Albany WA

Albany is a very picturesque city on the southwest coast of WA., the site of the first settlement in WA. It was also the embarkation point for Australian troops going to WW1. WA sent over 30,000 soldiers to WW1 18.8% of the state’s population. Anzac services are therefore held in high regard here and we are told the very first Anzac service in Australia was held here in Albany.

The whaling industry, begun in the 1940s defined the town until the closure of the industry in 1978. The Whale World is the only whaling museum in the world created from a working whaling station (The Cheynes Beach Whaling Company) with vivid photos of the hauntingly grizzly work that went on here.

Andrew was on the last whaling inquiry held in 1978 held under the Fraser Government and Albany has some poignant memories for him. He appears as the “bearded public servant” in Chris Pash’s book The Last Whale which was recently published.

This is another view of the inner harbour, twice the size of Sydney Harbour we are told.

We have been enjoying the hospitality of the Albany Bridge Club which owns its attractively built premises and the club allowed us to park in the spacious car park. We have stayed here close on a week and played bridge nearly every day. I am waiting for the famous Farmers Market on Saturday morning. The town of Albany provides free hot showers too, making this an idyllic spot where to linger.

(Photos of the rugged coastline follow.)

If only the weather was kinder. While we hear on the news of the rest of the country sizzling the temperature here is about 22C. But the people of the southwest enjoy their cooler climate, unlike the northern part of WA where temperatures near 40C are common.

The old post office, built in 1869. Local stone was used with a western brick extension completed in 1895. I think it ceased operating as a post office somethime in 1965. It is now being utilised by the University Of Western Australia.