Rossiter Bay is on the southern coast 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 Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
, in the
Cape Le Grand National Park
Cape Le Grand National Park is a national park in Western Australia, south-east of Perth and east of Esperance. The park covers an area of
The area is an ancient landscape which has been above sea level for well over 200 million years and ...
approximately east of
Esperance. The bay is noted as the place that the explorer
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre (5 August 181530 November 1901) was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand's New Munster province, and Governor of Jamaica.
Early life
Eyre was born in ...
and his Aboriginal companion
Wylie met the crew of the
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
whaling ship ''Mississippi'' in June 1841 after they had completed a crossing of the
Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor Plain ( ; Latin: feminine of 'no' and 'tree') is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its no ...
.
It is named for Captain Thomas Rossiter, the Englishman who commanded the ''Mississippi''.
[Short, Andrew D. (2004)]
''Beaches of the Western Australian Coast: Eucla to Roebuck Bay''
p. 93. Sidney University Press.
The bay contains a long, curving sandy beach, which is often covered with
dry seagrass.
To the west lies
Lucky Bay
Lucky Bay is a bay located at on the south coast of Western Australia, in the Cape Le Grand National Park. Located southeast of Esperance, Western Australia, Esperance, the bay is a tourist spot known for its bright white sands and turquoise ...
, which was named by
Matthew Flinders
Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer, navigator and cartographer who led the first littoral zone, inshore circumnavigate, circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then ...
.
The bay is accessible by conventional vehicle along a road ending in a carpark. That point is the
trailhead
A trailhead is the point where a trail begins or is accessed, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain restrooms, maps, signposts, and distribution centers for ...
for the Le Grand Coastal Trail.
The bay is approximately by road from Esperance.
See also
*
Geography of Western Australia
Western Australia occupies nearly one third of the Australian continent. Due to the size and the isolation of the state, considerable emphasis has been made of these features; it is the second largest administrative territory in the world, af ...
*
Exploration of Australia
The European exploration of Australia first began in February 1606, when Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon landed in Cape York Peninsula and on October that year when Spanish explorer Luís Vaz de Torres sailed through, and navigated, Torres Strai ...
References
Bays of Western Australia
Goldfields–Esperance
{{WesternAustralia-geo-stub