LANCELIN | Western Australia | www.wanowandthen.com

DESCRIPTION

At one time, Lancelin was the last town on the sealed road along the coast north of Perth. The town at the end of the track.

That all changed in Setpember 2010 with the opening of the Indian Ocean Drive that linked Yanchep with the Brand Highway just south of Dongara.

Lancelin is about 4 kilometres off the Indian Ocean Drive and perhaps as a result of this has retained much of its earlier laid back, easy going feeling.

Other towns, such as Jurien to the north, have seen a surge of development and are losing their original character.

Water sports are popular including fishing, swimming, snorkelling, boating and sail boarding.

Today the town remains a popular holiday destination and the sand dunes north and east of the town are a designated off road recreation area for 4 wheel drives, quad bikes etc.

The area is open from 8am to 7pm daily. Over nighting in the dunes is not permitted.

Further north is the Defence Force Training Area that is a restricted zone with no access to the public.

HISTORY

Lancelin was originally a coastal fishing settlement involved mostly in the crayfishing industry. It was also a popular summer recreation spot for farmers from further inland.

The town’s name originated with Nicholas Baudin in 1801 who named the offshore island Lancelin after the scientific writer P.F. Lancelin.

The town site was gazetted in 1950 but under the name of Wangaree, an Aboriginal word meaning 'fish'. This was never adopted locally and by 1954 the name change to Lancelin was gazetted.

TALL TALES AND TRUE

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