Busselton is a city on the south west tip of Western Australia, and is one WA's earliest settlements. Busselton is located 220 km south west of Perth, and has repeatedly been voted Western Australia's top tourist town. Busselton is well known for its sheltered beach, humpback whale migrations and the wood pier which stretches nearly 2km to the Underwater Observatory.
Busselton is the gateway to the South West, which includes world class wineries, cheese factories, chocolate factories, olive oil producers, fruit growers, very tall trees, fabulous caves, white beaches & blue oceans and world class ocean events such as the Margaret River Classic surfing event.
Busselton has a large range of accommodation from camping to luxurious resorts, which is why many people use Busselton as their base & take day trips down south. Busselton also has a large selection of shops, ranging from supermarkets to locally crafted items and food.
Residents and visitors enjoy moderate temperatures, with an average maximum temperature of 22 °C and a minimum of 11°C. The summers are generally hot, with an average daily maximum of 28 °C with cooling afternoon sea breezes, and a winter that delivers cooler temperatures; 8 to 18 °C.
Busselton Jetty
Busselton is home to the longest wooden jetty (pier) in the southern hemisphere stretching almost 2 km out to sea. Construction of the jetty began in 1853 and reached its current length of 1841 metres in the 1960's. It was closed to shipping in 1972. Maintenance was discontinued for a time, but it has since been restored. It is now the site of an underwater observatory and an interpretive centre.
Wonnerup House
Wonnerup House was built in 1859 by the Layman family, the original settlers. The original building was built between 1837 and 1841 but was destroyed by fire in 1858. Included in the complex is the Dairy and Kitchen which predate the main house & survived the fire of 1858. Across the road are the Teacher's House (1885) and School (1873). Since 1973 the National Trust of Australia have operated the property as a museum and it is open to public.
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. The church was not consecrated until 1848 and it was another decade before a clergyman could be attracted to the region. Some of the graves situated next to the church date back to 1841 - before the church was built.
Augusta-Busselton Heritage Trail
At over 100 km long the Pioneer Route retraces the Augusta to Vasse route taken by the original settlers in the 1800s. The trail starts at the jetty and finishes in Augusta.
Transport
Busselton has a town bus service run by South West Coach Lines, with three routes. South West Coach Lines and Transwa provide coach services for connections to other south west towns and Perth. Virgin Australia Regional Airlines provide a weekend service to Busselton from Perth with flights being 45 minutes in duration. There are three return flights a week.
Some of the events held in Busselton:
- Southbound Music Festival (Jan)
- Festival of Busselton (Jan)
- Geographe Bay Race Week (Feb)
- Busselton Festival of Triathlon (May)
- Ironman Western Australia Triathlon (Dec)
- Busselton Jetty Swim (Feb)
Longitude:
115.344296
