ALBANY WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Kinjarling is the Menang Nyungar (indigenous) name of Albany. The meaning of Kinjarling is 'Place of Plenty' or 'Place of Rain'. 

 

Albany is a Port City located 408km south of Perth on the south coast of Western Australia in the Great Southern region. It was the first colonial settlement in WA, and was established more than two years before  Perth and Fremantle. Albany’s naturally protected, deepwater harbour made it Western Australia’s premier port in the State’s early years. Today, Albany's population is 37,800 (2018). Albany is a tourism hot-spot. Located 4.5 to 5 hours from Perth by road and just over an hour away by plane. The City’s airport has daily return passenger services to Perth.

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Well before white settlement, Albany was home to the Menang Nyungar indigenous tribes. They called Albany Kinjarling (place of rain). There is plenty of evidence of the Menang tribe living in the area. Fish traps have been discovered at Emu Point and the Kalgan River. Today, Aboriginal people account for only around 3% of Albany's population. The history of these peoples, and more of Albany's early history, can be found at the Albany Museum.

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Albany has a gentle Mediterranean climate. Our summers are dry and warm and our winters mild and wet. Autumn is a great time to be in Albany because it tends to be very still and delightfully mild. During summer you can expect cloudy mornings and sunny afternoons, in the winter the opposite its true.

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Today's Albany is a tourism hot-spot and agricultural hub. The annual whale migration along our coast from June - August draws thousands tourists. In September, wildflowers are on show in our national parks and gardens. Our summers are cooler than Perth's melting climate, making our shores popular with weather worn "climate change refugees" looking for a cooler experience. 

 

Geographically, Albany is an amazing place to visit with many nature walks on offer. Our mountains, river systems and rugged coastlines are worth the 4 hour drive to get here from the City of Perth (Western Australia's capital). In summer our turquoise beaches with white sands create a paradise for beachgoers.

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Fishing is another major Albany attraction with anglers fishing in our rivers, inlets and harbours, and from pristine ocean beaches. 

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The City of Albany was formed with the amalgamation of the Town and the Shire of Albany in 1998 and stretches more than 150km along the south coast of Western Australia.

 

Albany is a major service hub for the region and is surrounded by the smaller suburbs of ; Bayonet Head, Lower King, Little Grove and Goode Beach, along with rural villages such as Wellstead, Manypeaks, Youngs Siding, Redmond and Elleker.

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Major industries in the City of Albany include aquaculture, agriculture, timber products and tourism. Grain from the Great Southern is exported through the Port of Albany.

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