Gregory, Western Australia: Difference between revisions
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'''Port Gregory''', located close to the mouth of the [[Hutt River (Western Australia)|Hutt River]], was established in 1849 and named after brothers [[Augustus Gregory|Augustus]] and [[Francis Thomas Gregory|Frank Gregory]], two of Western Australia's most active explorers. In May 1853 sixty convicts and Pensioner Guards arrived from England via Fremantle in the ships ''Leander'' and ''GoldDigger''. A townsite was gazetted in 1854 as Pakington near the shore with Lynton gazetted as the convict depot and townsite for the Guards inland on the Hutt River inland. The convicts were utilised for Government works and in establishing a road to the [[Murchison River (Western Australia)|Murchison River]] and the Geraldine [[lead]] mine operated by Cornish miners during the 1850s.<ref>McDonald, G. K., 1994. The Little Boat harbour: history of Port Gregory. WA Museum, Fremantle.</ref> Ticket-of-leave men from the depot were hired out for work at the port and on nearby farms and stations. |
'''Port Gregory''', located close to the mouth of the [[Hutt River (Western Australia)|Hutt River]], was established in 1849 and named after brothers [[Augustus Gregory|Augustus]] and [[Francis Thomas Gregory|Frank Gregory]], two of Western Australia's most active explorers. In May 1853 sixty convicts and Pensioner Guards arrived from England via Fremantle in the ships ''Leander'' and ''GoldDigger''. A townsite was gazetted in 1854 as Pakington near the shore with Lynton gazetted as the convict depot and townsite for the Guards inland on the Hutt River inland. The convicts were utilised for Government works and in establishing a road to the [[Murchison River (Western Australia)|Murchison River]] and the Geraldine [[lead]] mine operated by Cornish miners during the 1850s.<ref>McDonald, G. K., 1994. The Little Boat harbour: history of Port Gregory. WA Museum, Fremantle.</ref> Ticket-of-leave men from the depot were hired out for work at the port and on nearby farms and stations. |
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A major employer was Captain H.A Sanford who as Magistrate for the region and the Superintendent of Convicts built an impressive homestead alongside Lynton. He resigned in 1854 and took up pastoral and whaling pursuits, establishing a whaling facility just north of the Pakington townsite. John Bateman and others also established whaling facilities nearby. The name Pakington was rarely used however and the name Port Gregory which is the [[harbour]] located next to the town, was more generally accepted. Initially the port was used by whalers and pastoralists and to ship [[Lead]] from the mines (notably the Geraldine mine operated by miners who were part of the [[Cornish diaspora]] in the 19th century) in the Murchison region during the 1850s. Salt from nearby Hutt Lagoon was shipped until the depression when the port and both the 'towns' became deserted.<ref>ibid.</ref> In being unwilling to bombard the nearby port of Geraldton due to a large number of aircraft visible from his submarine, the Captain of IJN ''I 165'' bombarded Port Gregory in January 1943 in the mistaken belief it was still occupied.<ref>Hiroyuki Agawa (nd). The reluctant Admiral: Yamamoto and the Imperial Navy. Kodansha international, Tokyo, p. 307.</ref> The bombardment was one example of German and Japanese [[attacks on Australia during World War II]]. There are many ship wrecks in the vicinity most caused by the unsuitability of the port for large vessels. These include trading and whaling vessels and an iron ship, the [[SS Xantho]] which sank after being overloaded with lead ore from the Geraldine mine. |
A major employer was Captain H.A Sanford who as Magistrate for the region and the Superintendent of Convicts built an impressive homestead alongside Lynton. He resigned in 1854 and took up pastoral and whaling pursuits, establishing a whaling facility just north of the Pakington townsite. John Bateman and others also established whaling facilities nearby. The name Pakington was rarely used however and the name Port Gregory which is the [[harbour]] located next to the town, was more generally accepted. Initially the port was used by whalers and pastoralists and to ship [[Lead]] from the mines (notably the Geraldine mine operated by miners who were part of the [[Cornish diaspora]] in the 19th century) in the Murchison region during the 1850s. Salt from nearby Hutt Lagoon was shipped until the depression when the port and both the 'towns' became deserted.<ref>ibid.</ref> In being unwilling to bombard the nearby port of Geraldton due to a large number of aircraft visible from his submarine, the Captain of IJN ''I 165'' [[Shelling of Port Gregory|bombarded Port Gregory]] in January 1943 in the mistaken belief it was still occupied.<ref>Hiroyuki Agawa (nd). The reluctant Admiral: Yamamoto and the Imperial Navy. Kodansha international, Tokyo, p. 307.</ref> The bombardment was one example of German and Japanese [[attacks on Australia during World War II]]. There are many ship wrecks in the vicinity most caused by the unsuitability of the port for large vessels. These include trading and whaling vessels and an iron ship, the [[SS Xantho]] which sank after being overloaded with lead ore from the Geraldine mine. |
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The townsite changed its name to Gregory in 1967.<ref>{{LandInfo WA|c|G|2008-10-27}}</ref> |
The townsite changed its name to Gregory in 1967.<ref>{{LandInfo WA|c|G|2008-10-27}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 07:38, 11 September 2013
| Gregory Western Australia | |
|---|---|
| Population | 46 (2006 Census)[1] |
| Established | 1853 |
| Postcode(s) | 6535 |
| Elevation | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Location |
|
| LGA(s) | Shire of Northampton |
| State electorate(s) | Moore |
| Federal division(s) | Durack |
Gregory is a small town and fishing port in the Mid West region of Western Australia. At the 2006 census, Gregory had a population of 46.[1]
Port Gregory, located close to the mouth of the Hutt River, was established in 1849 and named after brothers Augustus and Frank Gregory, two of Western Australia's most active explorers. In May 1853 sixty convicts and Pensioner Guards arrived from England via Fremantle in the ships Leander and GoldDigger. A townsite was gazetted in 1854 as Pakington near the shore with Lynton gazetted as the convict depot and townsite for the Guards inland on the Hutt River inland. The convicts were utilised for Government works and in establishing a road to the Murchison River and the Geraldine lead mine operated by Cornish miners during the 1850s.[2] Ticket-of-leave men from the depot were hired out for work at the port and on nearby farms and stations.
A major employer was Captain H.A Sanford who as Magistrate for the region and the Superintendent of Convicts built an impressive homestead alongside Lynton. He resigned in 1854 and took up pastoral and whaling pursuits, establishing a whaling facility just north of the Pakington townsite. John Bateman and others also established whaling facilities nearby. The name Pakington was rarely used however and the name Port Gregory which is the harbour located next to the town, was more generally accepted. Initially the port was used by whalers and pastoralists and to ship Lead from the mines (notably the Geraldine mine operated by miners who were part of the Cornish diaspora in the 19th century) in the Murchison region during the 1850s. Salt from nearby Hutt Lagoon was shipped until the depression when the port and both the 'towns' became deserted.[3] In being unwilling to bombard the nearby port of Geraldton due to a large number of aircraft visible from his submarine, the Captain of IJN I 165 bombarded Port Gregory in January 1943 in the mistaken belief it was still occupied.[4] The bombardment was one example of German and Japanese attacks on Australia during World War II. There are many ship wrecks in the vicinity most caused by the unsuitability of the port for large vessels. These include trading and whaling vessels and an iron ship, the SS Xantho which sank after being overloaded with lead ore from the Geraldine mine.
The townsite changed its name to Gregory in 1967.[5]
References
 | Constructs such as ibid., loc. cit. and idem are discouraged by Wikipedia's style guide for footnotes, as they are easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated title. (October 2010) |
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Gregory (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ^ McDonald, G. K., 1994. The Little Boat harbour: history of Port Gregory. WA Museum, Fremantle.
- ^ ibid.
- ^ Hiroyuki Agawa (nd). The reluctant Admiral: Yamamoto and the Imperial Navy. Kodansha international, Tokyo, p. 307.
- ^ "History of country town names – G". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 2008-10-27.