Gracetown, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Gracetown is a small town in Western Australia
. It is located 283 km south of the Perth
CBD
, in the Augusta-Margaret River Shire Council area on the coast at Cowaramup Bay.
The area was initially used as a holiday area and later in 1957 it was proposed that the area should be developed as a camping
and caravan park. Instead the government decided that the area would be developed as a townsite.
The area was surveyed in 1961 and the bulk of the townsite was planned. Sale of lots within the townsite occurred in 1963, the same year the town was gazetted.
It was named in honour of local Western Australian heroine Grace Bussell
.
The Cape to Cape Track
runs across the beach to the west of the town and is one of the few towns located along the track.
In 1996 a terrible tragedy occurred on the local beach
close to town when five adults and four children were killed in a cliff
collapse while watching a surfing carnival. The victims were sheltering underneath a rock overhang
at the base of the limestone cliff during a rain storm when the cliff collapsed without warning.
A rehabilitation project was commenced on the cliff tops overlooking the site where the tragedy occurred, following funding by the state government
, in 1997. Stairways, a lookout shelters and fencing were built and vegetation replanted to stabilise the cliffs over Cowaramup Bay.
at a beach close to town.
The town was again struck by tragedy in 2010 when a 31 year old man died after being attacked by another great white shark at South Point, a beach close to town. The man was attacked while surfing and was found unconscious after being washed up on rocks near the beach with a huge gash on his leg. Passers by tried to resuscitate the man who did not regain consciousness and was pronounced dead on arrival at Margaret River
hospital.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is located 283 km south of the Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
CBD
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
, in the Augusta-Margaret River Shire Council area on the coast at Cowaramup Bay.
The area was initially used as a holiday area and later in 1957 it was proposed that the area should be developed as a camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
and caravan park. Instead the government decided that the area would be developed as a townsite.
The area was surveyed in 1961 and the bulk of the townsite was planned. Sale of lots within the townsite occurred in 1963, the same year the town was gazetted.
It was named in honour of local Western Australian heroine Grace Bussell
Grace Bussell
Grace Vernon Bussell , later Grace Drake-Brockman, was the 16-year-old heroine of the SS Georgette disaster in Western Australia on 1 December 1876. Bussell, along with Aboriginal stockman Sam Isaacs, helped save the lives of around 50 people with a quick thinking rescue from shore...
.
The Cape to Cape Track
Cape to Cape Track
The Cape to Cape Walk Track is a long-distance walk trail located in the far south-west corner of Western Australia, 250 km south of Perth. It meanders along the whole length of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, which forms the backbone of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Its start and finish...
runs across the beach to the west of the town and is one of the few towns located along the track.
In 1996 a terrible tragedy occurred on the local beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
close to town when five adults and four children were killed in a cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
collapse while watching a surfing carnival. The victims were sheltering underneath a rock overhang
Overhang
Overhang may refer to:* Debt overhang, a fiscal situation of a government* Market overhang, a concept in marketing* Monetary overhang, a phenomenon where people have money holdings due to the lack of ability to spend them...
at the base of the limestone cliff during a rain storm when the cliff collapsed without warning.
A rehabilitation project was commenced on the cliff tops overlooking the site where the tragedy occurred, following funding by the state government
Government of Western Australia
The formation of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then...
, in 1997. Stairways, a lookout shelters and fencing were built and vegetation replanted to stabilise the cliffs over Cowaramup Bay.
Shark attacks
In 2004 a surfer, Bradley Smith, was attacked and killed by a great white sharkGreat white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
at a beach close to town.
The town was again struck by tragedy in 2010 when a 31 year old man died after being attacked by another great white shark at South Point, a beach close to town. The man was attacked while surfing and was found unconscious after being washed up on rocks near the beach with a huge gash on his leg. Passers by tried to resuscitate the man who did not regain consciousness and was pronounced dead on arrival at Margaret River
Margaret River, Western Australia
Margaret River is a town in the South West of Western Australia, located in the valley of the eponymous Margaret River, south of Perth, the state capital. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River....
hospital.