Busselton is a city in the

South West Southwest is a compass point. Southwest, south-west, south west, southwestern or south-western or south western may also refer to: * Southwest (direction), an intercardinal direction Geography *South West Queensland, Australia *South West (Weste ...

region of the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

approximately south-west of

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

. Busselton has a long history as a popular holiday destination for Western Australians; however, the closure of the Busselton Port in 1972 and the contemporaneous establishment of the nearby Margaret River wine region have seen tourism become the dominant source of investment and development, supplemented by services and retail. The city is best known for the

Busselton Jetty Busselton Jetty is a jetty located in Busselton, Western Australia. It is the longest timber-piled jetty (pier) in the Southern Hemisphere at long. The jetty is managed by a not-for-profit community organisation, Busselton Jetty Inc. The jetty ...

, the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere.

History

Pre European settlement and 19th century

Before white settlement in 1832, and for at least 40,000 years, the Busselton area was home to the

Noongar The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian people who live in the South West, Western Australia, south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton, Western Aus ...

Aboriginal people from the

Wardandi The Wadandi, also spelt Wardandi and other variants, are an Aboriginal people of south-western Western Australia, one of fourteen language groups of the Noongar peoples. Name There are at least three theories about the meaning of the tribal et ...

and

Bibulman The Bibulman (Pibelmen) are an Aboriginal Australian people of the southwestern region of Western Australia, a subgroup of the Noongar. Name Their autonym may be related to the word for stingray, ''pibilum''. Country Pibelmen lands comprised ...

language/ancestral groups. 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 Yallingup is a town in the South West region of Western Australia, south of Perth. Yallingup is a popular tourist destination because of its beaches and limestone caves, and proximity to Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. History and industry ...

and Carbunup River, still hold their original Noongar names. The

Wonnerup massacre The Wonnerup massacre, also known as the Wonnerup "Minninup" massacre, was the killing of dozens of Wardandi Noongar people by European settlers in the vicinity of Wonnerup, Western Australia in February 1841. The massacre on Wardandi-Doonan lan ...

of Wardandi Noongar people by European settlers occurred in the vicinity of Wonnerup in 1841. The early history of European exploration of the Busselton area focused on the French expedition of 1801 which brought

Nicholas Baudin Nicolas Thomas Baudin (; 17 February 175416 September 1803) was a French people, French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer, most notable for his explorations in Australia and the southern Pacific Ocean, Pacific. He carried a few ...

, with his ships '' Géographe'' and '' Naturaliste'', to the coast of Western Australia. Baudin named

Geographe Bay Geographe Bay is in the south-west of Western Australia, around southwest of Perth. The bay was named in May 1801 by French explorer Nicolas Baudin, after his ship, ''Géographe''. It is a wide curve of coastline extending from Cape Natur ...

and

Cape Naturaliste Cape Naturaliste is a headland in the south western region of Western Australia at the western edge of the Geographe Bay. It is the northernmost point of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, which was named after the cape. The Leeuwin-Naturaliste Nat ...

after his vessels, and named the river Vasse after a sailor,

Thomas Vasse Thomas Timothée Vasse (27 February 1774 in Dieppe, Seine-Maritime – presumed 8 June 1801) was a French sailor who was lost in the surf on the South West of Australia in 1801, and presumed drowned. From Vasse's name is taken the name ...

, who was lost as he went overboard and was believed to have drowned. Busselton was one of the earliest settlements in Western Australia. It was first settled by the

Bussell family The Bussell family were a family of early settlers in colonial Western Australia. The four brothers John, Joseph Vernon, Alfred and Charles emigrated from England on ''Warrior'', arriving at Fremantle on 12 March 1830. Lenox, Frances and Eliz ...

, George Layman, and the Chapman brothers, who relocated there from their location on the

Blackwood River The Blackwood River is a major river and catchment in the South West (Western Australia), South West of Western Australia. Course The river begins at the junction of Arthur River (Western Australia), Arthur River and Balgarup River near Que ...

John Garrett Bussell John Garrett Bussell (16 August 180317 September 1875) was an early settler in Western Australia. Born at Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire in England on 16 August 1803, Bussell was educated at Winchester College in England. After the death of hi ...

first visited Busselton in December 1831, describing the land as follows: "The country as we advanced improved rapidly; the ground on which we trod was a vivid green, unsullied with burnt sticks and blackened grass trees". Bussell was granted land in the area in July 1832 and the settlers moved there in April 1834. The Bussells established a cattle station which they named Cattle Chosen, which 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 was 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 John Septimus Roe (8 May 1797 – 28 May 1878) was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, a member of Western Australia's legislative and executive councils for nearly 40 years, but also a participant in ...

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. The name "The Vasse" was also used for the district interchangeably with "Busselton" until the end of the 19th century. The townsite was planned and surveyed in 1836 by Bunbury and in 1839, by which time it had a population of 77, it was laid out by surveyor Henry Ommaney. This was followed by the opening of the post office in 1842 and St Mary's Church in 1845. In 1847, the town was officially gazetted as Busselton, and the first government-assisted school was opened there in 1848. In the early days of the settlement, and for some time afterwards, the area was visited by whaling ships from the US, France, and England. The Americans in particular traded with the settlers, who gained vital supplies such as iron, flour, and clothing in exchange for fresh food; there was also a trade in smuggled rum and tobacco. The American whalers delivered mail to England via the US, providing an alternative to infrequent government

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

s. Visits from foreign whalers declined in the 1860s due to the introduction of fossil fuels to replace whale oil, but a nearby whaling group in what is now part of the

Meelup Regional Park The Meelup Regional Park is a coastal regional park near the Western Australian town of Dunsborough in the state's South West region. It contains of coastline between Dunsborough and Bunker Bay (the latter in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Nationa ...

, the Castle Bay Whaling Company, survived until 1872. 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 Quindalup is a townsite and locality in the South West region of Western Australia. It is situated along Caves Road between Busselton and Dunsborough on Geographe Bay. At the 2021 census, Quindalup had a population of 1,488. The area was th ...

. Of these, only the

remains. During the 1850s, Busselton began to receive

convicts A convict is "a person found Guilt (law), guilty of a crime and Sentence (law), sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a commo ...

who were beginning to arrive in Western Australia; they particularly helped with the timber industry. Western Australia's first railway line, the Ballaarat tramline, was built just north of Busselton at Lockville in 1871, the original engine being known as the

Ballaarat steam engine ''Ballaarat'' is a steam locomotive built by James Hunt's Victoria Foundry in the city of Ballarat, Victoria (state), Victoria in 1871. It was the first gauge locomotive built in Australia. It was purchased by the W.A. Timber Company, Weste ...

. The privately owned line was used for the transport of timber to the Wonnerup jetty across the Ballaarat Bridge. By the 1880s Busselton had a regular mail and passenger coach service from Perth and Bunbury and, in 1894, a passenger rail service commenced between Busselton and Bunbury on the

South Western Railway South Western Railway Limited, trading as South Western Railway (SWR), is the British state-owned train operating company that took over the services of the South Western Railway (2017–2025), operator of the same name from FirstGroup and MTR ...

via Boyanup; it operated until 1985.

Federation to present day

By the early 20th century, Busselton had become well known as a resort town, aided by the railway along with the 1890s

Western Australian gold rushes In the latter part of the nineteenth century, discoveries of gold at a number of locations in Western Australia caused large influxes of prospectors from overseas and interstate, and classic gold rushes. Significant finds included: * Halls C ...

, which greatly increased the state's population and prosperity. Caves in the area of what is now the

Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park is a national park in the South West (Western Australia), South West region of Western Australia, south of Perth. It is named after the two Cape (geography), capes either end of the park, Cape Leeuwin and Cape N ...

including Yallingup Cave (now Ngilgi Cave) had been discovered and developed, and the strip of coastline between Cape Yallingup and

had become popular for camping and seaside holidays. The 1913 ''

Cyclopedia of Western Australia The ''Cyclopedia of Western Australia'', edited by James Battye, was the pre-eminent written summary of Western Australia's development and context prior to World War I. Review of progress It was created at a time that saw progress, and was su ...

'' stated:

Busselton which has come to be known as the sanatorium of Western Australia lies within the shelter of Geographe Bay some 30 miles south of Bunbury. Up to some 20 years ago, it was merely a charming country village, with grass-grown streets where arum lilies rioted in profusion. ... Its cool temperate climate, excellent beach and well-established bathing facilities have made it one of the favourite summer resorts. If to these we add the caves reached daily by motor service from the town and, in addition to the scenery, this excellent boating, bathing and fishing, Busselton can probably claim to be the most favoured haunt of the holiday seeker.

Busselton began to grow significantly when the

Group Settlement Scheme The Group Settlement Scheme was an assisted migration scheme which operated in Western Australia from the early 1920s. It was engineered by Premier James Mitchell and followed on from the Soldier Settlement Scheme immediately after World W ...

brought people to the area between 1923 and 1926; nine of the first sixteen groups were organised in the Busselton area. In about 1927, the

Flinders Bay branch railway The Flinders Bay branch railway, also known as the Boyanup to Flinders Bay section ran between Boyanup and Flinders Bay, in South Western Western Australia. The section from Flinders Bay to Busselton has now been converted into a rail trai ...

was developed, which connected Busselton to

Flinders Bay Flinders Bay is a bay in western Australia, immediately south of the townsite of Augusta, Western Australia, Augusta, and close to the mouth of the Blackwood River. The bay lies to the north east of Cape Leeuwin which is the most south-westerly ...

; it was closed around 1957. In the 1930s, agricultural prices dropped due to the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, causing many people to leave the area. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 476 Busselton-born men signed up for service; 20 in the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...

, 110 in the

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

, and 346 in the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

. The names of the fallen are displayed on the town's war memorial alongside those of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

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 The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...

fighter was given the nickname ''Busselton'' in honour of the people of Busselton and their support of War Loan fundraising activities. In the 1950s many facilities for holiday-makers were built west of Busselton and the 1960s saw the beginnings of the professional fishing industry and, in particular, the Margaret River wine region, which greatly increased tourist numbers in and around Busselton. The Busselton port closed in 1972. From the 1970s Busselton began growing particularly as a tourism centre and retirement location. By 1996 it had become one of the fastest-growing areas in Western Australia. In 2012, the Shire of Busselton gained city status.

Geography

Busselton is in the South West region of Western Australia, about south-west of Perth. The city is composed of a city centre along with the suburbs of

Abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

Ambergate Ambergate () is a village in Derbyshire, England, situated where the River Amber joins the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent. It is about south of Matlock, Derbyshire, Matlock. The village forms part of the Heage and Ambergate ward of ...

, Bovell, Broadwater, Geographe, Kealy, Vasse,

West Busselton West Busselton is a suburb of the Western Australian city of Busselton Busselton is a city in the South West (Western Australia), South West region of the States and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia approximately s ...

, and Yalyalup. It is bordered by

to the north, with urban development traditionally being concentrated on the bay, extending from Abbey in the west to Geographe in the east. Urban development south of this area has traditionally been obstructed by wetlands and estuaries; however, since the 1980s, development has taken place to the south of these waterway systems. The

Vasse River The Vasse River is a river in the South West of Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territor ...

flows through the city to the

Vasse-Wonnerup Estuary The Vasse-Wonnerup Estuary is an estuary in the South West region of Western Australia close to the town of Busselton. The estuary is listed with DIWA. It was also recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Conventio ...

; reserves adjoining this estuary to the north form Busselton's eastern border. The city's western border is formed by The corner of Caves Road and

Bussell Highway Bussell Highway is a generally north–south highway in the South West (Western Australia), South West region of Western Australia. The highway links the city of Bunbury, Western Australia, Bunbury with the town of Augusta, Western Australia, A ...

. Caves Road leads to the nearby town of Dunsborough, which is separated from Busselton by a

green belt A green belt or greenbelt is a policy, and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wilderness, wild, or agricultural landscape, land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts ...

, notably including the

Locke Estate The Locke Estate is an area of Crown land located on the coast of Geographe Bay near Caves Road approximately west of the town of Busselton. Comprising an area of , the estate was designated an A-Class Reserve in the 1920s for the purposes of ...

, known locally as the "Holy Mile". Busselton's nearest city is Bunbury which is north-east of Busselton.

Climate

Busselton has a borderline warm/hot summer

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Csb''/''Csa''), depending on the recording station used, as the warmest months have mean temperatures around , the cut-off mark between these two climate types. The

Bureau of Meteorology The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Government of Australia, Australian Government that is responsible for providing Weather forecasting, weather forecasts and Meteorology, meteorological services to Australia a ...

has had three major temperature-recording sites in Busselton: the Busselton Shire office, with temperatures recorded from 1900 to 1975 and rainfall from 1877 to the present, Busselton Town near The Busselton District Hospital site on Mill Road in

(recording from 1998 to 2011), and the

Busselton Margaret River Airport Busselton Margaret River Airport , formerly known as Busselton Regional Airport, is located in the Busselton suburb of Yalyalup, from the town centre. Busselton is a major regional centre in the South West of Western Australia, south of Perth ...

, east of the Busselton Shire station (recording since 1997). Wind observations have been made at

since 1997, and temperature observations have been made in the general area at

Ludlow Ludlow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road (Great Britain), A49 road which bypasses the town. The town is near the conf ...

, Jarrahwood, and

. Summers are generally warm to hot with afternoon

sea breeze A sea breeze or onshore breeze is a wind that blows in the afternoon from a large body of water toward or onto a landmass. By contrast, a land breeze or offshore breeze is a wind that blows in the night from a landmass toward or onto a large ...

s, with average daily maxima of at the shire station and at the airport station, and a winter that delivers cooler temperatures of and wetter weather. The annual average rainfall at the Busselton Shire station is , with the wettest period being from May to September.

Demographics

The

2021 Australian census The 2021 Australian census, simply called the 2021 Census, was the eighteenth national Census of Population and Housing in Australia. The 2021 Census took place on 10 August 2021, and was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). ...

recorded Busselton's population as 27,233, 67.0% of the population of the

City of Busselton The City of Busselton is a local government area in the South West region of Western Australia, approximately south of Perth, the state capital. The city covers an area of and had a population of 40,640 as at the 2021 Census. It contains two ...

local government area, which was 40,640. The 2021 census also recorded Busselton's median age as 45, higher than the national average of 38. Australian-born residents made up 75.9% of Busselton's population, followed by those born in England (7.8%), New Zealand (2.3%), South Africa (1.1%), Scotland (0.7%), and the Philippines (0.5%). English was the only language spoken at home by 89.5% of residents, with the next most common languages being Afrikaans and German (0.5%), Italian and

Hazaragi Hazaragi (; ) is an eastern Persian dialects, dialect and Persian varieties, variety of the Persian language that is spoken by the Hazara people. Classification Hazaragi is a member of the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-Europea ...

(0.3%), and French (0.2%). The most common industry for employed people in Busselton was listed as "accommodation" at 3.7%, compared to the national average of 0.9%; others were cafes and restaurants" (3.6%), "supermarket and grocery stores" (3.5%), " iron ore mining" on a

fly-in fly-out Fly-in fly-out is a method of employing people in remote areas by flying them temporarily to the work site instead of relocating employees and their families permanently. It is often abbreviated to FIFO when referring to employment status. This i ...

basis (3.2%), and "hospitals (except psychiatric hospitals)" (3.2%). At the 2021 census the combined population of the Busselton East and Busselton West statistical areas was 28651. * * It has been estimated that by 2050 Busselton's population will be between 50,000 and 70,000, with the local government area containing between 70,000 and 100,000 people.

Transport

links Busselton with Bunbury and Augusta, while the

Vasse Highway Vasse Highway is a Western Australian highway connecting Busselton and the South Western Highway south of Manjimup. It is long and travels through jarrah and karri hardwood forests for most of its length, with some small agricultural areas a ...

goes from Busselton to Pemberton and beyond. Caves Road provides an alternative scenic route from Busselton to Augusta; Sues Road is another alternative route via the

Brockman Highway Brockman Highway is a highway in Western Australia. A few hours south of Perth, it runs west from Bridgetown, Western Australia, Bridgetown via Nannup, Western Australia, Nannup to Karridale, Western Australia, Karridale. Nannup, Western Austr ...

. In December 2000, the 10.7 kilometre Busselton Bypass opened. The

TransBusselton Swan Transit is an Australian bus company operating Transperth bus services under contract to the Public Transport Authority. It is a subsidiary of Transit Systems. History On 21 January 1996, Swan Transit commenced operating services in th ...

town bus service has been operated by

Swan Transit Swan Transit is an Australian bus company operating Buses in Perth, Transperth bus services under contract to the Public Transport Authority (Western Australia), Public Transport Authority. It is a subsidiary of Transit Systems. History On 21 ...

with three routes since 2015.

South West Coach Lines South West Coach Lines is a bus and coach operator in South West Western Australia. It is a subsidiary of the Australian Transit Group. History South West Coach Lines was founded in 1977 by David and Lenita Adams. In January 1986, it commen ...

and

Transwa Transwa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 240 destinations, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south west to Esperance in the south east. The Transwa system provides transport between Perth and the ...

provide coach services for connections to other south west towns and Perth. Busselton is served by

Economy

The main industries of the Busselton area are services (e.g. retail, wholesale, manufacturing, and recreation). The economic focus of the region has gradually shifted from agriculture as the population has increased and tourism has grown in the district.

Tourism

Many sites of interest are in the Busselton region. Busselton Beach is known for the

turquoise Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone for millennia due to its hue. The robi ...

-coloured, tranquil waters and white sands. The City of Busselton markets itself as "The Events Capital of WA".

Busselton Jetty

Busselton is home to the longest wooden jetty (pier) in the Southern Hemisphere, stretching out to sea. Construction of the jetty began in 1864 and it was continually extended until the 1960s, when it reached its current length. It was closed to shipping in 1972, and maintenance was discontinued for a time. Following major damage caused by

Cyclone Alby Severe Tropical Cyclone Alby was regarded as the most devastating tropical cyclone to impact southwestern Western Australia on record. Forming out of an area of low pressure on 27 March 1978, Alby steadily developed as it tracked southwestward, p ...

in 1978 and a fire in 1999, it was restored and improved. Since 2003, the jetty has offered visitors a tourist train ride, 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 and 1841 was destroyed by fire in 1858. The complex also includes the dairy and kitchen, which antedate 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). Since 1973, the

National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...

has operated the property as a museum open to the public.

Old Butter Factory/Busselton Museum

The Old Butter Factory was built in 1918 by the government

Department of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...

to replace a previous privately owned dairy, Western Australia's first butter factory and creamery, that was established in 1898. In 1926 the factory was sold to South-West Dairy Produce Co-operative, which was later renamed "Sunny West" and merged into

Wesfarmers Wesfarmers Limited is an Australian conglomerate, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. It has interests predominantly in Australia and New Zealand, operating in retail, chemical, fertiliser, industrial and safety products. With revenue o ...

. The factory also operated as an ice works for local residents and fishermen before the widespread availability of mechanical refrigeration. It ceased butter-making operations in 1952 and became a cream depot and dried milk plant, then a truck depot. In 1974 it was sold to the Shire of Busselton, which leased most of the building to the Busselton Historical Society; they opened the Busselton Museum there in 1975. It was listed on the state's Register of Heritage Places in 2002. In March 2018, the building was heavily damaged by fire. the outside areas were re-opened in January 2019 and the rest of the building was opened in December 2020.

St Mary's (Church of England)

St Mary's (Church of England), built in 1844–1845, is allegedly the oldest stone church in Western Australia. John Molloy and

were the main forces behind the construction of the church. The church was not consecrated until 1848 and a clergyman was not attracted to the region for another decade. Alongside the church is a graveyard; some of the graves date back to 1841 – before the building of the church. Ithaca

Ithaca (Villa Carlotta)

Ithaca (formerly known as Villa Carlotta) is located at 110 Adelaide St, Busselton, and was built by Frank Backhouse in 1896. Ithaca is listed on the state's Register of Heritage Places in recognition of its significant historical and community values. Ithaca has a two-storey tower and was originally built as a private residence; in 1904, Ithaca was acquired by Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions for use as a Catholic convent. Subsequently, it has been a school and a hotel, and now is a motel.

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 Register of Heritage Places in recognition of its significant historical and cultural value to the local community. The hall is a single-storey brick building with a galvanised roof, and is constructed in a simplified Victorian Italianate style; it is one of the oldest remaining structures in the town.

Augusta-Busselton Heritage Trail

The trail retraces the Pioneer Route from Augusta to Busselton taken by the original settlers in the 1800s. It is over 100 km long, starting at the jetty and finishing in Augusta.

Facilities

Education

There are nine schools in the Busselton area, six of them government, which serve either primary or high-school students, and three private, which serve both. There are four primary schools (Busselton Primary School, West Busselton Primary School, Geographe Primary School, and Vasse Primary school). The two government high schools are

Busselton Senior High School Busselton Senior High School is a comprehensive public co-educational high day school, located in the Busselton suburb of West Busselton in the South West region. As of 2021, the school had 672 students. The school was established in 1952 as B ...

and

Cape Naturaliste College Cape Naturaliste College is a comprehensive public co-educational high day school, located in Vasse, a regional centre in the South West region, south of Perth, Western Australia. Overview The school was established in 2008 and admitted 95 ...

. The three private schools are St Mary MacKillop College, Cornerstone Christian College, and

Georgiana Molloy Anglican School Georgiana Molloy Anglican School is an independent Anglican co-educational primary and secondary day school located in Yalyalup, Western Australia, a suburb of Busselton Busselton is a city in the South West (Western Australia), South ...

. The only local tertiary institution in the area is the South Regional TAFE. Busselton contains a long-distance learning hub for

Edith Cowan University Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a public research university in Western Australia. It is named in honour of the first woman to be elected to an Parliaments of the Australian states and territories, Australian parliament, Edith Cowan, and is, , t ...

Health

Busselton's first convict hospital was built starting in 1869. A new two-storey hospital was constructed in 1896 and operated until 1978. During the early 20th century, there were smaller hospitals mainly used for maternity, such as Nurse Kilerby's Maternity Hospital (c. 1914–1917) and the Lady Campion Hostel (1926–1947), which is on the state's Register of Heritage Places. In 1978, the main hospital was replaced by Busselton District Hospital on Mill Road, which in turn was re-built and opened as the Busselton Health Campus on the same site in 2015. Busselton is also known for the

Busselton Health Study __NOTOC__ The Busselton Health Study is a long-term, on-going health cohort study of residents of the Western Australian city of Busselton. Over 20,000 Busselton residents have participated in surveys concerning such health topics as cardiovascula ...

, which was founded in 1966 by

Kevin Cullen Kevin Cullen (born May 1, 1959) is an American journalist and author. He was a member of ''The Boston Globes 2003 investigative team. ''The Boston Globe'' as an institution won a Pulitzer Prize for ''Public Service'' for coverage of the sexual ...

Recreation and culture

Sports

Busselton has a

leisure centre A leisure centre, sports centre, or recreation centre is a purpose-built building or site, usually owned and provided by the local government authority, where people can engage in a variety of sports and exercise, and keep fit. Typical facilit ...

, a golf club, tennis courts, a skate park, and several outdoor areas on which sport is played. The Busselton Football Club plays in the

South West Football League The South West Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the south-west of Western Australia. The league is affiliated to Country Football WA, formerly known as the West Australian Country Football League. History The i ...

. Notable sporting events in Busselton include: * Geographe Bay Race Week * Busselton Festival of Triathlon * Ironman Western Australia Triathlon Busselton * The Busselton Jetty Swim *

Australian HPV Super Series The Australian HPV Super Series is an annual championship held in South Australia and Western Australia featuring velomobiles racing around enclosed circuits for a period between 6 and 24 hours. The largest event of its kind anywhere in the wor ...

, Busselton race

Arts

Busselton contains the ArtGeo Cultural Complex, which includes an art gallery, theatre, artist's workshop, and an arts and crafts store. It also contains the Busselton Court House and Police Complex, which has an old courthouse, post office, and

bond store A bonded warehouse, or bond, is a building or other secured area in which imported but dutiable goods may be stored, manipulated, or undergo manufacturing operations without payment of duty. They may then be again exported without payment of duty. ...

. Some of the structures in the courthouse and police complex were built by Henry Yelverton in 1860–1861, while a newer courtroom was built in 1897 by

George Temple-Poole George Thomas Temple-Poole (born George Thomas Temple, 29 May 1856 – 27 February 1934) was a British architect and public servant, primarily known for his work in Western Australia from 1885. As Superintendent of Public Works, and then Pri ...

; this group of buildings was classified by the

in 1973 and added to the state's Register of Heritage Places in 1993. The ArtGeo Gallery is housed in a former

Agricultural Bank of Western Australia Bankwest is an Australian bank based in Perth, Western Australia. It was founded as the Agricultural Bank of Western Australia in 1895 by the Government of Western Australia being renamed the Rural and Industries Bank in 1944, and Bankwest in ...

building, constructed in 1931, and added to the heritage register in 1999. The complex also contains life-sized sculptures by

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...

sculptor Greg James depicting the cultural heritage of Busselton; miniature versions (

maquette A ''maquette'' is a scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture or work of architecture. The term is a loanword from French. An equivalent term is ''bozzetto'', a diminutive of the Italian word for a sketch. Sculpture A maquette ...

s) of the works are in the City of Busselton office. The six sculptures, unveiled between 2014 and 2019, are ''Whaler's Wife'', ''Timber Worker'', ''John Garrett Bussell'', ''Spanish Settler'' (referring to nearby Yoongarillup), ''Gaywal'' (an Aboriginal leader at the time of European settlement), and ''Pioneer Woman''. The prestigious annual CinefestOZ film festival screens in Busselton, along with other regional centres. After two decades of delays and planning, a new $38 million Performing Arts Centre commenced construction in February 2022. Named "Saltwater" in acknowledgement of the Wardandi people, the centre is expected to open in early 2024.

Other events

Other notable events in Busselton include: * Festival of Busselton * Make Smoking History Forest Rally *Busselton Agricultural Show (since 1861) *South West Craft Beer Festival

Media

Busselton is served by two local weekly newspapers; the ''Busselton Dunsborough Mail'' (Wednesday) and the ''Busselton Dunsborough Times'' (Friday). ''

The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuousl ...

'' is available from Monday to Saturday and the ''Sunday Times'' is available on Sundays. Busselton is serviced by three commercial television channels,

Seven 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has symbolic associations in religion, mythology, supers ...

(formerly

GWN7 Seven Regional WA is an Australian Television broadcasting in Australia, television network serving all of Western Australia outside metropolitan Perth. It launched on 10 March 1967 as BTW-3 in Bunbury, Western Australia, Bunbury, and became k ...

WIN Win or WIN most likely refers to: * A victory Win, Winning, WIN or Winner may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * '' Win!'', a 2016 American film Literature * ''Win'' (Coben novel), 2021 * WIN (pacifist magazine) * WIN (wrestling ma ...

(

Nine 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Hindu–Arabic digit Circa 300 BC, as part of the Brahmi numerals, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bot ...

), and

Ten Ten, TEN or 10 may refer to: * 10, an even natural number following 9 and preceding 11 * one of the years 10 BC, AD 10, 1910, 2010, 2110 * October, the tenth month of the year Places * Mount Ten, in Vietnam * Tongren Fenghuang Airport (IATA c ...

. The public-broadcast TV channels

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

and SBS are also available in the region.

Sister city

* Sugito, Saitama, Japan

Governance

Local government

Busselton is located in the

, which also includes the towns of Dunsborough and

State government

Busselton is located in the

Lower House A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

seat of Vasse, represented by

Libby Mettam Elizabeth Mettam (, 3 May 1977) is an Australian politician. She has been the member for Vasse in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since 18 October 2014 and the deputy leader of the Western Australian Liberal Party since 25 March 20 ...

(MLA), who holds the blue-ribbon seat for the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

. In the

Upper House An upper house is one of two Legislative chamber, chambers of a bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted p ...

, Busselton is within the South West Region.

Federal government

Busselton is located in the safe

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

seat of

Forrest Forrest may refer to: Places Australia *Forrest, Australian Capital Territory *Forrest, Victoria, a small rural township *Division of Forrest, a federal division of the Australian House of Representatives, in Western Australia *Electoral distric ...

. The seat is currently represented by

Nola Marino Nola Bethwyn Marino (née Catalano; born 18 February 1954) is an Australian politician who has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2007, representing the Division of Forrest in Western Australia. She is a member of the Liberal Pa ...

, who has held it since 2007.

Notable people

Stewart Bovell Sir William Stewart Bovell (19 December 1906 – 15 September 1999) was an Australian politician who was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the electorates of Sussex and Vasse between 1947 and 1971. Bovell served as a m ...

, politician * Sharon Buchanan, hockey player, Olympic gold medallist *

Taj Burrow Taj Burrow (born 2 June 1978) is an Australian retired professional surfer. Taj retired from the WSL World Tour in June 2016 where he left a legacy of power and impressive surfing. Early life Burrow was born in Yallingup, Western Australia, ...

, surfer *

John Bussell John Garrett Bussell (16 August 180317 September 1875) was an early settler in Western Australia. Born at Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire in England on 16 August 1803, Bussell was educated at Winchester College in England. After the death of hi ...

, founder of Busselton *

, doctor and winemaker *

Edmund Drake-Brockman Major General Edmund Alfred Drake-Brockman, (21 February 1884 – 1 June 1949) was an Australian soldier, politician, and judge. He served in both the First and Second World Wars. He was a Senator for Western Australia from 1920 to 1926, repr ...

, soldier, statesman, and judge *

Joseph Strelley Harris Joseph Strelley Harris (1811–1889) was a pastoralist in Western Australia. Between 1840 and 1888, he was a resident magistrate, serving in the towns of Williams, Toodyay, Busselton and Kojonup. Early life Harris was born on 23 November 181 ...

, pastoralist, Busselton's second magistrat *

Barry House Barry John House (born 27 November 1949) is an Australian politician who was a Liberal Party member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1987 to 2017. He was President of the Legislative Council from 2009 to 2017, and prior to ...

, politician * Sean Keenan, actor *

Nina Kennedy Nina Kennedy (born 5 April 1997) is an Australian athlete who holds the national record in the pole vault. She won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, 2023 World Athletics Championships (shared with American Katie Moon) and at the 202 ...

, pole-vaulter, Olympic gold medallist *

Georgiana Molloy Georgiana Molloy (23 May 1805 – 8 April 1843) was an early settler in Western Australia, who is remembered as one of the first botany, botanical collectors in the colony. Her husband, John Molloy (Australian settler), John, was involved in ...

, early settler, botanical collector * John Molloy, early settler, Busselton's first magistrate, husband of Georgiana Molloy *

Lance Morris Lance Richard Thomas Morris (born 28 March 1998) is an Australian cricketer who represents the Australia national cricket team in ODI cricket. A right-arm fast bowler, Morris plays for Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers. He is regarded a ...

, cricketer * Scott Sunderland, cyclist *

Taylor Worth Taylor Worth (born 8 January 1991) is an Australian archer competing in recurve events. He won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the men's team event, a gold medal at the United States Open and at the 2008 World Youth Archery Cha ...

, archer

References

External links

*
Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association official website
{{Authority control Cities in Western Australia Coastal cities in Australia 1832 establishments in Australia Populated places established in 1832