Explore the Albany's Convict Gaol & Museum and the fascinating convict past as you look back to the era of the mid 1800s.

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The gaol was originally established with rehabilitation as a key principle, and convicts sentenced to transportation from England between 1850-1868 often served time in the gaol.

 

Convicts who had obtained their ticket of leave, were hired by free settlers for labour, and work conducted by the convicts included the Albany Town Jetty, manning the pilot boat and building the road to Perth.

 

Wander through the cell blocks reading the plaques about the colourful history and gain an understanding of the difficulties experienced by the early settlers. The timber-lined cells, housed Aboriginal prisoners in the 1870s and contain various carvings which are said to be Australia's oldest Aboriginal cell art.

Visit Western Australia's oldest surviving dwelling and step back into the life in the mid 1800's.

 

Patrick Taylor's Cottage is the oldest surviving dwelling in Western Australia, having been built by the Morley Brothers in 1832, when the town was a military outpost.  The cottage was originally set on a 240-acre block (97 ha).  It was purchased by Patrick Taylor in July 1834, and the eleven room - wattle and daub cottage consists of an entry room, boxroom, parlour, nursery, bedroom, dining room, family room, sewing room, kitchen, laundry and side veranda.

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The wattle and daub construction is a representation of the traditional building used by the early settlers and surrounded by a lovely and quaint English cottage garden. The cottage is found at the base of a gently sloping path and has several mature trees and shrubs growing around the cottage. 

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Explore the Albany’s Historic Whaling Station at Discovery Bay, which is the only complete whaling station in the world. Experience the fascinating  colorful past and the stories of the men and women whose livelihood depended on the Australia’s whaling industry.

 

There are a variety of activities to experience including a beautiful regional wildflower garden, short films within the converted whale oil tanks, a blue whale skeleton display and an extensive marine animal art collection. Climb aboard the Cheynes IV, the world’s only preserved Whalechaser ship. 

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The Cheynes Beach Whaling Company was the last whaling company to cease operations in Australia, closing in 1978. Opening in 1980 (known then as Whale World), it is now home to an interactive museum on whales and whaling. Allow at least 3 hours to enjoy all there is to see and do.

National Anzac Center (NAC), opened for Albany's Anzac centenary commemorations in late 2014 and this profound museum remembers the men and women who left by convoy from Albany to fight in WWI.  NAC presents the Anzac stories through interactive media, artefacts, photographs, film, and audio, providing realism and in depth exhibitions. 

 

The museum's location overlooking the same Princess Royal Harbour where the troop ships left from. Visitors are assigned one of 32 photographs remembering actual soldiers and nurses upon entry.

The exact fate of each of the people in the 32 photographs is not revealed until the final stages of the museum.

 

NAC offers a heartfelt connection to our Anzac's and you have the opportunity to leave your own thoughts and messages via a Tribute Wall, which are shared both at the NAC and online.

Point King Lighthouse, located on the north shore entrance to Princess Royal Harbour and was the first navigational light for the port of Albany and the second lighthouse built on Western Australia's coastline.

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The Lighthouse was the most important guardian of the Channel and was an important location due to rocky entry to the Albany Port.

 

The Point King Lighthouse is a little off the track but easily accessible from the Ellen Cove boardwalk from Middleton Beach. It is a easy walk where you can take in the fantastic views of King George Sound and see what is left of the light keepers cottage. 

 

A little further up is the sculpture commemorating Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, commander in chief of Turkish forces in Gallipoli during World War One and worth a look.

Visit Strawberry Hill at Barmup meaning ‘place of tall trees’ and was habited by the local Menang people before it became a British military outpost in 1826, where later it became the first farm of Western Australia. Start your visit in the award-winning Visitor's Hub with extensive information on the significance of Strawberry Hill and explore the interpretation of the1836 house.

 

The  friendly local volunteers will guide you through the heritage buildings of the self-guided tours and you will appreciate the surrounding cultural landscape.

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Strawberry Hill Farm was the first historic house the National Trust of Western Australia opened to the public in 1966 and please take note of opening hours throughout the year. Refreshments from the kiosk in the Visitor Hub are available for ticket holders to purchase.

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Come aboard and see the brig Amity replica and when colonization of Western Australia began in 1826 when 61 soldiers, settlers and convicts disembarked and what life on the brig was like. The Amity is a living piece of Albany's unique history and heritage.

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Adjacent to the Amity, you'll find the Museum of the Great Southern providing exhibitions, public programs, educational programs and information on the unique natural and social history of the region. 

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This  Museum from its meteorite to the lighthouse optics and is a information centre with an excellent overview of the history of Albany.

 

The Museum shares the stories of the Menang Noongar people and the influence of Mokare, an intermediary who assisted European explorers in an unfamiliar environment. It also explores the region's unique landscapes, flora and fauna.

Lookouts at both the Gap and Natural Bridge are within the Torndirrup National Park and provide stunning views of the Southern Ocean. 

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Visitors can venture onto the accessible viewing platform, 40 metres  above the seas.  A raised pathway leads from the parking area, across the top of the exposed granite to reach the viewing platform at the Gap. The pathway allows safe access to some of the best views. The accessible pathway and viewing area of the Natural Bridge is best if you aren't great with heights and provides a less confronting window to one of Australia’s most exposed and dangerous coast. 

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Entry fees apply, if you forget to purchased your Explore Parks WA Holiday Park Pass, not to worry  a Ranger is most times present and is there to assist you with the pay metre in the Carpark.