North West Cape
North West Cape is a large peninsula of land in the north west coast of Western Australia. Cape Range runs down the spine of the peninsula and Ningaloo Reef runs along the western edge. It includes the town of Exmouth.
In 1618, Dutch East India Company captain Lenaert Jacobszoon and supercargo Willem Janszoon of the Mauritius landed in the area.
Phillip Parker King later visited in 1818 and named it North West Cape as well as naming Exmouth Gulf after a fellow Naval Officer.
Later, pearl luggers visited the area from Broome. During World War II a military operation codenamed Operation Potshot was done in the area.[citation needed]
The first oil flow in Australia was discovered there in 1953 at Rough Range, by exploration company WAPET.
Exmouth Gulf Station takes up much of the eastern side of the peninsula backing onto Exmouth Gulf.
[edit] See also
- Exmouth, Western Australia
- Cape Range National Park
- United States Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt
- Ningaloo Reef
