Guide to Dongara Western Australia Australia

Dongara is a historic country town on the Irwin River, about 360 km north of Perth and 65 km south of Geraldton, where the Brand Highway meets the end of Indian Ocean Drive. Its main street, Moreton Terrace, is shaded by huge old Moreton Bay fig trees, and a giant western rock lobster statue at the corner of the highway celebrates the industry that keeps the area going. With its twin town Port Denison across the river, Dongara makes a relaxed stop on the coast road north.

This is Amangu country, part of the wider Yamatji nation. Settlers arrived on the Irwin River from the 1850s, and many of their stone buildings survive, including an old flour mill, police station and cottages. Today Dongara has cafes, a pub, walking trails along the river and one of Western Australia’s last drive-in cinemas.

Known For

• Moreton Terrace’s giant Moreton Bay fig trees
• The giant rock lobster statue and the lobster fleet at Port Denison
• One of WA’s last drive-in cinemas

Things To Do in Dongara

Heritage walk

The Dongara Heritage Walk covers about 4 km and passes 28 heritage buildings, including the Royal Flour Mill from 1894, Priory Lodge, the 1870 Old Police Station and Russ Cottage.

Russ Cottage

Russ Cottage, built around 1869, is run by the Irwin Districts Historical Society and open for self-guided visits on several mornings a week for a gold coin donation.

Irwin District Museum

The old police station, courthouse and gaol now house the Irwin District Museum, open on weekday and Saturday mornings.

Drive-in cinema

The heritage-listed Dongara Denison Drive-In shows films from about September to May, a rare treat in modern Australia.

Thungara Trails and the river

Six themed walking trails, from 2.6 km to 9 km, explore the town and river, and a boardwalk along the Irwin River estuary is good for spotting pelicans, terns and herons.

Coastal camps to the south

Along Indian Ocean Drive south of town, Cliff Head, Freshwater Point and Knobby Head have simple coastal campsites near the beach.

Where To Stay

Seaspray Beach Holiday Park on Church Street is on the beach on the Dongara side, and more caravan parks are in Port Denison across the river. Self-contained RVs can stay one night at the Dongara Town Oval on Waldeck Street for a small fee, collected daily, and the oval also has a dump point and long-vehicle parking. There is no free camping in the Shire of Irwin. The coastal camps at Cliff Head, Freshwater Point and Knobby Head charge a fee per vehicle, with a maximum stay of three nights. Fuel is available at roadhouses on the Brand Highway.

Eat & Drink

The Dongara Hotel Motel on Moreton Terrace serves pub meals, and the main street has cafes such as The Coffee Tree and Pannarai Cafe and Restaurant, plus a bakery, a pizza cafe and takeaways. There is an IGA supermarket for supplies.

History

The explorer George Grey passed through the area in 1839, and settlers took up land along the Irwin River from the 1850s. Russ Cottage dates from about 1869, the police station from 1870 and the Royal Flour Mill from 1894. The Moreton Bay fig trees on the main street were planted in the early 1900s. The first Blessing of the Fleet was held in 1973, and the giant lobster statue was added in 2005.

Getting to Dongara

Dongara is about 360 km north of Perth, around three and a half hours’ drive via the Brand Highway or the coastal Indian Ocean Drive. Geraldton is about an hour north. Coaches stop in town.

The best time to visit is spring, when wildflowers bloom from August to October, and the warmer months for beach days. The drive-in runs from September to May, and the Dongara markets are held on the first Saturday of most months.