MARINE
The south-west coastline was first visited by Dutch explorers in the early 1600s, and in 1801 it was French navigator Nicolas Baudin who named many local sites such as Cape Naturalise, Geographe Bay, Hamelin Bay and Cape Leschenault.
The Vasse was first settled in 1834 following the initial settlement in Augusta in 1830, led by Captain John Molloy. All supplies to the Vasse area arrived by ship into Geographe Bay. The need for a jetty became increasingly evident as many vessels stopped in the bay, and cargo had to be offloaded by rowing boats to shore. The southern hemisphere’s longest timber-piled jetty serviced exports and trade for industries of the region, including grains, livestock, whaling and timber mills.
The museum collection showcases items that celebrate local marine history.
Fisherman’s Basket
This Fisherman’s Basket is a wicker luggage basket which is believed to have originally belonged to a sailor who deserted his sailing ship upon arrival at the Busselton Jetty, ca. 1890. He would have used this basket to transport his worldly belongings across the world to WA.
It is not known whether the basket still belonged to the sailor when it was used as a fisherman’s basket in local commercial fishing which included the annual salmon run along the coast at Eagle Bay, Meelup and Castle Bay.
The basket was lined with shark skin, which is a thick, flexible, durable and water-resistant form of leather which would have protected the wicker from damage due to continuous exposure to salt water and also would have kept the fish fresh for market.
If only this basket could talk, what seafaring adventures it could tell!
Whale Vertebra
This weathered whale vertebra was found on a Busselton beach.
Whaling was one of the first industries established in Western Australia. The Castle Rock Whaling Company based itself at Castle Bay (near Dunsborough) between 1845 to 1872, as it provided shelter, water, firewood and a high point from which to spot whales. Running a whaling station at such a remote spot had its problems, like drunkenness, absconding workers and in 1849 all boats and sheds were destroyed by fire.
The two main species of whales targeted by whalers at Castle Bay were the Humpback Whale and the Southern Right Whale, which migrate north-south along the Western Australian coastline stopping in Geographe Bay to feed and strengthen their calves before continuing to the Southern Ocean.
