History:
Although most archaeological evidence suggests Aboriginal settlement of the Geraldton region extends back at least 40,000 years, it was probably not until the 17th century that Europeans took an interest in this area.
In 1629, two Dutchmen were marooned on the coast by Francisco Pelsaert for their part in the Batavia mutiny. Despite the events surrounding the wrecks of the Batavia (1629) and Zuytdorp (1712) including some of the most treacherous and blood-thirsty episodes in the annals of maritime history, the Dutch had no major impact on the region’s development.
Later, French voyagers also passed by the coast, however the first official visit to the area was made by a British Captain, Phillip Parker King, in 1822. In 1839, Lieutenant Grey and a party of 12 men were shipwrecked in Gantheaume Bay, forcing them to return to Perth on foot. They suffered terrible privation on the way and one young man died from starvation.
The following year H.M.S. Beagle charted Champion Bay and in 1849 John Septimus Roe, Western Australia’s first Surveyor General, surveyed the town site. The town was named after the Governor of the colony, Sir Charles Fitzgerald.
The Geraldine Lead Mine on the Murchison River, was also named in his honour. It was the need to establish facilities for the export of lead from the Geraldine Mine, that resulted in a port being built at Champion Bay and in 1860 a jetty was constructed to improve port facilities.
In 1879, a railway was constructed linking the mines at Northampton with the Port of Geraldton. This was followed in 1894 with the linking of Walkaway and Midland, via the Midland Railway Line.
General:
Geraldton is the key port and administration centre for the region. It is a comfortable four and a half hour drive from Perth, making it a good starting point for any holiday in the north-west.
One of Geraldton’s main attractions is its warm, dry climate and the town has become known as ‘Sun City’. It is a mecca for sun lovers, with its long white beaches and the unpolluted, clear waters of the Indian Ocean attracting surfers and swimmers from all over Australia.
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