22-700: St Alouarn Islands are a group of islands and rocks south-east of Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia , approximately 11 km south of Augusta in Flinders Bay . In March 1772, the crew of the French naval vessel Le Gros Ventre , commanded by Louis Aleno de St Aloüarn , became the first Europeans known to have visited the islands. A few weeks later, at Dirk Hartog Island , St Aloüarn formally claimed part of Western Australia for France . The islands were named after St Aloüarn in 1792, by Antoine d'Entrecasteaux , as
44-705: A 1627 map by Hessel Gerritsz : Caert van't Landt van d'Eendracht ("Chart of the Land of Eendracht"), which appears to show the coast between present-day Hamelin Bay and Point D'Entrecasteaux. Cape Leeuwin itself cannot be recognised. Other European vessels passed by for the next two centuries, including the Dutch ' t Gulden Zeepaert , commanded by François Thijssen , in 1627 and the French Gros Ventre , under Louis Aleno de St Aloüarn , in 1772. The first known European sighting of
66-502: A few named rocks in the group Unnamed rocks run parallel to the line of named islands above, between Cape Leeuwin and South-West Breaker, with one exception - Spout Rock , west of Flinders Islet. In 2009, the gazettal of the Augusta Port Area delineated the port in reference to the northernmost point (at High water level) on Saint Alouarn Island (with truncated spelling), as well as Seal Island, and Point Matthew. In 2013 - 2013,
88-536: Is warm-summer Mediterranean ( Csb in the Köppen climate classification ), with an average annual rainfall of around 954 millimetres (37.6 in). Most rain falls between May and August, when around two days in three record measurable rainfall and around one in ten over 10 millimetres (0.39 in). During the summer, the weather is warm, though there are usually sea breezes , and frequently sunny. The dry summers, coupled with strong winds, creates an environment where there
110-424: Is always a high risk of bush fires . The hillside to the west of the lighthouse, and the land nearby is now part of Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park . It has extensive heath vegetation and thick scrub which supports a very high number of plant species and also bird species that utilise this habitat. The bay just east of Cape Leeuwin is Flinders Bay , named after Matthew Flinders , the circumnavigating explorer of
132-538: The Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse in daylight hours. Whale watching boats leaving from Augusta Port tend not to venture into this group of islands and rocks, but travel around Flinders Bay to the east of the islands. The islands are significant for their bird colonies - with Seal Island and St Alouarn Island being reserves for that purpose. The named islands, in order of distance from mainland are: (also identified by some sources as Flinders Island There are
154-465: The St Alouarn Islands , extend further in Flinders Bay to the east of the cape. The nearest settlement, north of the cape, is Augusta . South-east of Cape Leeuwin, the coast of Western Australia extends much further south. Cape Leeuwin is not the southernmost point of Western Australia, with that distinction belonging to West Cape Howe , which is to the southeast, near Albany . In Australia,
176-527: The 1890s and 1930s subsequently left the bay with no port facility. 34°24′S 115°12′E / 34.400°S 115.200°E / -34.400; 115.200 Cape Leeuwin Cape Leeuwin / ˈ l uː w ɪ n / is the most south-westerly (but not most southerly) mainland point of the Australian continent , in the state of Western Australia . A few small islands and rocks,
198-743: The Western Australian government, through the Royalties for Regions programme, constructed a new harbour outside of the Hardy Inlet area of the Blackwood River mouth. The port is to the south, and within view of Flinders Bay settlement and boat ramp. It is located adjacent to the road that goes to Cape Leeuwin lighthouse. Oceangoing vessels had previously anchored in Flinders Bay, or used the Flinders Bay jetty; however, its short-term operation between
220-584: The cape is considered where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean , but most other nations and bodies consider that the Southern Ocean exists only south of 60°S . Located on headland of the cape is the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and the buildings that were used by the lighthouse -keepers. Cape Leeuwin is considered one of the three " great capes " of the world. Cape Leeuwin is often grouped with
242-466: The cape was by Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux in 1791. d'Entrecasteaux thought the cape was an island, and named it "Isle St Allouarn" ("St Allouarn Island"), in honour of Captain de St Aloüarn. Ten years later, Matthew Flinders began his survey of the South coast of New Holland from Cape Leeuwin in 1801 when he named it. Flinders landed in the bay to the east of Cape Leeuwin, today's Flinders Bay . Flinders
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#1733086161185264-423: The cape's correct pronunciation; to rhyme with "flew in". Great capes In sailing , the great capes are three major capes of the continents in the Southern Ocean : Africa 's Cape of Good Hope , Australia 's Cape Leeuwin , and South America 's Cape Horn . The great capes became landmarks in ocean voyaging due to the hazards they presented to shipping. The traditional clipper route followed
286-433: The cartographer, for whom a cape is a cape, with a latitude and longitude. For the sailor, a great cape is both a very simple and an extremely complicated whole of rocks, currents, breaking seas and huge waves, fair winds and gales, joys and fears, fatigue, dreams, painful hands, empty stomachs, wonderful moments, and suffering at times. A great cape, for us, can't be expressed in longitude and latitude alone. A great cape has
308-546: The early 19th century. Shipwrecks within sight of this location include SS Pericles , an iron-screw steamer built in Belfast in Northern Ireland , which sank after hitting an uncharted rock on a clear calm day in 1910. The wreck was found by Tom Snider in 1957 at 34°25.33′S 115°08.24′E / 34.42217°S 115.13733°E / -34.42217; 115.13733 ( SS Pericles ) . He dived on
330-502: The first peoples in the area. They called it "Doogalup". The English navigator Matthew Flinders named Cape Leeuwin after the first known ship to have visited the area, the Leeuwin ("Lioness"), a Dutch vessel that charted some of the nearby coastlines in 1622. The log of the Leeuwin has been lost, so very little is known of the voyage. However, the land found by the Leeuwin was recorded on
352-483: The leader of a subsequent French expedition. The Point Matthew lookout on the road between Augusta and Cape Leeuwin has the islands identified in a brass compass plate that also identifies distances. There are a number of wrecks in the vicinity of Cape Leeuwin. The best-known wreck near the islands was that of the Aberdeen White Star ship SS Pericles on an uncharted rock on 13 March 1910, within sight of
374-412: The mainland. This supposed isle is, therefore, what I denominate "Cape Leeuwin", as being the south-western and most projecting part of Leeuwin's Land.[3] The St Alouarn Islands is a group of islands off the tip of Cape Leeuwin. The lighthouse and adjacent buildings, and Cape Leeuwin water wheel are all within the historic precinct as reviewed by government management. The climate of Cape Leeuwin
396-542: The next headland north, Cape Naturaliste , to identify the geography and ecology of the region. One example is in the name Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park . Another is in the use of the phrases Cape to Cape or the Capes in tourist promotional materials. A shore base and a ship of the Royal Australian Navy have been named HMAS Leeuwin after the cape. The Wardandi , an Aboriginal Australian people, were
418-474: The same. Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz of Poland followed the route when she became the first woman to sail solo around the world, embarking on her journey from the Canary Islands on March 28, 1976, and returning on April 21, 1978. Her 401-day circumnavigation covered 31,166 nautical miles (57,719 km). In his book The Long Way , Bernard Moitessier wrote: A sailor's geography is not always that of
440-560: The winds of the roaring forties south of the great capes. Today, the great capes feature prominently in ocean yacht racing ; many races and individual sailors follow the clipper route. A circumnavigation via the great capes is considered a noteworthy achievement. Joshua Slocum followed the route during the first solo circumnavigation of the world in 1895–1898; the Joshua Slocum Society International presented its Level 3 Golden Circle Award to later sailors who did
462-417: The wreck to recover the lead that was being carried by the ship. Some shipwrecks are identified as being within the vicinity of Augusta, Cape Leeuwin or Hamelin Bay that might not be within visual distance of the lighthouse. Cape Leeuwin is mentioned in the poem associated with the children's story The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo by Rudyard Kipling . The poem is also the best way for outsiders to learn
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#1733086161185484-426: Was aware that the area had been known to the Dutch as "Leeuwin's Land". At two in the morning we had 80 fathoms and veered towards the land. It was seen from the masthead at five; and the highest part, the same which had been set in the evening, bore N. 12° W. This is the largest of the before-mentioned Isles of St Alouarn; but at half past seven we saw hills extending from behind, and, to all appearance, joining it to
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