Cape Naturaliste
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2013) |
| Cape Naturaliste Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 Picture of Cape Naturaliste | |
  Cape Naturaliste | |
| Coordinates | 33°31′49″S 115°00′14″E / 33.5303°S 115.0039°E |
Cape Naturaliste is a headland in the south western region of Western Australia at the western edge of the Geographe Bay. It is the northernmost point of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge which was named after the cape. Also the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and the Cape to Cape hiking track were named after this location.
Settlements
[edit]The nearest settlement is Bunker Bay – a community that evolved from holiday shacks to very expensive housing for wealthy residents as well as featuring a popular beach resort. Further east, across the Bay, is Dunsborough, a much older settlement. Busselton is located still further east from there.
History
[edit]The first peoples in Cape Naturaliste were the Wardandi Aboriginal people, who called it Kwirreejeenungup, meaning 'the place with the beautiful view'.[1] In 1801, the French navigator Nicolas Baudin stopped here on 30 May during his exploration of Australia.[2]: 57 The French were mapping the coast of New Holland. Baudin named the bay they found Geographe Bay, after his flagship, Géographe.[2]: 57 Later, the cape was named after the expedition's second ship, Naturaliste.[2]: 57 [3]
Climate
[edit]Cape Naturaliste has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb, with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters).
| Climate data for Cape Naturaliste (33º32'S, 115º01'E, 109 m AMSL) (1903-2024 normals and extremes) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 40.6 (105.1) |
39.4 (102.9) |
37.4 (99.3) |
32.1 (89.8) |
27.8 (82.0) |
24.3 (75.7) |
22.9 (73.2) |
23.6 (74.5) |
27.5 (81.5) |
31.7 (89.1) |
36.7 (98.1) |
38.5 (101.3) |
40.6 (105.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.6 (78.1) |
26.0 (78.8) |
24.6 (76.3) |
22.0 (71.6) |
19.3 (66.7) |
17.4 (63.3) |
16.4 (61.5) |
16.5 (61.7) |
17.4 (63.3) |
19.0 (66.2) |
21.6 (70.9) |
23.8 (74.8) |
20.8 (69.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.3 (59.5) |
15.7 (60.3) |
15.1 (59.2) |
13.9 (57.0) |
12.6 (54.7) |
11.5 (52.7) |
10.5 (50.9) |
10.1 (50.2) |
10.4 (50.7) |
11.1 (52.0) |
12.5 (54.5) |
14.0 (57.2) |
12.7 (54.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 7.8 (46.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
6.4 (43.5) |
5.1 (41.2) |
6.1 (43.0) |
4.2 (39.6) |
4.1 (39.4) |
3.7 (38.7) |
3.8 (38.8) |
4.6 (40.3) |
5.2 (41.4) |
7.5 (45.5) |
3.7 (38.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 10.6 (0.42) |
11.7 (0.46) |
22.9 (0.90) |
44.2 (1.74) |
113.6 (4.47) |
160.2 (6.31) |
158.8 (6.25) |
112.2 (4.42) |
75.1 (2.96) |
48.6 (1.91) |
25.4 (1.00) |
13.1 (0.52) |
793.6 (31.24) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 1.9 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 6.6 | 12.9 | 16.7 | 18.8 | 16.4 | 12.6 | 8.9 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 107.6 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 57 | 56 | 58 | 62 | 69 | 72 | 72 | 70 | 68 | 65 | 61 | 59 | 64 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 14.1 (57.4) |
14.4 (57.9) |
13.6 (56.5) |
12.7 (54.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
10.8 (51.4) |
9.8 (49.6) |
9.5 (49.1) |
9.9 (49.8) |
10.6 (51.1) |
11.9 (53.4) |
13.0 (55.4) |
11.8 (53.3) |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology[4] | |||||||||||||
General references
[edit]- Marchant, Leslie R. French Napoleonic Placenames of the South West Coast, Greenwood, WA. R.I.C. Publications, 2004. ISBN 1-74126-094-9
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Australia: Western Australia". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
References
[edit]- ^ McCormack, James (20 October 2010). "Cape to Cape Track". Australian Geographic. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
- ^ a b c F. Peron; L. Freycinet (1809). A Voyage of Discovery to the Southern Hemisphere: Performed by Order of the Emperor Napoleon during the Years 1801, 1802, and 1804. London: Richard Phillips. OCLC 6521670. OL 6948659M. Wikidata Q128790983.
- ^ Fornasiero, F. Jean; Monteath, Peter; West-Sooby, John (2004). Encountering Terra Australis: The Australian Voyages of Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders. Wakefield Press. pp. 44–45. ISBN 978-1862548749.
- ^ "Cape Naturaliste Climate Statistics". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
External links
[edit]Australian places named by French explorers in the 18th and 19th centuries | ||
|---|---|---|
| South Australia |
|  |
| Western Australia | ||
Only places with the name still in use in either the original or anglicised version are listed above. Many names have been anglicised; for these the original French name appears in brackets. | ||