Lancelin, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Lancelin is a small fishing and tourist town 110 km north of Perth, Western Australia
. It is located in the Shire of Gingin
at the end of Wanneroo Road
(State Route 60), and a few kilometres from the start of the Indian Ocean Drive
.
The area in which Lancelin is located is close to the shipwreck site of the Vergulde Draeck
or Gilt Dragon that was wrecked on rocks close to shore in 1656.
The town's name originates from Lancelin Island that is located nearby which was named after P.J. Lancelin the scientific writer by Captain Nicolas Baudin
in 1801 as part of the Frenchman's expedition.
The area was initially a holiday camping place through the 1940s and holiday shacks were probably built in the area during this time but interest in the area grew as it was designated as a possible port to be utilised by the crayfish
, or lobster
fishery.
Lancelin was gazetted in 1950 and was originally named "Wangaree", the Aboriginal word for fish. The area was renamed in 1953 after a request from the Gingin Road Board.
The town has a permanent population of over 600, and swells to 2,500 during the peak holiday period around Christmas - New Year.
Kitesurfing
and windsurfing
are popular in the ocean off Lancelin, as are sandboarding
and 4-wheel driving on the beaches and in the dunes behind the town.
On 29 June 1974, two sounding rockets for solar research during a solar total eclipse were launched from Lancelin.
Lancelin Island Nature Reserve (500 metres off shore) is managed for the conservation of flora and fauna. The island is an important sanctuary for a variety of breeding seabird
s, for several resident landbirds and lizards and for resting sea lion
s. A variety of marine, wading and land birds may be observed.
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....
. It is located in the Shire of Gingin
Shire of Gingin
The Shire of Gingin is a Local Government Area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, just beyond the northern fringe of the Perth metropolitan area. The Shire covers an area of and its seat of government is the town of Gingin.-History:...
at the end of Wanneroo Road
Wanneroo Road
Wanneroo Road is an important arterial road in Perth, Australia. It is about 75 kilometres long. It links Perth with the City of Wanneroo, and the Towns of Yanchep and Lancelin...
(State Route 60), and a few kilometres from the start of the Indian Ocean Drive
Indian Ocean Drive
Indian Ocean Drive is a coastal road in Western Australia which links Lancelin with the Brand Highway, just south of Dongara.On 26 September 2010 the final section of 65 km of sealed road from north of Lancelin to the old Pinnacles Desert Drive, approximately 10 km south of Cervantes, was...
.
The area in which Lancelin is located is close to the shipwreck site of the Vergulde Draeck
Vergulde Draeck
The Vergulde Draeck was a Dutch East India Company ship of the seventeenth century. She sailed from Texel bound for Batavia , under Pieter Albertsz and was carrying trade goods and eight chests of silver worth 78,6000 guilders...
or Gilt Dragon that was wrecked on rocks close to shore in 1656.
The town's name originates from Lancelin Island that is located nearby which was named after P.J. Lancelin the scientific writer by Captain Nicolas Baudin
Nicolas Baudin
Nicolas-Thomas Baudin was a French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer.Baudin was born a commoner in Saint-Martin-de-Ré on the Île de Ré. At the age of fifteen he joined the merchant navy, and at twenty joined the French East India Company...
in 1801 as part of the Frenchman's expedition.
The area was initially a holiday camping place through the 1940s and holiday shacks were probably built in the area during this time but interest in the area grew as it was designated as a possible port to be utilised by the crayfish
Spiny lobster
Spiny lobsters, also known as langouste or rock lobsters, are a family of about 45 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia...
, or lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
fishery.
Lancelin was gazetted in 1950 and was originally named "Wangaree", the Aboriginal word for fish. The area was renamed in 1953 after a request from the Gingin Road Board.
The town has a permanent population of over 600, and swells to 2,500 during the peak holiday period around Christmas - New Year.
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
and windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
are popular in the ocean off Lancelin, as are sandboarding
Sandboarding
Sandboarding is a board sport similar to snowboarding.It is a recreational activity that takes place on sand dunes rather than snow-covered mountains....
and 4-wheel driving on the beaches and in the dunes behind the town.
On 29 June 1974, two sounding rockets for solar research during a solar total eclipse were launched from Lancelin.
Lancelin Island Nature Reserve (500 metres off shore) is managed for the conservation of flora and fauna. The island is an important sanctuary for a variety of breeding seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s, for several resident landbirds and lizards and for resting sea lion
Sea Lion
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear-flaps, long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short thick hair. Together with the fur seal, they comprise the family Otariidae, or eared seals. There are six extant and one extinct species in five genera...
s. A variety of marine, wading and land birds may be observed.