People and the Albany waterways
Aboriginal people have lived in south-western Western Australia for at least 40 000 years before present (BP) and possibly longer.
The earliest dates for human occupation of the south coast are between 13,000 years BP for a site near Cape Arid to around 19,000 years BP for a site near Albany.
The South-West was populated by the Bibbulman people of the Nyunga (also spelt other ways such as Nyoongah, Noongar and Nyungah) language group. They occupied an area which stretched from Perth to Bremer Bay and formed smaller tribal groups located in distinct areas. North-east and west of King George Sound the area was inhabited by the Mineng. The Kalaako people were found immediately north of the catchment.
The tribes along the coast were not as nomadic as tribes further north and east. Around Albany the Mineng moved according to the seasons. During the summer they lived near the coast and during the winter they moved inland.
The population of the south-west may have reached at least 6000, but these numbers rapidly declined after European settlement owing to the effects of disease and social dislocation. The Mineng are now extinct as a tribal group.
Between 1791 and the early 1830s, European explorers and settlers made many observations and accounts of the Mineng people. These came from people such as Vancouver, Baudin, Flinders, King, D'Urville, Lockyer and Collet Barker and Nind. The artist Louis de Sainson, who accompanied D'Urville, made a series of paintings and portraits of various Mineng individuals and their dress and social customs.
These documents provide a continuous record of the Mineng from 1791 to 1832. The documents record details of family and tribal custom and structure, language, philosophy, history, shelter construction, farming methods, food gathering, and hunting techniques. The documents also show that for a while both Aboriginal people and Europeans enjoyed a period of relatively harmonious coexistence. The Europeans, confined to the shoreline of King George Sound, and with their world vision defined by the sea, were not interested in land settlement or exploiting the resources upon which the Mineng depended. In turn, the Mineng tolerated the European presence and may have even derived some social prestige from within the wider community by allowing the interlopers to occupy what they saw as a very small part of their land.
Unfortunately, that all changed on 7 March 1831 when the King George Sound settlement was handed over to the control of the Swan River colony. Within a short time settlers arrived looking for land and began the displacement of the Mineng from the King George Sound region.
In 1627 the first Europeans visited south-western Western Australia: the crew and passengers of the Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (V.O.C. or 'Dutch East India Company') ship Gulden Zeepard commanded by Frans Thyssen with V.O.C. official Pieter Nuyts on board.
Thyssen sailed through 17 degrees of longitude eastwards past King George Sound to what is now called the Nuyts Archipelago in South Australia. He then turned and retraced his steps before clearing Cape Leeuwin and sailing north to Batavia.
In 1628, Hessel Gerritz, cartographer to the V.O.C., produced the first map of the southern coast of Western Australia, which was called `Nuyts land' after Pieter Nuyts. Ninety years later a Swiss, Jean Pieter Purry, possibly influenced by accounts of Thyssen's voyage, proposed the establishment of a settlement in south-western Australia. Nothing came of the proposal.
Commander George Vancouver RN (Royal Navy) was the next European explorer to arrive. He sailed into King George Sound in 1791 and claimed the adjoining shore for Great Britain. Later explorers were Captain Matthew Flinders RN in 1801; the French explorers Nicolas Baudin and Sub-lieutenant Freycinet in 1803; Lieutenant Phillip Parker King RN in 1818, 1821 and 1822; and Commander Jules-Sebastien-Cesar Dumont D'Urville in 1826.
The King George Sound penal settlement was established in January 1827 by Major Lockyer as part of the colony of New South Wales. Named the 'King George Sound Settlement' it was administered by a succession of military officers until 7 March 1831 when it was handed over to the Swan River Colony. In 1832 the settlement was named Albany by Governor Stirling.
The first exploration of the hinterland occurred in 1829 when Captain Wakefield explored as far as the Porongurup Range. He was followed by Dr Wilson who explored the region around Mount Barker. In 1830-31 Bannister explored the route between Perth and Albany and in 1832 Ensign Dale further explored the Porongurup and Stirling ranges.
For a while it seemed that Albany's fortunes were to be found inland. This did not happen. Development was slow. Poor soils and poisonous plants ensured that farming opportunities were limited. The early settlers quickly realised that the sea offered better short-term prospects especially in the form of bay and shore whaling and growing vegetables for passing ships. Numbers of settlers gave up and sailed for eastern Australia.
By the 1840s the problem of poison plants (Gastrolobium and Oxylobium) had been reduced and sheep farming began to develop. By the middle of the nineteenth century Albany was exporting whale products, wool, sandalwood, timber and, at the end of the century, mallet bark. In addition, there was a small shipbuilding industry.
At the beginning of this century apple growing was introduced in the Mount Barker region and grain production developed. The apple export industry expanded quickly with quantities being exported to Germany and Great Britain. There was also a small trade in frozen meat and fish for markets in Western Australia and overseas.
Throughout these developments the whaling industry continued in King George Sound. The industry is officially recorded as starting in 1800 with the arrival of the armed British whalers Elligood and Kingston and continued with intermittent breaks until the closure of the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company in 1978.
Major agricultural development of Albany's catchment did not start until the end of World War II. There had been some development at the beginning of the century with the opening up of new farms around the lower reaches of the Kalgan River and to the west of Albany, but nothing on the scale that was to follow World War II.
The introduction of trace elements to correct soil deficiencies enabled framing areas to be opened up north of Albany. Large areas of land were given over to war service and civilian settlement schemes and heavy machinery was introduced to clear vast tracts of native vegetation. Encouraged by the Western Australian Government, the process continued into the 1960s when the plain between the Porongurup and Stirling ranges was finally cleared for sheep farming and broadacre cereal production.
The opening up of these farm lands was invariably associated with the indiscriminate wide-scale clearing of native vegetation and the destruction of the natural habits of many native animals. The immediate result of this clearing was wind and water erosion. Only later was it realised that longer-term problems of increasing soil acidity, rising salt levels, and the degradation and eutrophication of local waterways would result.
The evidence of past Aboriginal and European human occupation is provided by a number of cultural heritage sites and traditions in the catchment area and waterways. These range from Aboriginal creation myth sites and stone fish traps through ruined navigational marks to shipwrecks associated with European settlement. Aboriginal cultural heritage sites are protected under the Western Australian Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. Declared historic shipwrecks lying in State waters are protected under the Western Australian Maritime Archaeology Act 1973 or the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976. Some European land sites are protected under the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990.
Albany's harbours and rivers and the waters of the sound are used for a variety of recreational and commercial activities.
Aquaculture is undergoing tremendous growth throughout Australia, and there is a lot of activity in the Albany harbours. Aquaculture, however, is not new. Trout farming was first introduced to Western Australia, at Albany, in 1874, following the construction of the Albany fish ponds on the southern slopes of Mount Melville. The venture was not successful.
An oyster farm was proposed in 1893 and established in Princess Royal Harbour by 1896. The farm was located in a bay enclosed by the embankment of the Great Southern Railway, west of the site of the Deepwater Jetty. In later years the site was reclaimed and became the site of the Metro Meats abattoir. The venture was not successful owing to the apparent silting of the bay and the activities of marine borers.
Oyster Harbour
Oyster Harbour is considered a good location for mussel and oyster farming owing to the abundant supply of nutrients washed in from the Kalgan and King rivers. The waters around the mouths of the rivers are not considered as suitable because of the extreme ranges of salinity, turbidity and other water conditions.
A trial oyster farm was established in 1947 in the middle and northern part of Oyster Harbour, near the mouth of the King River. Pacific oysters introduced from Japan were used but the venture was not successful. By the end of the winter of 1948 the oysters had died out. The trial was part of a wider study involving the cultivation of the same species of oyster at Pittwater in Tasmania. The Tasmanian trials proved more successful.
There was no further activity until 1991 when Ocean Foods was granted a fish farm license by the Western Australian Fisheries Department (now called Fisheries Western Australia) to farm mussels and oysters. The company established its operations in Oyster Harbour growing blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and the belon (Ostrea angasi) and rock oyster (Saccostrea commercialis). The company is also looking at the production of the arkshell clam (Anadara trapezia).
The company have a facility on shore on the northern side of the Oyster Harbour marina. The facility includes tanks for the growing of spat and juvenile oysters. The company's leases lie north and north-east of Green Island and along the middle of the eastern shore.
Most of the company's product is sold on the Western Australian domestic market. The mussels are grown on ropes suspended in deeper water in the middle of the harbour. Oysters are grown in the intertidal areas closer to the shore.
By 1995 Oyster Harbour was considered fully utilised for mussel and oyster farming and no further sites are proposed.
Princess Royal Harbour
The harbour doesn't get much fresh water and isn't as nutrient-rich as Oyster Harbour. Aquaculture ventures are only in the planning stage.
At time of writing, several companies are proposing growing mussels and oysters on leases in the intertidal areas of Shoal Bay and along the western side of Vancouver Peninsula. Studies are also being made to farm razor clams south-west of Quaranup. These proposals include the collection of spat.
These proposals are catered for in the Albany Harbour Planning Strategy, produced in 1997.
King George Sound
The sound is poor in nutrients and exposed to prevailing south-easterly winds in summer and winter gales. Only certain sorts of aquaculture can take place in these conditions. Species such as oysters, which require high levels of nutrients and protected water, are unlikely to survive in such an environment.
A trial venture growing Atlantic salmon in cages located along the northern side of Flinders Peninsula was conducted in the 1980s. This trial was unsuccessful.
Mussel leases are operated along the southern and northern sides of Mistaken Island. At time of writing, Ocean Foods have a proposed lease between Waterbay Point and Limestone Head.
Future options for aquaculture in the sound include the farming of abalone and fin fish in cages. There is also some possibility for seeding of defined areas of the seabed with juvenile scallops (Amusium balloti) and harvesting them when they mature. Other long-term possibilities include growing abalone and fin fish in tanks on shore.
The rivers
Aquaculture in the catchment is also a growth industry and is very much part of the diversification of agriculture. Black bream, silver perch, marron, yabbies and trout have all been proposed, with marron being the most commonly developed species. The commercial viability of these industries has yet to be demonstrated.
An interesting innovation is the use of saline groundwater to grow black bream.
The Aboriginal people fished the rivers, harbours and sound prior to the arrival of Europeans. They built stone fish traps in the rivers and harbours and speared fish in the shallows.
The arrival of Europeans led to an increase in fishing. Nets were used in the shallows and along the shores while hooks and lines were used from boats in deeper water. Until the 1890s fishing remained a small-scale industry supplying the needs of the Albany population.
In the 1890s the industry started to develop with an increase in population from the gold rush; the arrival of fishers and their boats from Victoria; the development of railway services which provided access to inland markets; and the establishment of a freezer works in Albany in 1899.
In the first decade of the twentieth century the Commonwealth Government carried out research to establish the extent of trawling grounds in the Great Australian Bight. As the result of this work deep-sea trawlers were brought to Albany in the 1920s to exploit these grounds. These ventures were only partially successful and eventually closed down. After World War II trawlers were brought from Britain in an attempt to revive the industry. High costs and other problems lead to a decline in the fishery and the venture closed. In the 1970s a further attempt was made to establish a deep-sea trawling industry but with no success.
Today the main commercial fisheries in Princess Royal and Oyster harbours and King George Sound are:
Pilchards
This is the principal fishery in the region and involves netting pilchards in King George Sound and Princess Royal Harbour. The fish are used for angling bait, tuna and pet food and are sold as sardines for human consumption.
The fishery is part of the Western Australian pilchards fishery, Australia's largest. The fishery includes the waters off Fremantle and the waters from Albany east to Esperance.
The Albany fishery expanded in the 1970s to meet the demand of the southern bluefin tuna fleet for bait. By the 1980s it was the biggest fishery in the State but since then the catch has declined. There are now only 22 boats licensed to catch a fixed quota. The fish are caught in schools using a purse seine net with sides and a bottom.
Other important commercial fish include pink snapper, cobbler, leatherjacket, Australian herring and Australian salmon, bluefin tuna and shark. These fish are caught by boat using long lines and nets.
Abalone
Divers collect this shellfish from the sea bottom using Hookah surface-supplied underwater diving equipment. There are two species of abalone: green lip (Haliotis laevigata) and brown lip (Haliotis conicopora).
The Western Australian abalone fishery is divided into three zones. The Albany fishery lies in zone two, between Shoal Cape, east of Albany, to the Busselton Jetty. There are licenses for only eight divers in this zone and the amount they can catch is set by annual quotas. Most of the catch is exported to South Australia to be canned and then exported overseas. A small proportion is dried in Western Australia and exported to China. Abalone shells are sold to Korea for buttons.
Scallops
King George Sound lies in the southern inshore trawl fishery which extends south from Fremantle round to Esperance. Scallop grounds in this area are trawled.
The Port of Albany is located on the northern shore of Princess Royal Harbour. The approach to the port is along a dredged shipping channel 145 m wide with a minimum depth of 12 m. The channel starts in King George Sound in 13 m of water and runs through the entrance to Princess Royal Harbour to the Port Authority berths. The channel also provides access for commercial fishing boats and service craft using the Albany Town Jetty and the Princess Royal Sailing Club marina at Little Grove.
A dredged channel in Oyster Harbour provides access to a commercial fishing boat marina located north-west of Emu Point.
Recreational jetties are located at Quaranup and in the north-western corner of Oyster Harbour south of the mouth of the King River.
Organised whale-watching tours and fishing, diving and sightseeing trips are the most popular tourism activities out on the waters of the sound and harbours. There are four licensed whale- watching operators based in Albany.
Canoes, outboard runabouts, catamarans and other watercraft are hired out to the public on the Oyster Harbour side of Emu Point during the summer months. They have also been proposed for Princess Royal Harbour on the town foreshore.
In the past the Royal Australian Navy has used Frenchman Bay as a sound range for their submarines. The area is also occasionally used by the Army (SAS) for exercises.
The sound and harbours contain a number of shipwrecks which date back to last century and are protected under the Western Australian Maritime Archaeology Act. There are three wrecks in Oyster Harbour, three in Princess Royal Harbour, and a number in King George Sound.
There are also a number of contemporary wrecks of former whale chasers. One wreck lies in Princess Royal Harbour while three have been sunk in the sound. One of these wrecks, the Cheynes III, is a popular tourist diving site. These wrecks have historical, archaeological and scientific significance.
The rivers, harbours and sound are popular for a number of recreational and sporting activities.
The estuarine reaches of these rivers are used for birdwatching; fishing; rowing; kayaking and canoeing; and waterskiing. Stretches of the upper reaches of the Kalgan are also used for kayaking and canoeing. Albany Water Skiing Club and the Albany Rowing Club use the lower reaches of the Kalgan. A powerboat race happens each Easter on the lower reaches of the Kalgan, too.
There is a walkway along the foreshore of the Kalgan River between Lower and Upper Kalgan road bridges. Most of the foreshore is publicly owned and needs to be conserved.
The harbour is used for birdwatching, waterskiing, swimming, sailing, windsurfing, fishing and crabbing, kayaking and canoeing, and limited scuba diving on seagrass beds inside the entrance to the harbour and along the south-eastern shore. There's a swimming area on the southern side of Emu point which is a popular venue during summer.
The Princess Royal Sailing Club is located at Little Grove on the southern side of the harbour. The Club has fleets of yachts and dinghies and conducts regular sailing races on the harbour and sound.
Other recreational activities include birdwatching, fishing, crabbing, scuba diving, windsurfing, swimming, and limited waterskiing and canoeing in sheltered waters. Horses are trained in the shallows along the Albany and Little Grove foreshores.
There are few facilities other than walk and bicycle paths. The Bibbulman Track goes along the western end of the harbour before ending in Albany.
The sound is used for bird and whale watching, swimming, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, scuba diving and fishing.
A major diving attraction is the wreck of the Cheynes III which was sunk at the western end of Michaelmas Island. Diving in the sound is important to the whole region. There are a range of sea bed types down to 30 m.
Middleton Beach is a very popular walking and swimming area at the western end of the sound. The Albany Life Saving Club is located at Ellen Cove at the south-western end of Middleton Beach. The Club patrol and run activities from the beach. A diving platform is moored off Ellen Cove during the summer months.
About 66% of the upper Kalgan and 88% of the lower Kalgan catchment has been cleared for farming. Thirty-five percent of the Princess Royal Harbour catchment has been cleared for farming and urban purposes.
Two types of farmers are found in the catchment. There are those who rely on farming for their entire income and those who earn part of their income from sources other than farming. The latter type of farms are generally found closer to urban centres such as Mount Barker and Albany. Because it is as cheap to run a larger farm as a smaller (because of machinery cost etc), there has been a trend towards the amalgamation of small- and medium-sized farms into larger farms.
Because, traditionally, farms have been quite small, there hasn't been a lot of diversification. Farmers have tended to grow the same things rather than trying out new crops and animals. As farms have got larger there's been a shift towards producing a range of crops and animal products. Lower prices for sheep and cattle have encouraged this trend.
Some of these products include emu, timber, herbs and essential oils.
Agriculture, tree farming and fishing make up 15% of the gross domestic product of the Great Southern Region.
In 1994-95 the largest export markets for the region's agricultural products were:
The main agricultural activities in the catchment are cropping, cattle and sheep farming, and horticulture:
Cereals
The main crops are wheat, malting and feed barley, oats and triticale. These are grown in the northern part of the catchment around Kendenup, Upper Kalgan, Chillinup, South Hassell and South Stirling. Most of these crops are exported. Feed barley, oats and triticale are grown as feed grain.
Pulses and oil seeds
These crops include narrow-leaf lupins, canola (rape seed), chickpea, faba bean, field pea, albus lupins and lentils. Canola was grown in the region in the 1970s but was decimated by blackleg fungal disease. In the 1980s there was a resurgence in canola with the introduction of new, disease-resistant, varieties. Varieties of lupins have also been introduced which are resistant to waterlogging, which can be a problem in the Albany region. Other cropping activities include hay production.
Cattle and sheep farming
Stock are grazed throughout the catchment. Cattle farming, for meat and dairy produce, is found along the coast and a short distance inland. Sheep farming, for wool and meat, occurs in drier conditions, further inland.
Cattle yards are located at a number of locations for the sale and buying of livestock. An abattoir was built in 1998 to the north of Albany. Combined with the freezing facilities at the Port of Albany, it has the potential to increase meat exports from the region.
Viticulture
Viticulture was first introduced to the region at Mount Barker in the 1890s. By 1897 there were 67 ha under vines. The industry collapsed during World War I in the face of cheap wine imports from eastern Australia.
Today 30% of Western Australia's wines are grown in the Albany region. The first modern planting of vines occurred in 1966 at Forrest Hill west of Mount Barker. The Western Australian Government sponsored an experimental trial and the first private plantings were made in 1967. The first commercial winery established in the region was Plantagenet Wines in 1975. The industry grew slowly but rapid growth has been experienced since 1987.
In the catchment, vineyards are found north and east of Mount Barker, in the Porongurup Range, and north-east of Albany. Outside the catchment vineyards are found north-west, west and south of Mount Barker.
There are 45 vineyards in and outside the catchment, growing red and white grape varieties. The majority of the vineyards are 10 ha in size and only a few exceed 50 ha. In 1993, there were six wineries in the region. Two years earlier, 60% of their production was white wine and 40% was red.
Wine production has expanded to the stage where the region has an established reputation for producing quality wines.
Fruit
By 1899 Mount Barker was established as a prime fruit growing area. After World War I the industry declined owing to competition from overseas and within Australia.
About 90 ha is devoted to fruit growing in the lower Great Southern region. Most fruit growing occurs in the Shire of Plantagenet and includes strawberries, cherries, apples, apricots, pears, plums, peaches and nectarines.
There are also a small number of growers producing exotic fruits and nuts such as avocados, kiwi fruit, passionfruit, tamarillos and chestnuts.
Vegetables
There are nearly 80 vegetable growers in the lower Great Southern region who have between 1700 to 1800 ha under cultivation. Peas are grown in the Kendenup area while potatoes are grown along the coast at Albany. Some potato growing is done in swamps south-west of the Stirling Range but owing to the deterioration of these swamps, production has been limited. Other vegetables include beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, lettuce, onions, asparagus, pumpkin and lettuce grown using hydroponics.
Wildflowers
The wildflower industry is based on picking native flowers from areas of uncleared Crown land and native vegetation on private property. There has been a move towards planting and cultivating native wildflowers on farms and other private property. In the past, most cut native wildflowers have gone to the export market. There is also a considerable market for tours to look at wildflowers. Wildflower picking is licensed by the Department of Conservation and Land Management and is not permitted in national parks and nature reserves.
Timber production
Before 1987 landowners in the region were encouraged to plant softwood species such as pines for timber production. By 1991 there were 1850 ha of softwood plantations within 100 km of Albany.
Since 1988 landowners have been encouraged to plant Tasmanian blue gums, an Australian hardwood. When harvested they will be exported as woodchips for pulp production in Japan. To date, an estimated 30 000 ha has been planted with pines and Tasmanian blue gums. Seven companies are currently involved in tree planting and plantation management. Most plantations are financed by investors who share in costs and profits. By the year 2002, it is expected that harvesting of these trees will start and woodchips will be exported through the Port of Albany.
Plantations have also been established by individual farmers as a cash crop, and there is concern about the rapid growth of the industry. There are a number of reasons for this. Planting trees is perceived as taking land out of production and delaying cash flow while at the same time limiting the farmer's ability to grow other crops or farm stock when market conditions are profitable. Plantations also change the landscape, and reduce employment opportunities in rural areas.
Tree planting has also been used to repair environmental damage by reducing watertables, taking up excess nutrients, stabilising erosion and creating shelter belts for stock and native fauna and flora.
There have also been moves to encourage farmers to plant native Australian trees for timber to be used in high value wood products such as furniture.
Six small private timber mills operate in the Albany region.
The Albany area is a major tourist destination on the south-western coast of Western Australia. The town has high historical significance being the oldest European settlement in Western Australia and has many preserved old buildings and landmarks.
The coast, east to Bremer Bay and west to Walpole, is known as the Rainbow Coast and is marketed as a major tourist attraction in Western Australia. The coast offers spectacular scenery and unspoilt environment.
The height of the tourist season is January, April and October. Activities include wildflower tours, staying on local farms, wine tasting, whale watching along the coast, and visiting restaurants, museums and national parks.
In addition, cultural heritage, adventure- and nature-based tourism is a growing industry in the catchment. Activities focus on walking tours of Albany, adventure activities such as sailing and abseiling, and bush walking.
Tourism infrastructure is centred in Albany and the other regional centres.
Apiculture
Bees are used to produce honey and beeswax for the commercial market. Managed bee hives are used by fruit growers around Mount Barker to pollinate apples and cherry orchards. The Department of Conservation and Land Management acts as a central register for apiary sites on Crown land. In 1991 there were 140 registered sites as well as others on private property.
Pig farming
There are a number of piggeries in the catchment, in the Town of Albany and the Shire of Plantagenet. They produce commercial pig meat. Open farming methods are the most popular. Their environmental effects are being monitored.
Emu farming
Emus are being farmed in small numbers for meat, oil, skin and feathers. The skin is used to produce leather while eggs are used to create art work.
Native bush food, herbs and essential oils
These are emerging agricultural industries. The native bush food industry is worth $6 million nationally and provides food for the restaurant market. Broadacre herbs are grown outside the catchment, while oils are being derived from a variety of native plant species to produce ingredients for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
Waste disposal
Sites are used in the catchment by local government authorities for the disposal of domestic rubbish, septic tank residues and industrial waste.
The estimated size of the population in and surrounding the catchment is 37 500, accounting for about 73% of the Great Southern population of nearly 51 200. Of this population, 29 000 live in urban Albany, while Mount Barker, the other major centre of population in the catchment, has an estimated population of about 1500.
Small urban centres in the catchment include Porongurup, Kendenup, Napier, Redmond and Upper Kalgan.
Centres closer to Albany, such as Bayonet Head and Little Grove, have grown and areas in these localities have been proposed for development.
Land use in and around the urban areas of Albany and Mount Barker is associated with residential and commercial retail activity; a variety of manufacturing and service industries; waste disposal and the transport of goods and services.
Residential, retail, service and industrial activities associated with the Town of Albany are carried out on the northern shore of the harbour. Residential areas are also found at Little and Big Grove on the opposite shore.
Small farms and rural residential holdings are found in the swampy valley which extends from the west of the harbour towards Torbay Inlet. The soils in the valley are fertile and market gardens (including some of the first established in Western Australia) grow cabbages, potatoes, tomatoes, other vegetables and some fruit. Cattle and sheep are also grazed on some of the farms.
Small farms and rural residential holdings are found along the southern side of the harbour behind and between Little Grove and Big Grove. These are used for grazing and limited fruit production.
Industries operating on the northern side of Princess Royal Harbour include:
Vital Food Pty Ltd
A vegetable processing factory located east of the Port of Albany near the entrance of the harbour. The factory processes vegetables, including potatoes, peas, cauliflowers, broccoli and beans.
| For more about this see section 9.1 |
The Port of Albany
The port is run by the Albany Port Authority and is located east of the Town of Albany on the northern side of the Harbour.
The port is the trade gateway to the region and exports barley, canola, lupins, oats, wheat, frozen meat and mineral sands. Imports include ammonium sulphate, bauxite, petroleum products, potash, rock phosphate, sulphur, triple super and urea. In 1994-95, 87% of trade through the port was grain for the export market, 8% of trade was fertiliser imports and 5% was petroleum imports.
The port attracts bulk carriers, visiting warships and the occasional cruise liner. It has three land-backed berths, with plans for expansion. No. 1 berth is 209 m long and used to load and unload general and bulk cargoes; No. 2 berth is 172 m long and is used to load and unload general bulk cargo and fuel tankers; No. 3 berth is 227 m long and is used to load and unload general bulk cargo and grain. Self-discharging container ships can load or unload at No. 3 berth.
Fuel bunkering services in bulk, or by road tanker are also available. A tug, a line boat and a pilot launch are used to berth, cast off and pilot visiting vessels.
The port has a bulk grain storage and loading facility and is serviced by road and rail. There is also a freezer plant for the storage and loading of frozen product.
In 1995, 100 vessels visited the port compared with 84 in 1991. In the same time tonnage rose from 1.6 million to 1.9 million tonnes. The Authority does not discharge any effluent into the harbour and has taken precautions to minimise fertiliser and other products falling or blowing into the harbour during cargo loading and unloading. It has been impractical to calculate the waste that gets into the harbour from this activity.
Princess Royal Seafoods Pty Ltd
| For more about this see section 9.1 |
Westrail
There is a railway facility located west of Princess Royal Seafoods and north of Princess Royal Drive. The facility is connected to the main sewers. Any run off from washing down engines and rolling stock is treated. Two settling ponds are used to collect any other run off. The facility isn't used much.
Albany Town Jetty
This facility was refurbished in 1996 as part of the Albany Town Foreshore Redevelopment project. The jetty provides berths for visiting sail training ships, commercial fishing boats, commercial whale watching and diving charter craft, tugs and support craft for the Albany Port Authority. Provision has also been made for the seasonal mooring of recreational craft.
The jetty is used to service and refuel craft, and unload fishing boats. A launching ramp for recreational craft is on the eastern side of the jetty, along with a slipway for larger craft.
Albany Spinning Mills Pty Ltd
| For more about this see section 9.1 |
CSBP Farmers Pty Ltd
| For more about this see section 9.1 |
Albany Town Rubbish Dump
This is a waste disposal site which has operated since 1980. It is located off Hanrahan Road on the western side of Mount Melville. Run off and groundwater movement from the site is being monitored to work out its significance for the harbour.
West of CSBP is the Albany regional cattle saleyards. Nutrient-rich effluent from washing down the stock areas and stock transport is currently untreated and flows into containment ponds south of the site. Solids are removed and wastewater sprayed over higher land to the north.
A bait processing factory is located near the stockyards along with other noxious industries in an unsewered area with a high watertable. Groundwater contamination is likely and a drain alongside the site empties into the harbour.
The foreshore south of Princess Royal Drive and east of the Albany Residency Museum will be redeveloped as part of the Albany Town Foreshore Redevelopment Project. The redevelopment will include residential, retail and tourist accommodation areas.
Several significant European heritage sites exist on the shores of Princess Royal Harbour. They include:
These sites have historical, archaeological and scientific importance.
Urban centres around the shores of Oyster Harbour include Lower King River, Lower Kalgan River, Bayonet Head and Emu Point.
A marina and commercial fishing boat harbour are located north of Emu Point. Adjoining these facilities is the Ocean Foods shellfish farm.
The Town of Albany's Bon Accord septic tank waste site is located north-east of the harbour.
Significant Aboriginal heritage sites include stone fish traps along the northern shore.
Significant European heritage sites include:
These sites have historical, archaeological and scientific importance.
Urban areas around the shores of King George Sound include Frenchman Bay, Middleton Beach and the southern side of Emu Point.
There are a number of significant European heritage sites around the sound. These include:
These sites have historical, archaeological and scientific importance.
Oyster Harbour
King George Sound
Contents:People and the waterways