The first settlement in W.A.

Leaving Walpole we drove as close to the coast as the road would allow, visiting many clifftops and beaches, for which the area is famous.So are the flies, maybe infamous is the right word. It took most of the day, although it is not really very far, and we stopped for lunch in a little town called Denmark. There is a pie shop there, which seems to have won every award and accolade possible in this part of the world, and I have to say they were justified!

Anne's dressing had to be changed, so after the visitor centre the next stop was the hospital. The service here is excellent, we didn't have to wait long before we were on our way to our accommodation, a chalet just 100 mtrs from Emu Beach, in lovely gardens.
Albany was founded even before Perth, and in the early days was expected to be the capital of WA, as the harbour was the best in this side of Australia. However the dredging of Freemantle in the late 1800s changed things dramatically, and Perth grew while Albany faltered.

This morning we took a stroll around the historic centre of Albany with a very informative guide. He told us that the area was first visited in the  1790's by a mapping expedition, but it wasn't until 1826 that the first settlers arrived here in the brig Amity, a replica of which stands near the landing spot.
Those forst settlers established a military post to ensure the French could not take the area, with just 19 soldiers, 23 convicts a small staff and the ship's crew. Albany was named in honour of the king's son, the Duke of Albany, and the harbour entrance is King George III Sound.
We saw the old gaol, built in 1872 as barracks but later converted into a civilian gaol, and a couple of museums, the best of which was Patrick Taylor's cottage, now run by the Historical Society.

This afternoon we drove to the top of Mount Clarence, which overlooks Princess Royal Harbour and King George Sound, and the islands that surround and protect the inlets. Unfortunately the day was not very clear, so the views were restricted.

However we did get to see the wildlife, there is a distinctive black skink that lives here, and a lot of them. I thought that all skinks were tail-less, but this one has a tail. I learn something new every day! They are about 18 inches long, and we must have seen half a dozen of them, so they are certainly thriving here.







Next door is Mount Adelaide, which is home to the Princess Royal Fortress. It exactly overlooks Attaturk Entrance, which is a narrow deep water neck that allows ships into Princess Royal Harbour. It was built in 1893 when it was recognised that the loss of this strategic harbour would be a threat to the security of the whole of Australia.

There are two gun batteries dug and concealed into the hillside, and operated until 1956. It has been rebuilt as a tourist venue, and a good one too!