Hillarys Boat Harbour is a marina and tourist precinct located in Hillarys, north of Perth, Western Australia and on the Indian Ocean. The marina also contains a retail precinct named Sorrento Quay.
Hillarys Boat Harbour is a marina and tourist precinct located in Hillarys, north of Perth, Western Australia and on the Indian Ocean. The marina also contains a retail precinct named Sorrento Quay.
Hillarys Boat Harbour was the first such major marina in the north metropolitan region of Perth. Construction of the new marina commenced in September 1985; [1] protestors laid down in front of bulldozers in an attempt to halt early site works. [2] Boat launching facilities were completed in October 1986 and boats started moving into pen moorings two months later, just before the start of the 1987 America's Cup Challenge Series. Developed by the Lombardo Group, Sorrento Quay commenced trading in December 1987, and the marina was officially opened in January 1988.
In 1989 receivers were appointed to sell the assets of the Lombardo Group, and Sorrento Quay was sold to the Japanese group Victoria Co. [3] In 1995, an amusement park named The Great Escape opened on the eastern side of the harbour, adjacent to the beach. The complex included three water slides, trampolines, dry attractions and a mini-golf course called "Wacky Putt". In 1999, the Wyllie Group bought Sorrento Quay for $16 million from Victoria Co. [3]
In late 2004, the Wyllie Group announced a $9 million plan, designed by Cox, Howlett and Bailey Woodland Architects, to expand the boat harbour's Sorrento Quay shopping precinct by expanding the northern side of the facility with 800 square metres (8,600 sq ft) of retail and dining space and a two-storey tavern of 1,500 square metres (16,000 sq ft). [4] : 11 [3] A 175-metre (574 ft) footbridge with a drawbridge, would cross the harbour from the new area to the northern parking area. [3] [4] The WA Planning Commission approved the now $12 million project in 2005 and the Wyllie Group lodged an application for a building licence in November of the same year. [3] : 3
In May 2006, the WA Department of Planning and Infrastructure committed $5 million to expand the area they managed at the boat harbour with boardwalks, upgrades to picnic areas, new barbecue facilities, toilets, improved lightning, trees, grass and shade structures with work to begin in August of that year. [5] : 73 The new development cost $30 million when it was opened by MLA Rob Johnson on 13 December 2008. [6] : 60 The new Breakwater Tavern had been fitted out at $7 million by the Reid family. [6] A further 19 marine pens had been constructed along with a new Rottnest Island ferry terminal. [6] Another stage was planned with the redevelopment of the old tavern and the adding of more shops and food and beverage facilities. [6]
In June 2016, The Great Escape closed after its tenancy lease wasn't renewed, but briefly reopened with the dry attractions, trampolines and Wacky Putt operating in Summer 2016. The park was eventually demolished in November 2017 after standing idle for nine months. [7] On 12 September 2018, after leaseholder Wyllie Group struck a deal with local family company, Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf, plans emerged of a complex in the former Great Escape site that would include two themed 18-hole golf courses, a double flowrider, a cafe, a small bar and a beach kiosk, with completion scheduled in March 2019. [8] However the next month, the project was suddenly cancelled following negative publicity surrounding a shareholder of Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf and his previous business relationship with notorious child rapist William Goad. [9]
Hillarys is also home to Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) which showcases the marine life and unique regions of Western Australia's 12,000-kilometre (7,500 mi) coastline. AQWA is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
Other attractions in and around the harbour include helicopter flights, fishing charters and cruises. A ferry also departs from here to Rottnest Island daily.
Rottnest Island, often colloquially referred to as "Rotto", is a 19-square-kilometre (7.3 sq mi) island off the coast of Western Australia, located 18 kilometres (11 mi) west of Fremantle. A sandy, low-lying island formed on a base of aeolianite limestone, Rottnest is an A-class reserve, the highest level of protection afforded to public land.
Docklands, also known as Melbourne Docklands, is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km (1.2 mi) west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. Docklands recorded a population of 15,495 at the 2021 census.
Port Bannatyne, is a coastal village on the Isle of Bute, Firth of Clyde, Scotland that is home to many steamers. Port Bannatyne developed into the 1900s as a quieter alternative to Rothesay. It is a popular harbour, with a small yacht marina and boatyard and an unusual 13-hole golf course rather than the standard 18.
Sorrento is a northern coastal suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia in the local government area of the City of Joondalup. At its northwestern corner is the Hillarys Boat Harbour, built in the late 1980s.
Hillarys is a northern coastal suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, in the local government area of the City of Joondalup. It is part of the Whitfords precinct, and is located 21 km north-northwest of Perth's central business district via Mitchell Freeway and Hepburn Avenue.
The Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre is a privately owned convention centre located in Perth, Western Australia.
The City of Joondalup is a local government area in Perth, Western Australia. Its central business district is located in the suburb Joondalup, and it includes the town centres of Hillarys and Warwick.
The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) is a privately owned aquarium in Hillarys, Western Australia. Located approximately 20 km (12 mi) north-west of Perth City, it is a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike.
Hope Island is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Hope Island had a population of 14,522 people.
Sunset Coast is the name given to the coastal section of the northern metropolitan area of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. While the name is not in extensive use locally, with its many white sand beaches Sunset Coast has been a centrepiece of Western Australian tourism planning since the 1990s and is used in interstate and overseas marketing of the region.
Port Solent is the commercial business name of a housing and leisure development located in the Paulsgrove suburb of the English city of Portsmouth, Hampshire, comprising a marina, a housing estate, shopping and leisure facilities.
Pier 4 Park is a 2.4 hectare park found in the west-end of Hamilton Harbour near Bay Street North in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Fremantle Harbour is Western Australia's largest and busiest general cargo port and an important historical site. The inner harbour handles a large volume of sea containers, vehicle imports and livestock exports, cruise shipping and naval visits, and operates 24 hours a day. It is located adjacent to the city of Fremantle, in the Perth metropolitan region.
Cantonment Hill is a small rise overlooking the port city of Fremantle, Western Australia. Since the early 1900s the hill and the surrounding 4-hectare (9.9-acre) precinct has been mainly used for military purposes with extensive buildings now present. It has been under the control of the Department of Defence.
East Bayfront, or the East Bayfront Precinct, is an emerging neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is currently undergoing a transformation from industrial use to mixed-use as part of Waterfront Toronto's plans to create a residential and commercial district urban core near the lake.
Whitford's Volunteer Sea Rescue Group is a not for profit group based in Perth, Western Australia that provides emergency assistance, safety training, and search and rescue services for water users. It is similar in role to the different Auxiliary Coastguard and Coastwatch organisations in Australia.
Tourism in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, is an important part of the Australian state's economy, contributing to the prosperity of businesses in the city, as well as other regions of the state.
Laguna Quays is a coastal locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Laguna Quays had a population of 89 people.
Fremantle Fortress was the combined coastal defences protecting the harbour of Fremantle, Western Australia, since the mid-1930s and, predominantly, during World War II. The coastal defences of the Fremantle Fortress stretched along the coastline of Perth from Cape Peron to Swanbourne and also included installations on Garden Island and Rottnest Island. While the first coastal batteries of the future Fremantle Fortress were installed at Arthur Head in 1906, the military installations protecting the harbour were expanded in the 1930s, being eventually dismantled again by 1963.
Ocean Reef Marina is a development project in Ocean Reef, Western Australia to construct a new marina with commercial and residential areas at the existing Ocean Reef Boat Harbour. The site is being developed by DevelopmentWA; construction of its two breakwaters started in April 2021, with the whole project expected to be fully completed in 2036 and then becoming part of the City of Joondalup. The concept for a marina by developers in the area of Mullaloo and Ocean Reef had been proposed as far back as 1973.
