Guide to Albany Western Australia Australia

The City of Albany is located 409 kilometres from Perth, on the southern coast of Western Australia. A regional centre, Albany is a thriving multicultural city with many attractions.

Albany has a dramatic granite coastline and is surrounded by magnificent scenery and pristine white beaches. With some of the most spectacular coastline and sheltered waterways in the world, the area is ideal for a coastal holiday.

It is easy to see why Albany is one of Western Australia’s top tourist destinations (Winner of the WA Top Tourism Town award in 2000), with such an extensive range of natural beauty, historical charm, unique arts and crafts and a wealth of activities.

Albany is known for its natural attractions including those that are situated along the rugged coastline of the Torndirrup National Park. The two major highlights are the Gap with a 24-metre drop to the water and the Natural Bridge, a granite formation in the shape of a bridge.

During the months of July through to October Southern Right and Humpback Whales arrive in King George Sound to frolic and play. Whale watching has become a major pastime in Albany since the whaling industry ceased in 1978. Whales can be viewed from the shore or visitors can get closer by taking one of the whale watching cruises available daily during the season.

Albany is now a thriving multicultural city boasting a population of approximately 30,000 people. Its major industries are tourism and agriculture (wool, beef, grain), wood chips, port and shipping, aquaculture and fishing.

With a wide range of accommodation to satisfy all tastes, from budget to five star, the area caters for many different holiday adventures which include fishing, canoeing, boat cruises, whale watching, wildflower viewing, coach and off-road tours, scuba diving, sailing and hiking. A ‘Dining Out’ guide is available at the Albany Visitor Centre.

Albany boasts approximately fifty buildings of historical charm, most being used as museums, art and craft galleries or restaurants. Albany is important in West Australian history as it was the first European settlement in the State.
The area was discovered by Captain Vancouver in 1791 and later settled by Europeans in 1826. It was the first colony settled in Western Australia and has many historical buildings.

There is so much to see and do here that planning your trip is a good idea. To help you with this, the Albany Visitor Centre has a wealth of detailed information on this special part of Australia.

When visiting Albany you will discover blue skies, white sand, green hills and sea-green waters that will delight any traveller.