Cape Naturaliste

Cape Naturaliste Western Australia
Picture of Cape Naturaliste, WA

Cape Naturaliste is a headland in the south western region of Western Australia at the western edge of the Geographe Bay. It is the northernmost point of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge which was named after the cape. Also the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and the Cape to Cape hiking track were named after this location.

Settlements

The nearest settlement is Bunker Bay—a community that evolved from holiday shacks to very expensive housing for wealthy residents as well as featuring a popular beach resort. Further east, across the Bay, is Dunsborough—a much older settlement. Busselton is located still further east from there.

History

In 1801, the French navigator Nicolas Baudin stopped here on 30 May during his exploration of Australia. The French were mapping the coast of New Holland (Australia). Baudin named the bay they found Geographe Bay, after his flagship, Géographe. Later, the cape was named after the expedition's second ship, Naturaliste.^[1]

Citations and references

Citations

References

• Fornasiero, F. Jean, Peter Monteath, & John West-Sooby (2004) Encountering Terra Australis: The Australian Voyages of Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders. (Wakefield Press). ISBN 978-1862548749
• Marchant, Leslie R. French Napoleonic Placenames of the South West Coast, Greenwood, WA. R.I.C. Publications, 2004. ISBN 1-74126-094-9
• Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Australia: Western Australia". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

External links

• Lighthouse visiting information

Coordinates: 33°32′25″S 115°1′8″E / 33.54028°S 115.01889°E / -33.54028; 115.01889

Australian places named by French explorers in the 18th and 19th centuries
South Australia	Cape Bedout Cape Borda Cape Bouguer Cape Carnot Cape du Couedic Casuarina Islets (Ilots du Cassuarina) D'Estrees Bay (Baie D'Estrees) Dorothee Island (Ile Dorothee) Fleurieu Peninsula Cape Forbin Cape Gantheaume Guichen Bay (Baie de Guichen) Jussieu Peninsula Lacepede Bay Maupertuis Bay (Baie Maupertuis) Fenelon Island Masillon Island Ravine des Casoars Rivoli Bay (Baie de Rivoli) Cape Thevenard Veteran Isles (Ile du Veteran) Vivonne Bay (Baie Vivonne)
Western Australia	Cape Clairault Cape Freycinet Cape Mentelle Cape Naturaliste Faure Island Gantheaume Point Geographe Bay Lancelin Island Middle Island (Iles du Milieu) Peron Peninsula Recherche Archipelago (L’Archipel de la Recherche)
Only places with the name still in use in either the original or anglicised version are listed above. Many names have been anglicised; for these the original French name appears in brackets.