Destination: Esperance, WA

There’s no denying that Esperance is a long way from anywhere, a dot on the southern coastline of Western Australia, 720 kilometres east of Perth and 1,500 kilometres west of Adelaide. The closest major port is Albany, 400 kilometres to the west. But 

in its isolation, on a picturesque bay referred to in local Aboriginal language as 'a place where the water lies in the shape of a boomerang', the 

With a population of about 15,000, Esperance is the major service hub and administrative centre of a shire that spans some 42,000 square kilometres, stretching north to the goldfields and east along the Bight to the arid Nullarbor Plain. The region’s thriving economy is powered by agriculture, mining, light industry, commercial fishing, wind-generated electricity and tourism. One of its key strategic assets is the Port of Esperance, close to the town at the southern end of Esperance Bay. As the only port in Western Australia’s remote southeast that is serviced by both road and rail freight, it is a major export terminal for a wide range of products, and a significant contributor to economic growth in the region.

Land and Sea

Esperance experiences a Mediterranean climate; hot, dry summers when northerly winds blow from the state’s baking interior and cold, wet winters with southerly winds off the tempestuous Southern Ocean.

The south-east coastline is strongly indented with numerous rocky headlands interspersed with asymmetrical bays that reflect the prevailing westerly current. Long, secluded beaches are backed by sand dunes, low hills, lakes and wetlands that support a rich variety of wildlife. The landscapes of Cape Le Grand, Cape Arid and Stokes National Parks are dominated by ancient granite peaks surrounded by undulating heath-covered sand plains that erupt in spring with blooming wildflowers unique to the region.

Off the Esperance coast, the Recherche Archipelago is comprised of 105 granite islands and more than 1500 reefs, rocks and shoals that present "obstacles to shipping", stretching 240 kilometres from east to west and 50 kilometres off-shore. The islands provide important habitats for terrestrial fauna, haul-out sites for marine mammals and crucial breeding grounds for resident and migratory birds. The surrounding waters teem with abundant marine life, including hundreds of fish species, seagrass meadows, soft corals, dolphins and whales.

Maritime History

The Esperance region has a long and distinguished maritime history, beginning in 1627 when the Dutch mariners Pieter Van Nuyts and François Thijssen, in the Gulden Zeepaert (Golden Seahorse), navigated the continent’s southern coastline from Cape Leeuwin to present day Ceduna in South Australia. 

In 1791 George Vancouver sailed through the archipelago in HMS Discovery. A year later, Bruni D’Entrecasteaux in La Recherche (Research) and Huon de Kermadec in L'Esperance (Hope), were forced to shelter from a violent storm in the lee of Observatory Island, about 15 kilometres west of the location that is now Esperance. The bay and the archipelago were named after their ships, and Cape Le Grand in honour of the young ensign who guided them to safe anchor. In 1802, Matthew Flinders explored and charted the archipelago in HMS Investigator. He too was forced by rough weather to shelter in a small cove east of Cape Le Grand, which he named Lucky Bay. 

From the 1820s, the archipelago was a favoured destination for whalers and sealers, from as far away as America, who plied the southern oceans harpooning whales for meat and the bi-products, and taking seals for fur. Australia's only recorded pirate captain, John (“Black Jack”) Anderson, frequented the archipelago in the 1830s. A former whaler, he used Middle Island as a base from which to launch raids on vessels sailing between Adelaide and Albany, until he was murdered by his own crew.

Settlement and progress

The first settlers in the district were the Dempster brothers, who arrived in 1863 with sheep, cattle and horses from Northam to establish the 304,000-acre Esperance Bay Pastoral Station on the present-day townsite. The Dempsters prospered and within a few years waves of pioneering graziers followed. With the discovery of gold at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie in the 1890s, Esperance became the “Gateway to the Goldfields”, and the influx of people and supplies to the district became a catalyst for rapid development of the town and its rise to prominence as a commercial port with sea links to the eastern states. 

In the 1960s, vast tracts of the Esperance sandplain were opened for large-scale agriculture, and Western Mining Corporation discovered huge deposits of nickel at Kambalda. To meet the resulting demands of booming trade, a land-backed harbour was constructed with two berths in the lee of Dempster Head at the southern end of Esperance Bay, with a 1,200-metre breakwater.

A $54 million upgrade in 2000 saw the addition of a third berth alongside the breakwater, the dredging of the harbour basin to accommodate ships up to 200,000-tonne capacity, and the construction of bulk storage and handling infrastructure. Such has been the development of the Port that cargo handled through it rose from 640,579 tonnes in 1990 to a record 15-million tonnes in 2014-15, generating in excess $100 million of royalties for the State Government.

Esperance ‘SuperTown’

In 2011, the Western Australian Government initiated the Regional Centres Development Plan by establishing ‘Royalties for Regions’ – a fund comprising 25 per cent of the state’s mining and onshore petroleum royalties – aimed at supporting the development of industry, services and infrastructure in regional communities throughout the state, assisting them to become ‘SuperTowns’. Esperance was one of nine towns earmarked for strategic development under the scheme and awarded funds for three projects: the Esperance Waterfront Project ($19.7 million), the Esperance Town Centre Revitalisation Masterplan ($380,000), and the Esperance Economic Development Program ($193,000).

The Esperance Waterfront project involved the redevelopment of a one-kilometre strand along the Esperance Bay foreshore, including a new rock revetment seawall following the natural contours of the bay and integrating the existing dunal system, which was extensively planted with more than 1,000 trees to strengthen the foreshore against erosion. The revitalised Esperance Waterfront now features community plazas, parkland and lookout spaces connected through meandering pathways and amenities such as playgrounds, seating areas, barbecue stations, picnic shelters and public art. Upon completion in 2014, the project won an Award for Excellence from Parks and Leisure Australia (WA). 

Recreational Boating Facilities

Esperance Bay Yacht Club sits next to parkland on The Esplanade at the end of Taylor Street. A small breakwater forms a marina with fixed jetty pens for approximately 35 recreational vessels of 4.6 to 7.0 metres in length. The marina structure is somewhat degraded and the yacht club is looking at replacement options in the coming years. Temporary marina berthing (to a maximum of 4 weeks) is available for visiting vessels, and amenities for use by their crews. The Yacht Club also has a small wharf area adjacent to a storage and hardstand facility. 

The Taylor Street Jetty is a small commercial facility adjacent to the Yacht Club breakwater. Commercial vessels berth against this jetty and use it for charter pick up and drop off. Small boats may be launched over the beach between the yacht club and the Taylor Street jetty. North of the Yacht Club is a recreational boat ramp and a narrow finger jetty. Further north is the James Street Groyne, which acts to hold sand on its northern side and to anchor a swimming jetty and pontoon projecting from its southern side. This jetty is not designed to accommodate vessels. Anchorage, protected from the south to northwest, can be made near the jetty in depths of about two to three metres over weed and sand. 

Perhaps the most notable feature along the foreshore is the historic Tanker Jetty, projecting about 500 metres from the James Street precinct. This grand structure was a popular place for walking and fishing, but is now so dilapidated that it’s considered unsafe and has been closed to the public. The Port Authority, which has jurisdiction for marine safety, has classified the area immediately surrounding the jetty as a no-boating zone.

The DoT-operated Bandy Creek Boat Harbour is located 10 kilometres east of the town centre. It comprises a commercial area on the eastern side with 26 boat pens for vessels up to 25 metres in length, a jetty and a land-backed wharf, fuelling and maintenance facilities, a 150-metre service wharf and public toilets. The west (or ‘recreational’) side has 20 Mediterranean-type pens for boats up to 15 metres long, serviced by power, water and lighting. Adjacent to the boat pens is a two-lane boat ramp accessible from Daw Drive and Summys Park, with a barbeque, a fish cleaning table and public toilets. At the southern end of the land-backed service wharf, the “trawler jetty” was constructed in 1989 to accommodate two large vessels up to 30.6 metres long. The Esperance Professional Fisherman’s Association operates a private slipway on the northern side of the harbour, with a 60-tonne capacity.

In Cape Le Grand National Park, small boats are best launched at Lucky Bay and from Cape Le Grand Beach. There is an anchorage 1.5 nautical miles north of Cape Le Grand, locally known as O’Briens Beach, which provides good protection from north-east to south-east winds with little surge. The bottom is weed over sand at 10 to 12 metres deep, with the possibility of getting in closer. Launching at Rossiter Bay is not recommended but there is an anchorage about one nautical mile north of Mississippi Point with protection from westerlies.

The western side of Lucky Bay has an anchorage in depths of two to three metres, with protection from the south-west through north to south-east. The eastern side of the bay is deeper and offers better protection over sand from strong easterlies, but not westerlies. Thistle Cove, immediately west of Lucky Bay, is a pleasant little cove offering shelter from the north-west to north-east, in five to 10 metre depths, but is somewhat exposed to other directions. There is a chance of swell entering with fresh south-west winds. 

There are only a few recommended anchorages within the Recherche Archipelago due to the deep water close inshore and variable winds. Landing on most islands is difficult and only three have sand beaches: Figure of Eight, Middle and Sandy Hook. There is good access to Middle Island, with a popular anchorage providing safe landing for boats. 

Fishing

Esperance is an angler's paradise. The easiest option is to pick any one of the many beaches (or wharfs and jetties) in and around the town, all with magnificent views of the coastline. A handy Beach Fishing Guide is available online or from local tackle shops. Rock fishing from any of Esperance’s granite headlands can offer a range of species, but it can be very dangerous due to rogue waves and slippery algae. Ensure you wear a life jacket and always use the mooring hooks installed at popular rock fishing locations.

Offshore fishing provides boat anglers with a wide selection of deep sea fish species, but you’ll need a fishing licence and be aware of regulations about size and bag limits, gear control and fishing seasons. If you’re keen for a deep sea angling experience but don't own a boat (or don’t have a mate who does), or you just don't like scaling, gutting and filleting your own catch, several local companies operate charters to suit all levels of experience. Information brochures for them are available at the Visitor Centre and online. 

Local waters are generally at their calmest in the autumn months and March sees Esperance host the annual Deep Sea Angling Classic. Now in its twenty-fifth year, the Classic’s prize pool of over $20,000 consistently draws more than a hundred boats from all over the State for the spectacle of one of WA's richest and largest fishing competitions.

Diving

With more than 100 islands and numerous rocky islets, the Recherche Archipelago can rightly lay claim to being one of the top 10 diving areas in Australia. The archipelago’s waters offer excellent visibility and divers will find an interesting range of underwater experiences like granite walls, boulders, large caves and a couple of wrecks. On February 14, 1991, the 33,000-tonne bulk carrier Sanko Harvest sank in the archipelago, becoming the second largest wreck dive site in the world, lying in 40 metres of water. A large number of shore dives can also be found in the Esperance area and for the casual diver the most accessible of these is an artificial reef located off the end of the Tanker Jetty. 

The Wrap

Esperance’s current population is estimated to increase by 50 per cent by 2026, with a commensurate increase in community spirit and business confidence. While tourism currently does not provide the same economic contribution as mining or agriculture, it remains a key stimulus for growth, drawing more than 230,000 visitors annually. With its many natural attractions and ocean-oriented recreational opportunities, Esperance should grow in stature as a popular tourist resort and holiday destination, despite its relative isolation.

Esperance Contacts

Shire of Esperance

77 Windich St, Esperance

P (08) 9071 0666

E shire@esperance.wa.gov.au

W www.esperance.wa.gov.au

Esperance Visitor Centre

Museum Village 

Cnr. Dempster & Kemp St, Esperance 

P (08) 9083 1555 or 1300 664 455 

E info@visitesperance.com 

W www.visitesperance.com

Esperance Bay Yacht Club

The Esplanade, Esperance

P (08) 9071 3323

E ebyc@westnet.com.au

Esperance Diving & Fishing

72 The Esplanade, Esperance 

P (08) 90715111 or (08) 90715757

E  info@esperancedivingandfishing.com.au

W www.esperancedivingandfishing.com.au

Black Jack Charters

Daw Drive, Bandy Creek Boat Harbour, Esperance

E peter@blackjackcharters.com.au

P Shayne - 0429 106 960

W www.blackjackcharters.com.au

Southern Sports & Tackle

Shop 16, The Boulevard

P (08) 9505 9052

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

Esperance District Office

92 Dempster St, Esperance 

P (08) 9083 2100

W www.dbca.wa.gov.au

Cape Le Grand National Park

P (08) 9075 9072

Southern Ports Authority, Port of Esperance

Cnr. The Esplanade and Bower Ave, Esperance 

P (08) 9072 3333

E enquiries.esperance@southernports.com.au

W www.southernports.com.au

Esperance Sea Search & Rescue Group (VMR 601)

Marine radio channel 27.88 MHz and 

VHF Channel 16

P (08) 9071 1697 or 0419 869 655

Department of Transport

Esperance Office

Suite 3, Balmoral Square, 

53 The Esplanade, Esperance

P (08) 9076 2100

E marine.safety@transport.wa.gov.au

W www.transport.wa.gov.au/imarine

Bandy Creek Boat Harbour

Slipway Operator

P (08) 9071 3531 or 0447 760 294.