Location

The City of Albany is located in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia, about 400 kilometres south-east of Perth. The City of Albany is bounded by the Shires of Plantagenet and Gnowangerup in the north, the Shire of Jerramungup in the north-east, the Southern Ocean in the south-east and south, and the Shire of Denmark in the west.

Included Areas

The City of Albany includes the suburbs and localities of Albany, Bayonet Head, Big Grove, Bornholm, Centennial Park, Cheynes, Collingwood Heights, Collingwood Park, Cuthbert, Drome, Elleker, Emu Point, Frenchman Bay, Gledhow, Gnowellen, Goode Beach, Green Range, Green Valley, Kalgan, King River, Kojaneerup South, Kronkup, Lange, Little Grove, Lockyer, Lower King, Lowlands, Manypeaks, Marbelup, McKail, Mettler, Middleton Beach, Millbrook, Milpara, Mira Mar, Mount Clarence, Mount Elphinstone, Mount Melville, Nanarup, Napier, Nullaki, Orana, Palmdale, Port Albany, Redmond, Redmond West, Robinson, Sandpatch, Seppings, South Stirling, Spencer Park, Torbay, Torndirrup, Vancouver Peninsula, Walmsley, Warrenup, Wellstead, West Cape Howe, Willyung, Yakamia and Youngs Siding.

Land Use

The City of Albany encompasses a rural area surrounding a regional township. Albany is the administrative and service hub for the Great Southern Region. The urban areas are on the shores of Princess Royal Harbour, Oyster Harbour and King George Sound. Forest, coastal bush and farmland surround the urban areas. The City encompasses a total land area of about 4,300 square kilometres. Rural land is used mainly for agriculture, particularly sheep and cattle grazing, timber production and farming and fruit and vegetable growing. Tourism is also an important industry.

Name Origin

Albany is named after Frederick, the Duke of Albany and York, son of King George III.

Indigenous Meaning

The original inhabitants of the Albany area were the Menang Noongar Aboriginal people.

Settlement

Settlement of the area dates from 1826, being the first European settlement in Western Australia. From the mid 1800s until the early 1900s Albany was Western Australia’s major international port. The port serviced the immigration and produce needs of the Goldfields and exported timber and agricultural products. Population growth took place during the late 1800s, aided by the opening of the railway line to Perth in 1885. The emergence of Fremantle as the main port in Western Australia in 1900 resulted in Albany shifting its economy to timber, agriculture and whaling. Whaling remained an industry until 1978. Significant residential development occurred from the post-war years, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s. The City’s population continued to grow during the 1970s and 1980s, rising from about 16,500 in 1971 to about 25,000 in 1991. Expansion continued from the 1990s, with the population rising to about 33,000 in 2011. Population growth has been accompanied by economic growth.

Major Features

Major features of the City include Albany Port, Oyster Harbour, Princess Royal Harbour, King George Sound, the King River, Gull Rock National Park, Hassell National Park, Stirling Range National Park, Torndirrup National Park, Waychinicup National Park, West Cape Howe National Park, Mt Martin Regional Botanic Park, numerous Nature Reserves, various beaches, Albany Centre (The University of Western Australia and Curtin University), Great Southern Institute of Technology (Albany Campus), Albany Hospital, the Albany CBD, Princess Royal Fortress, Albany Wind Farm, former HMAS Perth Dive Wreck, Albany Entertainment Centre, the Waterfront at Albany, Western Australian Museum (Albany), Replica of the Brig Amity, The Old Convict Gaol, Whale World, Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre, the Bibbulmun Track and various lakes.

Transport

The City of Albany is served by the Albany Highway, the South Coast Highway and Albany Regional Airport.