Margaret River, Western Australia

Margaret River Western Australia
Town centre
Margaret River
Coordinates	33°57′18″S 115°04′30″E / 33.95500°S 115.07500°E / -33.95500; 115.07500Coordinates: 33°57′18″S 115°04′30″E / 33.95500°S 115.07500°E / -33.95500; 115.07500
Population	4,415 (2006 census)[1]
Established	1890s
Postcode(s)	6285
Location	277 km (172 mi) SSW of Perth 48 km (30 mi) SW of Busselton
LGA(s)	Shire of Augusta-Margaret River
State electorate(s)	Vasse
Federal Division(s)	Forrest

Margaret River is a town in the South West of Western Australia, located in the valley of the eponymous Margaret River, 277 kilometres (172 mi) south of Perth, the state capital. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River.

Margaret River's coast to the west of the town is a renowned surfing location, with worldwide fame for its surf breaks. Colloquially, the area is referred to as Margs.^[2]

The surrounding area is the Margaret River Wine Region and is known for its wine production and tourism, attracting an estimated 500,000 visitors annually.^[3] In earlier days the area was better known for hardwood timber and agricultural production.

History

The town is named after the river, which is presumed to be named after Margaret Whicher, cousin of John Garrett Bussell (founder of Busselton) in 1831. The name is first shown on a map of the region published in 1839. European migrants lived in the area as early as 1850, with timber logging commencing in around 1870. By 1910, the town had a hotel which also operated as a post office.

After World War I, an attempt by the Government of Western Australia to attract migrants to Western Australia (known as the Group Settlement Scheme) and establish farms in the region attracted new settlers to the town. In 1922 over 100 settlers moved into the district.

In the early 1920s the Busselton to Margaret River Railway was built and in 1925 the Margaret River to Flinders Bay line opened.

Geography and climate

Margaret River is located 9 kilometres (6 mi) inland from the Indian Ocean at a point about halfway between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia's South West region.

The climate is humid Mediterranean, with an average annual rainfall of around 1,130 millimetres (44 in). Most rain falls between May and August, when around two days in three record measurable rainfall and around one in ten over 10 millimetres (0.39 in). On occasions, as in August 1955, the town has had measurable rain on every day of a month in this period. During the summer, the weather is very warm, though there are usually sea breezes, and frequently sunny. The hot dry summers, coupled with strong winds, creates an environment where there is always a high risk of bush fires.

Wine region

Margaret River is the foremost Geographical Indication wine region in the South West Australia Zone, with nearly 55 square kilometres (21 sq mi) under vine and over 138 wineries as at 2008. The region is made up predominantly of boutique-size wine producers, although winery operations range from the smallest, crushing 3.5 tonnes (3.4 long tons; 3.9 short tons) per year, to the largest at around 7,000 tonnes (6,900 long tons; 7,700 short tons).^[4][5] The region produces just three percent of total Australian grape production, but commands over 20 percent of the Australian premium wine market.

Stretching some 100 kilometres (60 mi) from north to south and about 27 kilometres (17 mi) wide in parts, the region is bounded to the east by the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, and to the west by the Indian Ocean. A Mediterranean-style climate, lacking extreme summer and winter temperatures, provides ideal growing conditions. The climate is described as similar to that of Bordeaux in a dry vintage.^[4][5]

Humidity levels are ideal during the growing period and the combination of climate, soil and viticulture practices leads to consistently high quality fruit of intense flavour. Consequently, annual vintage results continue to exceed expectations and reinforce Margaret River's reputation as one of the premium wine-producing regions of the world.^[6][7]

The principal grape varieties in the region are fairly evenly split between red and white; Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Shiraz, Merlot, Chenin blanc and Verdelho.^[4][8]

Caves

Mammoth Cave

Several hundred caves are located near Margaret River, all of them within Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Six of these are open to the public.^[9]

The most famous of these is the multi-chambered Mammoth Cave, which lies 21 kilometres (13 mi) south of the town and contains fossils dating back over 35,000 years.^[10] The cave was first discovered by European settlers in 1850 and has been open to the public since 1904. The cave can be explored by a self-guided audio tour, and is one of the few caves in Australia offering partial disabled access.

The other five caves open to the public in the area are Jewel Cave, Lake Cave, Ngilgi Cave, Calgardup Cave and Giants Cave. Many other caves can be accessed with a permit by experienced cavers.

In the media

Arte-TV produced an episode of Nouveaux paradis about Margaret River. The 2008 documentary shows interviews with (amongst others) tourist officials, surfers, and dolphin watchers. ^[11] Margaret River was also visited in the 1966 documentary film The Endless Summer. On 25 April 2009, on Sky television's Soccer AM, Hugh Jackman called Margaret River the best place he's ever been to, citing the surf, the beaches, the food, the wine, the people and the air as his reasons for thinking so. In 2013, many locals featured in the film Drift, starring Sam Worthington, as well as many surfing scenes being shot on location at local surf breaks.^[12] Surfing locations included popular breaks such as Grunters and Main Break.^[13]

Surfing breaks

The Margaret River area has acquired a range of synonyms for the collection of surf breaks nearby, with some 75 breaks along 130 km of coastline.^[14][15] Usually significant surfing competitions concentrate their locale to Margarets Main Break (aka Surfers Point) which breaks in the vicinity of Prevelly at the mouth of Margaret River.^[16]

The actual range of surf breaks range from the eastern side of Cape Naturaliste down to just south of Cape Hamelin, and despite web sites and online sources calling the whole Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin region the Margaret River surfing area, conditions and break types vary along the coast.

The Cowaramup Bombora ("Cow Bombie") big wave surf break 2 kilometers offshore produces one of the biggest waves in Australia.^[17][18][19]

Perimeter road

In December 2014, construction of the Margaret River Perimeter Road began. This is a bypass to take traffic, including heavy vehicles, from Bussell Highway, to the east of the town, and also connect to a new access road to the nearby airport.^[20][21]

See also

• Margaret River
• West Australian wine
• Great Southern (wine region)

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Western Australia government tourist information (including map)
• The Rotary Club of Margaret River
• Popular guidebook App for the Margaret River Region (works offline)
• Media related to Margaret River, Western Australia at Wikimedia Commons