Busselton is located
on Geographe
Bay,
approximately
232kms south
of Perth
Western
Australia.
Busselton and its
neighbouring
towns have a
population
of approx
25,000 and Busselton is one of
Australia's
fastest
growing
cities. Busselton caters for
tourists on
any budget
and Busselton
Accommodations range from Bed &
Breakfast to
Motel
Hotels, Self
contained
and resort
accommodations.
Busselton is
bordered by
the Indian
Ocean,
Geographe
Bay and the
Vasse River
and is one
of the
world's
great places
to live. Sandy-white
beaches and
crystal
clear ocean,
provide the
launching
pad for water sports
galore and a fast
growing seafood
industry.
Busselton is famous
for the Busselton
Jetty,
which
extends 2
klms out
into
Geographe
Bay. This
can be
walked or
you can take
the train
that runs on
a regular
basis.
Busselton is
a place of
beauty with plenty of
attractions in and
around to
make a
holiday here
enjoyable
for all.
Being a
major
tourism
centre in
WA's South
West region,
the towns
close by
such as
Bunbury,
Margaret
River,
Donnybrook,
Manjimup,
Augusta,
Pemberton,
Collie,
Harvey and
Bridgetown
make
Busselton a
great base
camp while
exploring
the region.
Busselton
is a water
lovers
paradise,
making water
sports such
as sailing,
wind
surfing,
water
skiing,
fishing,
boating,
rowing,
swimming,
diving and
snorkelling,
surfing and
jet skiing
extremely
popular.
There are a
stack of
restaurants
with choices
of food to
suit any one
as well.
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Busselton History
Geographe
Bay and the
eventual
town of
Busselton,
was due to
European
exploration
of the area
via an 1801
French
expedition
led by
Nicholas
Baudin, with
his ships
the
Geographe
and
Naturaliste.
Baudin,
named the
bay,
Geographe
Bay, after
his vessel
and named
the nearby
Vasse River
after a
sailor who
was lost,
believed
drowned, in
the area. No
one knows
what
happened to
Vasse. He
disappeared
when one of
the
Geographe's
boats
capsized in
the surf.
However when
the area was
finally
settled by
Europeans
there was a
story told
by the local
Aborigines
of a white
man who had
lived with
the
Aborigines
until his
death and
who spent
most of his
life
wandering
the shores
of Geographe
Bay waiting
for a ship
to return.
The area was
settled in
1832 when
families
from the
Augusta
area, led by
John Garrett
Bussell,
travelled
north to
farm the
areas around
the Vasse
River after
they found
the Cape
Leeuwin area
to be
largely
infertile
and
difficult to
reach by
sea.
A growing
port
serviced the
settlers and
the
subsequent
local
industries
that
developed
which
included the
exportation
of horses to
India and a
developing
trade in
beef, dairy
and timber
(which
continue to
be major
exports of
the
Busselton
area to this
day).
Construction
of the
Busselton
jetty began
in 1865 and
by 1960 had
reached out
2 kilometres
from the
shore.
Prior to
white
settlement,
this area is
the
traditional
land of the
Noongar
Aboriginal
people with
many Noongar
names and
travel
routes still
widely used
today. The
Noongar
(which means
"man")
people have
occupied the
south west
area of
Western
Australia
for around
38,000 years
and their
traditional
stories tell
of the
Waagle (or
Rainbow
Serpent)
giving life
and
sustenance
to their
people who
in return
were the
caretakers
of the land.
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