Matilda Bay (known earlier as Crawley Bay, Sutherland's Bay[1] and Eliza Bay) is a natural bay in the Swan River in Western Australia, adjacent to the Perth suburb of Crawley. It extends from Pelican Point to Mounts Bay Road below Kings Park.
The University of Western Australia is immediately opposite. Other landmarks on Matilda Bay include Pelican Point Sea Scouts, Royal Perth Yacht Club and Mounts Bay Yacht Club. A well-known bronze sculpture Eliza is displayed just offshore from Mounts Bay Road and depicts a woman preparing to dive.
Matilda Bay Reserve is a recreational parkland between Hackett Drive and the river. It includes Pelican Point which is an important breeding sanctuary for migratory birds.
Matilda Bay is believed to have been named after the wife of John Septimus Roe, Matilda (née Bennett).[2]
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Captain Currie was the first colonial owner of the 32-acre (130,000 m2) estate surrounding the bay, and during this time it was known as Eliza Bay. Pelican Point was then known as Point Currie. The estate was sold in 1832 to the Assistant Surveyor and Colonial Treasurer, Henry Sutherland for ₤100. Sutherland changed the property name to Crawley Park in memory of his mother's maiden name[3][4] and the bay hence became Crawley Bay. The estate was acquired by the Government in 1910[5] and vested in the University of Western Australia in 1922.[1]
In 1943, the Royal Australian Air Force operated Catalina flying boats between Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Matilda Bay in what was known as the Double Sunrise service.[6]