{{Use Australian English|date=December 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{more footnotes needed|date=April 2013}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = other | name = Cape Naturaliste | state = wa | image = Cape Naturaliste in 2014.jpg | caption = Cape Naturaliste | coordinates = {{coord |region:AU-WA_type:landmark |display=inline,title |format=dms}}{{EditAtWikidata|pid=P625}} | relief = yes }} '''Cape Naturaliste''' is a [[headland]] in the south western region of [[Western Australia]] at the western edge of the [[Geographe Bay]]. It is the northernmost point of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, which was named after the cape. The [[Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park]], the [[Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse]] and the [[Cape to Cape Track|Cape to Cape hiking track]] were also named after this location.
==Settlements== The nearest settlement is Bunker Bay{{snd}}a community that evolved from holiday shacks to very expensive housing for wealthy residents as well as featuring a popular beach resort. Further east, across the Bay, is [[Dunsborough]], a much older settlement. [[Busselton]] is located still further east from there.
==History== The first people in Cape Naturaliste were the [[Wardandi]] Aboriginal people, who called it {{lang|nys|Kwirreejeenungup}}, meaning "the place with the beautiful view".<ref>{{cite journal | last=McCormack | first=James | title=Cape to Cape Track | journal=Australian Geographic | date=2010-10-20 | url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/travel/destinations/2010/10/cape-to-cape-track/ | access-date=2019-10-17}}</ref> In 1801, the French navigator [[Nicolas Baudin]] stopped here on 30 May during his [[Baudin expedition of 1800 to 1802|exploration of Australia]].<ref name="pér09" />{{rp|57}} The French were mapping the coast of [[New Holland (Australia)|New Holland]]. Baudin named the bay they found Geographe Bay, after his flagship, ''[[French corvette Géographe|Géographe]]''.<ref name="pér09" />{{rp|57}} Later, the cape was named after the expedition's second ship, ''[[French corvette Naturaliste|Naturaliste]]''.<ref name="pér09" />{{rp|57}}<ref>{{cite book |first1=F. Jean |last1=Fornasiero |first2=Peter |last2=Monteath |first3=John |last3=West-Sooby |year=2004 |title=Encountering Terra Australis: The Australian Voyages of Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders |pages=44–45 |publisher=Wakefield Press |isbn=978-1862548749}}</ref>
==Climate== Cape Naturaliste has a [[mediterranean climate|warm-summer mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Csb'', with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters).
{{Weather box |location = Cape Naturaliste (33º32'S, 115º01'E, 109 m AMSL) (1903-2024 normals and extremes) |single line = y |metric first = y |Jan record high C = 40.6 |Feb record high C = 39.4 |Mar record high C = 37.4 |Apr record high C = 34.1 |May record high C = 27.8 |Jun record high C = 24.3 |Jul record high C = 22.9 |Aug record high C = 23.6 |Sep record high C = 27.5 |Oct record high C = 31.7 |Nov record high C = 36.7 |Dec record high C = 38.5 |Jan high C = 25.6 |Feb high C = 26.0 |Mar high C = 24.6 |Apr high C = 22.0 |May high C = 19.3 |Jun high C = 17.4 |Jul high C = 16.4 |Aug high C = 16.5 |Sep high C = 17.4 |Oct high C = 19.0 |Nov high C = 21.6 |Dec high C = 23.8 |Jan low C = 15.3 |Feb low C = 15.7 |Mar low C = 15.1 |Apr low C = 13.9 |May low C = 12.6 |Jun low C = 11.5 |Jul low C = 10.5 |Aug low C = 10.1 |Sep low C = 10.4 |Oct low C = 11.1 |Nov low C = 12.5 |Dec low C = 14.0 |Jan record low C = 7.8 |Feb record low C = 8.9 |Mar record low C = 6.4 |Apr record low C = 5.1 |May record low C = 6.1 |Jun record low C = 4.2 |Jul record low C = 4.1 |Aug record low C = 3.7 |Sep record low C = 3.8 |Oct record low C = 4.6 |Nov record low C = 5.2 |Dec record low C = 7.5 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 10.6 |Feb precipitation mm = 11.7 |Mar precipitation mm = 22.9 |Apr precipitation mm = 44.2 |May precipitation mm = 113.6 |Jun precipitation mm = 160.2 |Jul precipitation mm = 158.8 |Aug precipitation mm = 112.2 |Sep precipitation mm = 75.1 |Oct precipitation mm = 48.6 |Nov precipitation mm = 25.4 |Dec precipitation mm = 13.1 |year precipitation mm = 793.6 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 1.9 |Feb precipitation days = 1.9 |Mar precipitation days = 3.2 |Apr precipitation days = 6.6 |May precipitation days = 12.9 |Jun precipitation days = 16.7 |Jul precipitation days = 18.8 |Aug precipitation days = 16.4 |Sep precipitation days = 12.6 |Oct precipitation days = 8.9 |Nov precipitation days = 5.0 |Dec precipitation days = 2.7 |year precipitation days = 107.6 |Jan afthumidity= 57 |Feb afthumidity= 56 |Mar afthumidity= 58 |Apr afthumidity= 62 |May afthumidity= 69 |Jun afthumidity= 72 |Jul afthumidity= 72 |Aug afthumidity= 70 |Sep afthumidity= 68 |Oct afthumidity= 65 |Nov afthumidity= 61 |Dec afthumidity= 59 |Jan dew point C = 14.1 |Feb dew point C = 14.4 |Mar dew point C = 13.6 |Apr dew point C = 12.7 |May dew point C = 11.8 |Jun dew point C = 10.8 |Jul dew point C = 9.8 |Aug dew point C = 9.5 |Sep dew point C = 9.9 |Oct dew point C = 10.6 |Nov dew point C = 11.9 |Dec dew point C = 13.0 |source 1 = [[Bureau of Meteorology]]<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_009519_All.shtml |title = Cape Naturaliste Climate Statistics |publisher = [[Bureau of Meteorology]] |access-date = 7 April 2024 }}</ref> }}
==General references== * Marchant, Leslie R. ''French Napoleonic Placenames of the South West Coast'', Greenwood, WA. R.I.C. Publications, 2004. {{ISBN|1-74126-094-9}} *{{cite rowlett|wau}}
==References== <references> <ref name="pér09">{{cite Q |Q128790983 |mode=cs1}}</ref> </references>
==External links== * [https://www.margaretriver.com/members/cape-naturaliste-lighthouse/ Lighthouse visiting information]
{{AusplacesnamedbyFrench |state=expanded}}
[[Category:Headlands of Western Australia|Naturaliste]] [[Category:Cape Naturaliste, Western Australia]] [[Category:Cape to Cape Track]]