The jetty was established to service the timber milling operations of
M. C. Davies, at the same time as utilising a jetty at
Flinders Bay just south of
Augusta. One of the Davies timber railways extended onto the Hamelin Bay Jetty, which was built in 1882 and extended in 1898. Only a few piles of the original jetty remain on site.[2]
Tourist attractions
The
Cape to Cape Track runs across the beach to the west of the town, making Hamelin Bay one of the few settlements located along the track.[3]
Camping area
Although most of the adjacent land is now vested in the
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, small amounts of land nearby are freehold. In the 1950s the local camping area utilised the shells of a large number of decommissioned
Perth trams. None remain, and in addition to unpowered and powered camp sites there are now a small number of on-site cabins and a handful of chalets with modern facilities. A number of camp sites have been removed to accommodate these structures. A shop and ablution blocks are located within the camping area.[4]
Due to the nature of the camping area and the local weather conditions there are frequently total fire bans in the camping area.
Wrecks
Hamelin Bay was difficult to navigate due to reefs and rocks in the vicinity.[5]
Hamelin Bay was notorious for wrecks occurring during bad weather – its exposure to prevailing weather making it a dangerous location for anchoring or mooring.[6]
Some fishing boats continue to utilize the anchorage when prevailing weather is not a problem.
The
Western Australian Museum's database of wrecks[7] includes numerous vessels that foundered in or near Hamelin Bay. An anchor from one of the wrecks was retrieved and is now situated in the beach car park at Hamelin Bay.
The storm of 22 July 1900 was a serious event at Hamelin.[8][9]
In addition to concerns for the animals themselves, the strandings are considered to increase the risk of
shark attack, due to the attraction of the dead whales.[11]
Light station
A light station on nearby
Hamelin Island was built in 1937.[12] In 1967 it was moved to the mainland, and is now known as Foul Bay Lighthouse.[13]
Railway
The M C Davies railway connected Hamelin Bay jetty with Karridale, Boranup, and Flinders Bay.
^Gainsford, Matthew (2006) Hamelin Bay Jetty [manuscript] : a study of the Hamelin Bay Jetty . Thesis (M. Mar. Archaeol.) -- Flinders University, Dept of Archaeology, 2006.
^"THE WEATHER". The West Australian. Vol. 16, no. 4, 490. Western Australia. 25 July 1900. p. 4. Retrieved 15 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^"HEAVY WEATHER ON THE COAST". Western Mail. Vol. XV, no. 761. Western Australia. 28 July 1900. p. 18. Retrieved 15 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
Fornasiero, Jean; Monteath, Peter and West-Sooby, John. Encountering Terra Australis: the Australian voyages of Nicholas Baudin and Matthew Flinders, Kent Town, South Australia, Wakefield Press, 2004.
ISBN1-86254-625-8
Frank Horner, The French Reconnaissance: Baudin in Australia 1801—1803, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1987
ISBN0-522-84339-5.
Cape to Cape Walk Track – Section 5 – Hamelin Bay to Cape Leeuwin 29 km Pamphlet. CALM. Busselton. n.d.