Cape Peron

Cape Peron
Looking south at Cape Peron and Shoalwater Islands Marine Park
Looking south at Cape Peron and Shoalwater Islands Marine Park
Cape Peron is located in Perth
Cape Peron
Location within Perth, Western Australia
Coordinates: 32°15′55″S 115°41′10″E / 32.26528°S 115.68611°E / -32.26528; 115.68611
LocationRockingham, Western Australia

Cape Peron is a headland at Rockingham, at the southern end of Cockburn Sound in Western Australia. The cape is locally known as Point Peron,[1] and is noted for its protected beaches, limestone cliffs, reefs and panoramic views. Cape Peron includes the suburb of Peron, and "Point Peron" is the designation of a minor promontory on the south side of the cape's extremity.

The feature was named after the French naturalist and zoologist François Péron,[2] who accompanied the expedition of Nicolas Baudin along the western coast of Australia in 1801.

A causeway was constructed in 1973 between Cape Peron and Garden Island to carry vehicular traffic between the mainland and the island. Since the island houses HMAS Stirling, a Royal Australian Navy base, access is restricted by the military.[3]

The wreck of RMS Orizaba (1886–1905) lies on Five Fathom Bank, 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) west of the cape.[4]

  1. ^ Rockingham Parks and Wildlife: Point Peron Archived 24 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine at Rockingham-tourism.com
  2. ^ Marchant, Leslie R.; Reynolds, J. H. "Péron, François (1775–1810)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  3. ^ Wynne, Emma (30 July 2019). "WA's Garden Island is not just a naval base, it's an ark for rare species and keeper of colonial history". ABC News. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  4. ^ "R.M.S. Orizaba". Sydney Morning Herald. 18 February 1905. p. 11. Retrieved 5 November 2021 – via Trove.