The History
The local Noongar people were the first known inhabitants in the Esperance region and populated the area around 20,000 years ago. Kepa Kurl is the local Noongar name for Esperance, which roughly translates to “where the waters lie like a boomerang”. Back then, the region provided a wide variety of food, so the Noongar people did not tend to venture far from the area.
Esperance Bay was named by the French navigator Antoine Raymond Joseph de Bruni d'Entrecasteaux in 1792 as his two ships took shelter near Observatory Island during a storm. However, settlement did not occur until 1864, when the pioneering Dempster Brothers drove sheep, cattle and horses from Northam to establish the Esperance Bay Pastoral Station.
The townsite of Esperance was gazetted in 1893 after the discovery of gold in the Eastern Goldfields, and seemingly overnight, the little town experienced an incredible transformation as fortune seekers from all over Australia and around the world flooded the once sleepy little port on their way to the Goldfields.
In September of 1895, Esperance was declared a municipality, however in the years following the district saw great population fluctuations as it endured the good times and the bad until the 1960's when the Esperance sand-plain began to emerge as a major agricultural region.
How to get there
It's a one-and-a-half-hour flight or an eight-hour drive south-east from Perth, making Esperance an ideal get-away-from-it-all holiday. Many attractions are easily accessible, with plenty of guided tour options, but a four wheel drive is a must if you want to venture off the beaten track.
Kangaroo at Lucky Bay
Things to do
A beach and nature-lover's dream, Esperance is blessed with squeaky-clean white sand, turquoise waters, untouched islands and colour-filled wildflower country. Among its most famous beauty spots is Australia's whitest beach, Lucky Bay - set against a stunning seascape of 110 islands of the Recherche Archipelago, even the kangaroos can't resist hanging out here.
The calm, clear waters of Blue Haven Beach and Twilight Cove, just a short drive from town, are idyllic spots for swimming and snorkelling.
If you're seeking waves, hit the surf at West Beach, Fourth Beach or Observatory Beach. To hook dinner, throw in a line out near Bandy Creek Harbour or try your luck rock fishing at Salmon Beach located out along the Great Ocean Drive.
Back in town, the adventure continues with four wheel drive beach safaris, Indigenous cultural tours, coach tours, island cruises, diving and fishing charters, sand boarding, canoeing, mini golf and steam train rides.
Indigenous cultural tours, twilight cove
Check out the arts centre and galleries, making time to drop into the museum to view what's left of the NASA Skylab after it slammed back down to Earth near Balladonia. On the way to Cape Le Grand, you'll even find a slice of ancient druid history with a full-size replica of Stonehenge.
A good choice of hotels, motels, apartments, bed and breakfasts, chalets and hostels are available in Esperance. For something a little nearer to nature, hop on a ferry to Woody Island and pitch your tent or stay in a safari hut.
There's also the chance to bunk down under the stars beside the beach at Lucky Bay. The campsite has solar hot showers, camp kitchens and barbecues, and bush walking trails and spectacular coastal views are just a few steps away.
Lucky Bay