City in the South West region of Western Australia
Photo: Photograph by Greg O'Beirne, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Busselton is a city of 28,000 people (2018) on Geographe Bay in the South West region of Western Australia. It is famous for its 2-km-long heritage jetty, which has been restored for tourism, and is also famous for its beaches and fishing. Busselton was voted Western Australia's top tourist town in 1995, 1996, and 2005. It is visited by cruise ships 8-12+ times a year.
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The most famous feature of Busselton is the jetty. It long - very long; nearly 2 km in length. It was required by the shallowness of the bay, but fell into disrepair following the cessation of commercial shipping. The jetty has been restored for heritage and tourism purposes. Its railway used to be part of Western Australia's rail network, connecting to the main line to Perth. These days, a small tourist train will take you to the end of the pier. There is an underwater observatory at the end of the pier. Silt in the bay can be whipped up by winds, and on windy days the observatory can close for poor visibility.
Wonnerup House was built in 1859 by the Layman family, the original settlers. The previous 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.
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. 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. In 2018, the building was heavily damaged by fire. the outside areas were re-opened in 2019 and the rest of the building was re-opened in 2020.
Built in 1844–1845, it is believed to be 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.
formerly known as Villa Carlotta
It 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 built as a private residence; in 1904, Ithaca was acquired by Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions for use as a Catholic convent. It has been a school and a hotel, and now is a motel.
Built in 1881. 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.
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.
On the Busselton foreshore. You have the option of a cheap and easy take-away counter or restaurant dine in. Great place to pick up some fish and chips to eat on the beach.
Resort near the beach. Luxury hotel and apartment accommodation with a complete range of facilities.
By car
Busselton is under 3 hours drive from Perth, and under an hour from Bunbury.
By coach
TransWA connect with the Bunbury Train. South West Coaches have scheduled services to Bunbury with onward connections to Perth (including direct connecting services from Perth Airport to Bunbury).
By plane
Busselton Margaret River Airport is around 10 minutes drive inland from town, and has services to Melbourne and Sydney. Charter flights may also be available.
You can walk from the pier and the beach to town, they are around 200 m apart.
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