Busselton, Western Australia, Australia

Busselton Jetty, at 1841 meters, is the longest timber jetty in the Southern Hemisphere
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Greg O'Beirne


Busselton is a town to the south of Perth, in Western Australia. Located in the South West region of the state, it has a population of around 20,000 people (2012 estimate).

The first European to sight the Busselton area was French explorer Nicholas Baudin, whose expedition arrived in the area in 1801 on board two ships, the Géographe and the Naturaliste. Baudin named Geographe Bay and Cape Naturaliste after his ships, and the River Vasse after sailor Thomas Vasse, who disappeared after going overboard and presumed drowned.

St Mary's Church, Busselton
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Gnangarra


Busselton was only settled by Europeans in 1834, when John Garrett Bussell brought his family to settle the land, having found it ideal for farming. He established a cattle station there. Called Cattle Chosen, the station became one of the most prosperous in the colony, attracting a lot of other settlers into the area. A contingent of troops were also stationed in Busselton, under the command of Lieutenant Henry Bunbury. The name Busselton was chosen in honor of the Bussel family, without their knowledge - they had wanted to name the site Capel, after a relative in England, Capel Carter, but some how the name Busselton was retained.

Today Busselton has developed into a tourist town. It has a number of historic buildings worth visiting. The coast also has the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere.

Visiting Busselton

From Perth, take the Old Coast Road (National Highway 1) to Bunbury, then continue south on the Bussell Highway (Highway 10) to reach Busselton. The journey takes about three hours.

Places of Interest in Busselton

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