North West Cape
Encyclopedia
North West Cape is a large peninsula of land in the north west coast of Western Australia
. Cape Range
runs down the spine of the peninsula and Ningaloo Reef
runs along the western edge. It includes the town of Exmouth
.
In 1618, Dutch East India Company
captain Lenaert Jacobszoon
and supercargo
Willem Janszoon
of the Mauritius landed in the area.
Phillip Parker King later visited in 1818 and named it North West Cape as well as naming Exmouth Gulf
after a fellow Naval Officer.
Later, pearl
luggers visited the area from Broome
. During World War II
a military operation codenamed Operation Potshot was done in the area.
The first oil
flow in Australia was discovered there in 1953 at Rough Range, by exploration company WAPET
.
Exmouth Gulf Station
takes up much of the eastern side of the peninsula backing onto Exmouth Gulf
.
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...
. Cape Range
Cape Range National Park
Cape Range National Park is a national park in Western Australia, north of Perth.The park occupies the western side of the North West Cape peninsula over an area of . The nearest town is Exmouth...
runs down the spine of the peninsula and Ningaloo Reef
Ningaloo Reef
Ningaloo Reef is a fringing coral reef located off the west coast of Australia, approximately 1200 km north of Perth. The reef is 260 km long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass....
runs along the western edge. It includes the town of Exmouth
Exmouth, Western Australia
-Further reading:* Western Australia. Ministry for Planning. Exmouth-Learmonth structure plan. Perth, W.A. : Western Australian Planning Commission...
.
In 1618, Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
captain Lenaert Jacobszoon
Lenaert Jacobszoon
Lenaert Jacobszoon was a captain of the Dutch East India Company who, on 31 July 1618 in the vessel Mauritius, sighted North West Cape in the north-west of Western Australia mistakenly believing it to be a large island...
and supercargo
Supercargo
Supercargo is a term in maritime law that refers to a person employed on board a vessel by the owner of cargo carried on the ship...
Willem Janszoon
Willem Janszoon
Willem Janszoon , Dutch navigator and colonial governor, is probably the first European known to have seen the coast of Australia. His name is sometimes abbreviated to Willem Jansz....
of the Mauritius landed in the area.
Phillip Parker King later visited in 1818 and named it North West Cape as well as naming Exmouth Gulf
Exmouth Gulf
Exmouth Gulf is a gulf in the north west of Western Australia. It lies between North West Cape and the main coastline of Western Australia. It is considered to be part of the region of the North West Shelf and in the Canning Basin area.-Environment:...
after a fellow Naval Officer.
Later, pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
luggers visited the area from Broome
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a military operation codenamed Operation Potshot was done in the area.
The first oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
flow in Australia was discovered there in 1953 at Rough Range, by exploration company WAPET
WAPET
West Australian Petroleum Pty Ltd was a pioneer oil and gas exploration and processing company in Western Australia. Formed in March 1952 as a joint venture between Caltex and Ampol, the company discovered Australia's first flowing oil in November the following year, at Rough Range on the North...
.
Exmouth Gulf Station
Exmouth Gulf Station
Exmouth Gulf Station or Exmouth Station is a pastoral lease and sheep station located in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Situated approximately south of Exmouth Occupying an area of the station occupies much of the eastern side of North West Cape and the eastern boundary of the station...
takes up much of the eastern side of the peninsula backing onto Exmouth Gulf
Exmouth Gulf
Exmouth Gulf is a gulf in the north west of Western Australia. It lies between North West Cape and the main coastline of Western Australia. It is considered to be part of the region of the North West Shelf and in the Canning Basin area.-Environment:...
.
See also
- Exmouth, Western AustraliaExmouth, Western Australia-Further reading:* Western Australia. Ministry for Planning. Exmouth-Learmonth structure plan. Perth, W.A. : Western Australian Planning Commission...
- Cape Range National ParkCape Range National ParkCape Range National Park is a national park in Western Australia, north of Perth.The park occupies the western side of the North West Cape peninsula over an area of . The nearest town is Exmouth...
- United States Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt
- Ningaloo ReefNingaloo ReefNingaloo Reef is a fringing coral reef located off the west coast of Australia, approximately 1200 km north of Perth. The reef is 260 km long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass....
External links
- http://www.exmouthwa.com.au/pages.asp?code=22