PORT GREGORY

HEMA Map reference 76/E2

28° 11' 24" S 114° 15' 07" E

Statistics

Caravan Parks

Attractions

Pink Lake, Hutt Lagoon, Lynton convict depot, Sanford homestead.

Buildings of note

Unknown

Calendar of events

Unknown

The old Sanford mill

Hutt Lagoon

Description

Located near the mouth of Hutt River (named after William Hutt *), the town supports a small fishing industry.

First established in 1853 as a port for shipping lead from the Geraldine Mine there was also an attempt to establish a labour depot in the area where 'ticket of leave' men would be hired out to local farmers. This did not meet with much success and was later abandoned. The legacy of the convicts lives on in the buildings they constructed while there were there. The Superintendent of the of the depot (H.A. Sanford) settled in the area taking up land and building Lynton homestead. The settlement still exists and is open to the public.

It lies 47km north west of Northampton and an offshore reef provides a safe anchorage. Safe that is, once you are behind the reef, but between 1853 and 1867 at least six vessels struck the reef and sank.

The coastline is picturesque but the town remains mostly undeveloped. It is often overlooked by tourists in favour of the much better known town of Kalbarri.

Gazetted as Pakington in 1853 (after the secretary of state, John Pakington) it was locally known as Port Gregory – in honour of Francis and Augustus Gregory – the townsite was re-named in 1967.

Lynton convict depot.

This is the most intact convict hiring depot remaining in Western Australia. It is located a few kilometres south east of Port Gregory and is open to the public as is the nearby Sanford Homestead.

The convict depot was opened in 1853 and convicts from here were taken to work the lead mines 40 miles north east at Geraldine.

The depot did not survive due to the difficulties associated with living in the area and the lack of transport.

Just 500m from the depot is Captain Sanford's house, stables and mill. These buildings are slowly being restored and they provide a marked contrast to how the convicts and their pensioner guards had to live just out of sight around the hill.

The timber used in Stanford's house was mostly salvaged from flotsam washed up on the beach. The supporting beams along the balcony were once the masts of sailing ships.

Pink Lake

Pink lakes are fairly common on the West Australian coast but not all live up to their names. This one, however does. The pink colour is due to the presence of Dunaliella salina, a bacteria that lives in the salt deposits. The bacteria is a source of beta carotene which is extracted from the lake by a commercial operation.

* John Hutt (W.A.s second Governor) had a brother called William who was involved in establishing South Australia. The river was named in his honour by George Grey as he passed through the area on his epic walk to Perth.