Safety Bay, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Safety Bay is an outer southern suburb of Perth
, the capital city of Western Australia
, located on the coast within the City of Rockingham
.
in 1837 as "a safe, well protected boat anchorage" and he gave it the appropriate name of Safety Bay.
Roe recorded depths of 7 fathoms (12.8m) in what was later named "Peel Harbour". In 1846, Roe undertook a more detailed investigation of the potential of Safety Bay as the site for a port. The Harbour, however, had silted up to such an extent that it was no longer suitable for shipping and it began to become known as "Peel Basin" instead. The Harbour (or Basin) disappeared over time, and was last recorded on maps of the area in 1890. The harbour is beginning to reform today, as evidenced by Tern Island connecting to the Safety Bay shore in 2001 and beginning to enclose the waters to the east.
In the late 1920s the Safety Bay Townsite Estate was subdivided by A. J. H. Watts, and the suburb grew over the 1930s. Safety Bay Road
, which links Safety Bay to Rockingham
, was bitumenised and extended to Mandurah Road during World War II
, through Baldivis
to join the Kwinana Freeway
in 2002, and the Forrest Highway in 2009.
is used by windsurfers
and kitesurfers
. The bay lies wholly within the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park
, a pristine habitat for a rich variety of birds and marine life centred on Penguin Island
. (Download a map from here.)
Local boat cruise operators offer opportunities to see wildlife including dolphins, whales, sea lions and penguins. The district is well served by shops, pubs and restaurants and is close to numerous technical product and service outlets in the comprehensive light-industrial
estates on and around Rockingham's Dixon Road. Safety Bay's natural attractions have engendered increasing use of its seafront real estate for expensive mansion-type residential development. Ironically, a demand has simultaneously arisen from some of the newer investors for artificial control of natural seaweed whose odours are, periodically, claimed to impair traditional outdoor entertainment.
by which Perth (50 km to the NNE) can be reached in about 45 minutes by car. The port city of Fremantle is a 30-minute drive to the north and the resort city of Mandurah is 20 minutes to the south. Those destinations are also served by bus routes which connect with the Perth-Rockingham-Mandurah rail service. The rail journey to Perth from Rockingham takes 33 minutes, with trains at 10-minute intervals in peak time.
Perth Bicycle Network route SW38 links Waikiki Beach in Safety Bay with Rockingham Beach in Rockingham
.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, the capital city of Western Australia
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...
, located on the coast within the City of Rockingham
City of Rockingham
The City of Rockingham is a Local Government Area in the far southern suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth.-History:In 1896, residents of Rockingham petitioned to establish a road board, which they proposed be called "Clarence" which was the name of the failed settlement of...
.
History
Safety Bay was originally a small cove on the north shore of Warnbro Sound, now encompassed by Safety Bay Road, Berry Street and Janet Road. It had been noted by surveyor-general John Septimus RoeJohn Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, and a Member of Western Australia's Legislative and Executive Councils for nearly 40 years.-Early life:...
in 1837 as "a safe, well protected boat anchorage" and he gave it the appropriate name of Safety Bay.
In the mid-1830s, Thomas PeelThomas PeelMr. Peel, he moans, took him from England to Swan River, West Australia, means of subsistence and of production to the amount of £50,000. Mr. Peel had the foresight to bring with him, besides, 300 persons of the working-class, men, women, and children. Once arrived at his destination, "Mr. Peel was...
became interested in Safety Bay as a potential harbour to establish a base for whalingWhalingWhaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
operations as well as a point from which inland stands of jarrah could be exported. After initial approval by Governor Stirling and Surveyor-General J. S. Roe for the founding of ‘Liverpool’—as Peel’s port-town was to be known—in 1842 a town site was marked out and planned by surveyor Thomas Watson. Peel’s venture did not go ahead at this time, however.
Roe recorded depths of 7 fathoms (12.8m) in what was later named "Peel Harbour". In 1846, Roe undertook a more detailed investigation of the potential of Safety Bay as the site for a port. The Harbour, however, had silted up to such an extent that it was no longer suitable for shipping and it began to become known as "Peel Basin" instead. The Harbour (or Basin) disappeared over time, and was last recorded on maps of the area in 1890. The harbour is beginning to reform today, as evidenced by Tern Island connecting to the Safety Bay shore in 2001 and beginning to enclose the waters to the east.
In the late 1920s the Safety Bay Townsite Estate was subdivided by A. J. H. Watts, and the suburb grew over the 1930s. Safety Bay Road
Safety Bay Road, Rockingham
Safety Bay Road is an east-west metropolitan road located in the City of Rockingham, about south of Perth, Western Australia. The road starts in Rockingham's coastal suburbs, and extends past Ennis Avenue and Warnbro railway station to the newer suburban estates at Baldivis, before ending just...
, which links Safety Bay to Rockingham
Rockingham, Western Australia
Rockingham is a suburb and primary centre in Western Australia south-west of the Perth city centre and south of Fremantle. It has a beachside location at Mangles Bay, the southern extremity of Cockburn Sound. To its north stretches the maritime and resource-industry installations of Kwinana and...
, was bitumenised and extended to Mandurah Road 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...
, through Baldivis
Baldivis, Western Australia
Baldivis is a semi-rural residential suburb south of the central business district of Perth, the capital of Western Australia, and southeast of the regional centre of Rockingham...
to join the Kwinana Freeway
Kwinana Freeway
The Kwinana Freeway is a major arterial road in Perth, Western Australia, linking Perth with the southern suburbs and then further on towards Mandurah, a distance of . It has a speed limit of , except in central Perth and south of Lakes Road . Like all Western Australian freeways, the minimum...
in 2002, and the Forrest Highway in 2009.
Recreational attractions
Because of its mild, child-safe, sheltered beach, Safety Bay became a popular family holiday venue early in the 20th century. Today, in addition, its boat-launching facilities are utilised by recreational sailors and anglers. An adjoining beach at ShoalwaterShoalwater, Western Australia
Shoalwater is an outer southern suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, located within the City of Rockingham.Shoalwater is located within the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park which includes Shoalwater Bay, Warnbro Sound, Cape Peron and several small islands being Penguin island, Seal...
is used by windsurfers
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
and kitesurfers
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
. The bay lies wholly within the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park
Shoalwater Islands Marine Park
Shoalwater Islands Marine Park is located in Western Australia and stretches from the northern point of the Garden Island Causeway to the southern point of Becher Point, an area of 6540 ha.It is located offshore from the suburban locality of Shoalwater....
, a pristine habitat for a rich variety of birds and marine life centred on Penguin Island
Penguin Island (Western Australia)
Penguin Island is a 12.5 ha island off the coast near Perth Western Australia, 700 m from Rockingham. It is home to a colony of Little Penguins, the largest population of the birds in Western Australia. The waters surrounding the island make up the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park...
. (Download a map from here.)
Local boat cruise operators offer opportunities to see wildlife including dolphins, whales, sea lions and penguins. The district is well served by shops, pubs and restaurants and is close to numerous technical product and service outlets in the comprehensive light-industrial
Light industry
Light industry is usually less capital intensive than heavy industry, and is more consumer-oriented than business-oriented...
estates on and around Rockingham's Dixon Road. Safety Bay's natural attractions have engendered increasing use of its seafront real estate for expensive mansion-type residential development. Ironically, a demand has simultaneously arisen from some of the newer investors for artificial control of natural seaweed whose odours are, periodically, claimed to impair traditional outdoor entertainment.
Transport
Safety Bay is served by an excellent road network including the nearby Kwinana FreewayKwinana Freeway
The Kwinana Freeway is a major arterial road in Perth, Western Australia, linking Perth with the southern suburbs and then further on towards Mandurah, a distance of . It has a speed limit of , except in central Perth and south of Lakes Road . Like all Western Australian freeways, the minimum...
by which Perth (50 km to the NNE) can be reached in about 45 minutes by car. The port city of Fremantle is a 30-minute drive to the north and the resort city of Mandurah is 20 minutes to the south. Those destinations are also served by bus routes which connect with the Perth-Rockingham-Mandurah rail service. The rail journey to Perth from Rockingham takes 33 minutes, with trains at 10-minute intervals in peak time.
Perth Bicycle Network route SW38 links Waikiki Beach in Safety Bay with Rockingham Beach in Rockingham
Rockingham, Western Australia
Rockingham is a suburb and primary centre in Western Australia south-west of the Perth city centre and south of Fremantle. It has a beachside location at Mangles Bay, the southern extremity of Cockburn Sound. To its north stretches the maritime and resource-industry installations of Kwinana and...
.