This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (July 2007) |
| Busselton Western Australia |
|||||||
 |
|||||||
| Population: | 15,386 [1] | ||||||
| Established: | 1832 | ||||||
| Postcode: | 6280 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 4 m (13 ft) | ||||||
| Location: | |||||||
| LGA: | Shire of Busselton | ||||||
| State District: | Vasse | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Forrest | ||||||
|
|||||||
Busselton is a town in the South West region of Western Australia. Founded in 1832 by the Bussell family, Busselton has been one of the fastest growing regions in Australia in the last decade and has a population of approximately 20,000 or more. Busselton is located 220 km south west of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Busselton has been voted Western Australia's top tourist town three times in 1995, 1996 and 2005.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] History
 |
This section does not cite any references or sources. (July 2007) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
[edit] Pre European Settlement
Prior to white settlement in 1832, and for at least 40,000 years, the Busselton area has been home to the Noongar Aboriginal people. The colonisation of Western Australia in 1829 had a major impact on the life of the Noongar people. Many towns in the Busselton area, such as Wonnerup, Yallingup and Carbunup River, still hold their original Noongar names.
[edit] European Settlement
The early history of European exploration of the Busselton area focuses on the French expedition of 1801 which brought Nicholas Baudin, with his ships the Le Géographe and Le Naturaliste, to the coast of Western Australia. Baudin named Geographe Bay and Cape Naturaliste after his vessels, and named the river Vasse after a sailor, Thomas Vasse, who was lost as he went overboard and believed to have drowned.
Busselton was one of the earliest settlements in Western Australia. It was first settled by the Bussell family, who relocated there from their location on the Blackwood River after John Garrett Bussell discovered superior farm land in the area. The Bussells moved to the area in 1834, establishing a cattle station which they named Cattle Chosen. Cattle Chosen quickly became one of the most prosperous stations in the colony, and as a result nearly all of the settlers at Augusta relocated to the area within a few years. A number of settlers established themselves at Wonnerup, and eventually a contingent of troops were stationed there under Lieutenant Henry Bunbury. It was originally intended to locate the townsite at Wonnerup, but the area was low-lying and marshy, and Bunbury considered it unsuitable for a townsite. The present area was then recommended by the Surveyor General, John Septimus Roe.
The present name of Busselton derives from the Bussell family. It was first officially used in June 1835. The Bussells, who were not consulted about the name, preferred the name Capel after a relative in England, Capel Carter, but the name Busselton was retained. A town named Capel was later established to the north of Busselton.
Being in close proximity to the tall timber country, Busselton soon established itself as a leading port. In 1850, timber was being exported and the small town prospered. Jetties for this purpose were built at Wonnerup, Busselton and Quindalup. Of these, only the Busselton Jetty remains.
During World War II 476 Busselton born men signed up for service; 20 in the Royal Australian Navy, 110 in the Royal Australian Air Force and 346 in the Australian Army. The names of the fallen are displayed on the towns war memorial alongside those of World War I in St Marys Park. During the war Busselton was home to an Air Force training base - remains of the base can still be seen today from the Busselton Bypass Road. A Royal Australian Air Force P-51 Mustang fighter was given the nickname Busselton in honour of the people of Busselton and their support of War Loan fundraising activities.
[edit] Railways
Western Australia's first railway line was built just north of Busselton at Lockville in 1871. The privately-owned line was used for the transport of timber [1].
From about 1927 to 1957, Busselton was also on the WAGR railway line running from Bunbury to Flinders Bay.
Following the closure in the 1950s of the Flinders Bay branch, most of the old line formation was changed in ownership. The railway line also connected onto the Busselton Jetty and was not closed on the jetty until the 1970s.
The connection with Bunbury was closed.
[edit] Climate
Busselton's climate can best be described as mild Mediterranean. Moderate weather conditions are enjoyed, with an average maximum temperature of 22°C and a minimum of 11°C. The summers are generally hot (an average daily maximum of 28°) with cooling afternoon sea breezes, and a winter that delivers cooler temperatures (9° min. - 19° max.) and rain that supports diverse agricultural industries, including a world-famous grape-growing region. The annual average rainfall for Busselton is 864 mm, with the wettest period being from May to September.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily maximum temperature | 28.5°C | 28.4°C | 26.1°C | 22.8°C | 19.3°C | 17.2°C | 16.3°C | 16.7°C | 18.1°C | 20.1°C | 23.6°C | 26.5°C | 22.0 °C | |
| Mean daily minimum temperature | 13.8°C | 14.0°C | 12.7°C | 10.7°C | 9.2°C | 8.3°C | 7.5°C | 7.5°C | 8.4°C | 9.3°C | 10.9°C | 12.5°C | 10.4°C | |
| Mean total rainfall | 9.7 mm | 10.6 mm | 20.8 mm | 41.0 mm | 116.2 mm | 172.3 mm | 165.6 mm | 116.8 mm | 74.5 mm | 51.3 mm | 24.3 mm | 13.0 mm | 812.6 mm | |
| Mean number of rain days | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 4.2 | 8.5 | 11.3 | 12.7 | 11.2 | 8.7 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 72.8 | |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology 30 March 2008 | ||||||||||||||
[edit] Demographics
[edit] Growth and Development
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the Shire had a permanent resident population of 25,950 in 2004 with the town of Busselton accounting for 67% or 17,400 of the total. The Shire's permanent population is expected to continue to increase significantly to approximately 34,000 in 2011 and 46,000 in 2021. According to the Australian Bureau of statistics during the year 2004-2005 Busselton's growth rate for the 12 month period was 6.5%, bringing 1700 new residents to the shire and increasing the population to an estimated 27,546.
Busselton's growth over the past decade has been centered along the shores of Geographe Bay; this has created a narrow urban strip 15 km long and around 1 km wide. The heavy coastal development has led to a shortage of beachside blocks.[citation needed]
[edit] Economy
[edit] Tourism
There are many sites of interest in Busselton.
Busselton Jetty
Busselton is home to the longest wooden jetty (pier) in the southern hemisphere[citation needed], stretching almost 2 km out to sea. Construction of the jetty began in 1853 and was continually extended until the 1960s when it reached its current length of 1841 metres. It was closed to shipping in 1972, and maintenance was discontinued for a time. It has since been restored, and is now the site of an underwater observatory and an interpretive centre.
Wonnerup House The current Wonnerup House was built in 1859 by the Layman family (original settlers). The original building built between 1837-1841 was destroyed by fire in 1858. The complex also includes the Dairy and Kitchen which predate the main house (and survived the fire of 1858 because they were separate buildings). Over the road are the Teacher's House (1885) and School (1873). In 1837 the Laymen family were afraid to leave the house because of the danger of being attacked by the local Aboriginal people. George Layman left the house on 22 February 1841 and was speared to death by Aboriginals.[citation needed]
St Marys Church of England St Marys Church of England was built in 1844–1845 and claims to be the oldest stone church in Western Australia. John Molloy and John Garrett Bussell were the main forces behind the construction of the church. The church was not consecrated until 1848 and it was another decade before a clergyman could be attracted to the region.[citation needed] Alongside the church is a graveyard; some of the graves date back to 1841 - before the church was built.
Weld Hall
Weld Hall located on the corner of Queen and Adelaide St was built in 1881. In August 2001, the Western Australian government announced that Weld Hall had been listed on the State's Register of Heritage Places in recognition of its significant historical and cultural value to the local community.[citation needed]
Augusta-Busselton Heritage Trail Retraces the Pioneer Route from Augusta to the Vasse taken by the original settlers in the 1800s. The trail is over 100km long, starting at the jetty and finishing in Augusta.
[edit] Facilities
[edit] Airport
Busselton is serviced by Busselton Regional Airport. No scheduled services operate out of the airport, though chartered flights can be arranged. There has been indication by Skywest Airlines that they will operate a scheduled flight from Perth Airport during the peak Summer period.
[edit] Schools
Primary schools in the Busselton area include Busselton Primary, West Busselton, Cornerstone Christian College, Dunsborough Primary, Geographe Primary School and Education Support Centre, [www.gmas.wa.edu.au Georgiana Molloy Anglican School], Our Lady of the Cape, St. Joseph's, and Vasse Primary.
High schools in the area include Busselton Senior High School (years 8-12), Mackillop Catholic College (years 8-12), Cornerstone Christian College (years 8-10, with plans to go the year 12 in the near future), Georgiana Molloy Anglican School (years 8-11, but will be years 8-12 within 1 years).
The only tertiary institution in the area is the South West Regional TAFE.
[edit] Hospital
Busselton Regional Hospital is located, three km west of the town centre.
In October 2005, the Western Australian Government announced that Busselton would receive a new $65 million hospital.[citation needed] The Hospital will be completed by around 2010 and will remove the need to travel to Bunbury or Perth for many medical services.
[edit] Recreation and Culture
[edit] Events
Events are held year round in Busselton. The most notable being:
- Southbound Music Festival in January
- Busselton Beach Festival
- Festival of Busselton
- Geographe Bay Race Week [2]
- Busselton Festival of Triathlon [3]
- Ironman Western Australia Triathlon Busselton [4]
- The Busselton Jetty Swim [5]
[edit] Places of Worship
At present, there are only Christian places of worship in Busselton. These include:
- Anglican St Mary's
- Assemblies of God
- Baptist
- Church of Christ
- Hope
- Jehovah's Witnesses
- Potter's House
- Roman Catholic Our Lady of the Bay
- St Joseph's
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
- the Salvation Army
[edit] Media
Busselton is serviced by 2 local weekly newspapers; the Busselton Dunsborough times (Thursday) and the Busselton Dunsborough Mail (Wednesday) . The West Australian is available from Monday to Saturday and the Sunday Times is available on Sundays.
Busselton is serviced by two commercial television channels, GWN and WIN. The public broadcast channels ABC and SBS are also available.
[edit] Sister cities
[edit] Governance
[edit] Local Government
The town of Busselton is located in the 1454 km² Shire of Busselton, which is home to 28,000 people (2005 est.) and also includes the towns of Dunsborough and Yallingup.
[edit] State Government
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Busselton is located in the Lower House seat of Vasse, represented by Troy Buswell (MLA), who holds the blue-ribbon seat for the Liberal Party. In the Upper House, Busselton is within the South West Region.
[edit] Federal Government
Busselton is located in the safe Liberal seat of Forrest. The seat is currently represented by Hon Geoff Prosser who has held the seat since 1987. Geoff Prosser will retire at the 2007 election.[6]
[edit] Busselton Health Study
Busselton is the location of one of the longest running epidemiological studies in the world. Since 1966, the residents of Busselton have participated in surveys concerning such health topics as cardiovascular disease, pulmonary function, diabetes, and allergies, resulting in over 200 publications. The program was initiated by Dr Kevin Cullen, and is administered by Busselton Population Medical Research Foundation and the University of Western Australia.
[edit] Gallery
 Busselton wetlands |
 Old courthouse converted into an art gallery |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Shann, Edward O. G. (1926) Cattle Chosen. Oxford University Press, London. Republished in 1978 by University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands, Western Australia. ISBN 0-85564-138-X.
[edit] External links
- Official Busselton shire website
- Busselton portal
- South West portal
- Busselton Health Study
- Climate averages for Busselton
