Seabird, Western Australia

Last updated

Seabird
Western Australia
Seabird Tavern, Western Australia, September 2021.jpg
Seabird Tavern overlooking the coast in September 2021
Australia Western Australia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Seabird
Seabird, Western Australia
Coordinates 31°15′54″S115°25′48″E / 31.265°S 115.43°E / -31.265; 115.43
Population107 (SAL 2021) [1]
Established1968
Postcode(s) 6042
Area12.8 km2 (4.9 sq mi)
Location
  • 100 km (62 mi) north of Perth
  • 38 km (24 mi) south east of Lancelin
  • 53 km (33 mi) west of Gingin
LGA(s) Shire of Gingin
State electorate(s) Moore
Federal division(s) Pearce

Seabird is a small coastal town north of Perth, Western Australia in the Shire of Gingin, situated halfway between Two Rocks and Lancelin overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Seabird is a popular holiday and retirement spot, similar to surrounding settlements such as Guilderton and Ledge Point, but has also become infamous for its struggles with coastal erosion.

History

The area that would become Seabird was first founded on sand dunes as a series of squatter shacks used by rock lobster fisherman during the 1950s. In 1965 the decision was made to gazette the area as a townsite named "Chalon", named after the hometown of the botanist Jean-Baptiste Leschenault de La Tour. The proposed name was unpopular with residents and upon being gazetted in 1968 was renamed "Seabird". Sea Bird (two words) was the name of a schooner which shipwrecked in the area in 1874 and had lent its name to a nearby pastoral lease. [2] [3]

Seabird's fragile location on the foredunes overlooking the beach resulted in a 1970s report by the Coastal Townsites Committee of the now-disbanded Town Planning Department recommending no further development of the settlement shortly after its gazettal. [4] This came to fruition after significant erosion of up to 40 metres (130 ft) resulted in Turner Street, a road built to service the town's beachfront properties, collapsing into the ocean. [5] In 2016 lobbying by residents resulted in a A$2 million sea wall being constructed to protect the exposed properties for another 10–20 years. This was also complemented by the addition of 2,400 native seedlings to help further stabilise the area behind the sea wall. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffin Bay National Park</span> Protected area in South Australia

Coffin Bay National Park is a protected area in on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia, Australia, which is located about 301 km west of Adelaide and about 46 km west of Port Lincoln. The town of Coffin Bay is near the entrance to the national park. The national park occupies the Coffin Bay Peninsula - a long peninsula with a sheltered bay to its north, coastal dunes, swamps and a coastline which overlooks islands, reefs, limestone cliffs and white surf beaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal erosion</span> Displacement of land along the coastline

Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward retreat of the shoreline can be measured and described over a temporal scale of tides, seasons, and other short-term cyclic processes. Coastal erosion may be caused by hydraulic action, abrasion, impact and corrosion by wind and water, and other forces, natural or unnatural.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seawall</span> Form of coastal defence

A seawall is a form of coastal defense constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation, and leisure activities from the action of tides, waves, or tsunamis. As a seawall is a static feature, it will conflict with the dynamic nature of the coast and impede the exchange of sediment between land and sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goat Rock Beach</span> Beach in Sonoma County, California

Goat Rock Beach is a sand beach in northwestern Sonoma County, California, United States. This landform is a sub-unit of Sonoma Coast State Beach, owned and managed by the State of California. At the northern terminus of Goat Rock Beach is the mouth of the Russian River, and the southern end of this crescent shaped expanse is the massive Goat Rock, an iconic outcrop of the Sonoma Coast, which is barely attached to the mainland by a narrow isthmus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinns Rocks, Western Australia</span> Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Quinns Rocks is an outer coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 38 kilometres (24 mi) north of Perth's central business district. It is part of the City of Wanneroo local government area. The suburb was formally established in 1962 as a rural townsite, focused around Quinns Beach, the area's main amenity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coogee, Western Australia</span> Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Coogee (/ˈkuːdʒi/) is a southern coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Cockburn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marmion, Western Australia</span> Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Marmion is a northern coastal suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Its local government area is the City of Joondalup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancelin, Western Australia</span> Town in Western Australia

Lancelin is a small fishing and tourist town 127 km north of Perth, Western Australia. It is within the Shire of Gingin at the end of Lancelin Road, and a few kilometres away from the scenic highway Indian Ocean Drive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acraman Creek Conservation Park</span> Protected area in South Australia

Acraman Creek Conservation Park is a protected area located in South Australia on the northern side of Streaky Bay on the western side of the Eyre Peninsula, about halfway between the towns of Ceduna and Streaky Bay.

Binningup is a town on the coast of the South West region of Western Australia between Mandurah and Bunbury. At the 2016 census, Binningup had a population of 1,227.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonoma Coast State Park</span> State of California property in Sonoma County

Sonoma Coast State Park is a State of California property in Sonoma County consisting of public access use on lands adjoining the Pacific Ocean. This extent of beach runs from a coastal point about 4 miles (6 km) north of Jenner and continues for approximately 17 miles (27 km) to the south to terminate at Bodega Head. The property lies along State Route 1 and consists of a number of named beaches including Arched Rock Beach, Gleason Beach and Goat Rock Beach. The ecosystem consists of alternating sandy beaches and rocky shoreline, with a marine terrace extending above the entire extent with an upland California coastal prairie habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beachport</span> Town in South Australia

Beachport is a small coastal town in the Australian state of South Australia about 311 kilometres (193 mi) south-east of the state capital of Adelaide and about 34 kilometres (21 mi) north-west of the municipal seat in Millicent, located at the northern end of Rivoli Bay. Beachport has a large crayfishing fleet, and is known for its 772-metre (2,533 ft)-long jetty, the second-longest in South Australia after the one at Port Germein. The towns Norfolk pines, white sand beach and clear waters are alluring to visitors

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moana, South Australia</span> Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Moana is an outer coastal suburb in the south of Adelaide, South Australia. The suburb is approximately 36.4 km from the Adelaide city centre. It lies within the City of Onkaparinga local government area, and neighbours the suburbs Seaford, Maslin Beach, Seaford Rise and Port Noarlunga It is divided into two by Pedler Creek and the associated sand dune reserve. The beach is often referred to as Moana Beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoky Bay, South Australia</span> Town in South Australia

Smoky Bay is a town and locality located in the Australian state of South Australia on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula. Previously used as a port, the town is now a residential settlement and popular tourist destination known for its recreational fishing, with a boat ramp and jetty located in the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Clair, New Zealand</span> Suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand

St Clair is a coastal residential suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand. It is located on the Pacific Ocean coast five kilometres from the city centre on the southwesternmost part of the coastal plain which makes up the southern part of the urban area, and also climbs the slopes of Forbury Hill immediately to the west of this plain. According to the New Zealand Census, St Clair's population in 2023 was 2,4070.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge</span> Protected area in California, US

Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge is 0.5 miles (0.80 km) offshore from Crescent City in northern California. This coastal rock covers approximately 14 acres (57,000 m2), and rises steeply 335 feet (102 m) above sea level. The refuge provides an important sanctuary for the Aleutian cackling goose and nesting seabirds.

Binnu is a town on the North West Coastal Highway in the Mid West region of Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Head, Western Australia</span> Town in Western Australia

Green Head is a small Australian coastal town in the Shire of Coorow. The town is situated between Geraldton and Perth in the Mid West region of Western Australia along Indian Ocean Drive. Its beaches and lifestyle provide a relaxed holiday atmosphere. It is the home of what was a significant, but now declining, rock lobster industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Griffiths Island</span> Island in Victoria, Australia

Griffiths Island, sometimes incorrectly spelled as Griffith Island or Griffitts Island, lies at the mouth of the Moyne River next to, and within the bounds of, the town of Port Fairy, in the Western District of the state of Victoria in Australia. Griffiths now has no permanent inhabitants, but is connected to the mainland by a causeway and is accessible on foot. It forms part of the Port Fairy and Belfast Coastline Protection Reserve and, as well as being a tourist attraction, is an important site in the context of the history of European settlement of western Victoria. It is managed by the Moyne Shire Council.

Gabbadah is a locality within the Shire of Gingin, located around 30 km north of Perth metropolitan area's northern limit.

References

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Seabird (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. "Town names". Landgate. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  3. "SEA BIRD". SHIPWRECK DATABASES. WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  4. "Assessment of Coastal Erosion Hotspots in Western Australia Appendix D" (PDF). Western Australia Government. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  5. Faulkner, Kerry. "Saving Seabird as ocean consumes beaches and threatens houses". Domain. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  6. "Revegetation at Seabird a Soaring Success". Northern Agricultural Catchments Council. Retrieved 7 September 2022.