Busselton - WikiHQ

thumb|250px|Busselton foreshore

Busselton () is a city in the South West region of the state of Western Australia approximately south-west of Perth. 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, the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere.

Toponymy

Busselton is named after the Bussell family, one of the four groups of first European settlers to take up residence in the area in 1834. The name Busselton was first officially used in June 1835. which honours 'Undal', Before white settlement in 1832, and for at least 40,000 years, the area was home to the Noongar Aboriginal people from the Wardandi and Bibulman 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 and Carbunup River, still hold their original Noongar names. The Wonnerup massacre of Wardandi Noongar people by European settlers occurred in the vicinity of Wonnerup in 1841. 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.

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. Of these, only the Busselton Jetty remains. During the 1850s, Busselton began to receive convicts who were beginning to arrive in Western Australia; they particularly helped with the timber industry. 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 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, which greatly increased the state's population and prosperity. Caves in the area of what is now the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park including Yallingup Cave (now Ngilgi Cave) had been discovered and developed, and the strip of coastline between Cape Yallingup and Cape Naturaliste had become popular for camping and seaside holidays. In about 1927, the Flinders Bay branch railway was developed, which connected Busselton to Flinders Bay; it was closed around 1957. In the 1930s, agricultural prices dropped due to the Great Depression, causing many people to leave the area.

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, Ambergate, Bovell, Broadwater, Geographe, Kealy, Vasse, West Busselton, and Yalyalup. It is bordered by Geographe Bay 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 flows through the city to the Vasse-Wonnerup Estuary; 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. Caves Road leads to the nearby town of Dunsborough, which is separated from Busselton by a green belt, notably including the Locke Estate, known locally as the "Holy Mile". Busselton's nearest city is Bunbury which is north-east of Busselton. Busselton Town near The Busselton District Hospital site on Mill Road in West Busselton (recording from 1998 to 2011), and the Busselton Margaret River Airport, east of the Busselton Shire station (recording since 1997). Wind observations have been made at Busselton Jetty since 1997, and temperature observations have been made in the general area at Ludlow, Jarrahwood, and Cape Naturaliste. Summers are generally warm to hot with afternoon sea breezes, 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. 67.0% of the population of the City of Busselton 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.

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. while the Vasse Highway 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. In December 2000, the 10.7 kilometre Busselton Bypass opened.

The TransBusselton town bus service has been operated by Swan Transit with three routes since 2015. South West Coach Lines and Transwa provide coach services for connections to other south west towns and Perth. Busselton is served by Busselton Margaret River Airport.

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.

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 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 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 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. 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 John Garrett Bussell 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 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

thumb|250px|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 and Cape Naturaliste College. The three private schools are St Mary MacKillop College, Cornerstone Christian College, and Georgiana Molloy Anglican School. The only local tertiary institution in the area is the South Regional TAFE. Busselton contains a long-distance learning hub for Edith Cowan University.

Health

Busselton's first convict hospital was built starting in 1869. A new two-storey hospital was constructed in 1896 and operated until 1978. 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, which was founded in 1966 by Kevin Cullen. The Busselton Football Club plays in the South West Football League.

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, 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. 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; this group of buildings was classified by the National Trust of Australia 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 building, constructed in 1931, and added to the heritage register in 1999. The complex also contains life-sized sculptures by Fremantle sculptor Greg James depicting the cultural heritage of Busselton; miniature versions (maquettes) 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 is available from Monday to Saturday and the Sunday Times is available on Sundays.

Busselton is serviced by three commercial television channels, Seven (formerly GWN7), WIN (Nine), and 10. The public-broadcast TV channels ABC and SBS are also available in the region.

Sister city

Sugito, Saitama, Japan

Governance

Local government

Busselton is located in the City of Busselton, which also includes the towns of Dunsborough and Yallingup.

State government

{| style="float:right; margin-top:0; margin-left:1em;"

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan="3" | 2021 state election

| | 

| Liberal

| style="background:#ff9;"| 44.1%

| | 

| Labor

| style="background:#ff9;"| 34.0%

| | 

| Greens

| style="background:#ff9;"| 10.4%

| | 

| National

| style="background:#ff9;"| 4.3%

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan ="3" | 2022 federal election

| | 

| Liberal

| style="background:#ff9;"| 43.1%

| | 