# Cape Naturaliste

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Place in Western Australia

Place in Western Australia, Australia

Cape Naturaliste Cape Naturaliste Cape Naturaliste Coordinates: 33°31′49″S 115°00′14″E / 33.5303°S 115.0039°E / -33.5303; 115.0039 Country Australia State Western Australia

**Cape Naturaliste** is a [headland](/source/Headland) in the south western region of [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia) at the western edge of the [Geographe Bay](/source/Geographe_Bay). It is the northernmost point of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, which was named after the cape. The [Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park](/source/Leeuwin-Naturaliste_National_Park), the [Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse](/source/Cape_Naturaliste_Lighthouse) and the [Cape to Cape hiking track](/source/Cape_to_Cape_Track) were also named after this location.

## Settlements

The nearest settlement is Bunker Bay – 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](/source/Dunsborough), a much older settlement. [Busselton](/source/Busselton) is located still further east from there.

## History

The first people in Cape Naturaliste were the [Wardandi](/source/Wardandi) Aboriginal people, who called it *Kwirreejeenungup*, meaning "the place with the beautiful view".[1] In 1801, the French navigator [Nicolas Baudin](/source/Nicolas_Baudin) stopped here on 30 May during his [exploration of Australia](/source/Baudin_expedition_of_1800_to_1802).[2]: 57 The French were mapping the coast of [New Holland](/source/New_Holland_(Australia)). Baudin named the bay they found Geographe Bay, after his flagship, *[Géographe](/source/French_corvette_G%C3%A9ographe)*.[2]: 57 Later, the cape was named after the expedition's second ship, *[Naturaliste](/source/French_corvette_Naturaliste)*.[2]: 57[3]

## Climate

Cape Naturaliste has a [warm-summer mediterranean climate](/source/Mediterranean_climate) ([Köppen](/source/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification): *Csb*, with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters).

Climate data for Cape Naturaliste (33º32'S, 115º01'E, 109 m AMSL) (1903-2024 normals and extremes) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 40.6 (105.1) 39.4 (102.9) 37.4 (99.3) 34.1 (93.4) 27.8 (82.0) 24.3 (75.7) 22.9 (73.2) 23.6 (74.5) 27.5 (81.5) 31.7 (89.1) 36.7 (98.1) 38.5 (101.3) 40.6 (105.1) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 25.6 (78.1) 26.0 (78.8) 24.6 (76.3) 22.0 (71.6) 19.3 (66.7) 17.4 (63.3) 16.4 (61.5) 16.5 (61.7) 17.4 (63.3) 19.0 (66.2) 21.6 (70.9) 23.8 (74.8) 20.8 (69.4) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 15.3 (59.5) 15.7 (60.3) 15.1 (59.2) 13.9 (57.0) 12.6 (54.7) 11.5 (52.7) 10.5 (50.9) 10.1 (50.2) 10.4 (50.7) 11.1 (52.0) 12.5 (54.5) 14.0 (57.2) 12.7 (54.9) Record low °C (°F) 7.8 (46.0) 8.9 (48.0) 6.4 (43.5) 5.1 (41.2) 6.1 (43.0) 4.2 (39.6) 4.1 (39.4) 3.7 (38.7) 3.8 (38.8) 4.6 (40.3) 5.2 (41.4) 7.5 (45.5) 3.7 (38.7) Average precipitation mm (inches) 10.6 (0.42) 11.7 (0.46) 22.9 (0.90) 44.2 (1.74) 113.6 (4.47) 160.2 (6.31) 158.8 (6.25) 112.2 (4.42) 75.1 (2.96) 48.6 (1.91) 25.4 (1.00) 13.1 (0.52) 793.6 (31.24) Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 1.9 1.9 3.2 6.6 12.9 16.7 18.8 16.4 12.6 8.9 5.0 2.7 107.6 Average afternoon relative humidity (%) 57 56 58 62 69 72 72 70 68 65 61 59 64 Average dew point °C (°F) 14.1 (57.4) 14.4 (57.9) 13.6 (56.5) 12.7 (54.9) 11.8 (53.2) 10.8 (51.4) 9.8 (49.6) 9.5 (49.1) 9.9 (49.8) 10.6 (51.1) 11.9 (53.4) 13.0 (55.4) 11.8 (53.3) Source: Bureau of Meteorology[4]

## General references

- Marchant, Leslie R. *French Napoleonic Placenames of the South West Coast*, Greenwood, WA. R.I.C. Publications, 2004. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-74126-094-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-74126-094-9)

- Rowlett, Russ. ["Lighthouses of Australia: Western Australia"](https://www.ibiblio.org/lighthouse/wau.htm). *The Lighthouse Directory*. [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/source/University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** McCormack, James (20 October 2010). ["Cape to Cape Track"](https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/travel/destinations/2010/10/cape-to-cape-track/). *Australian Geographic*. Retrieved 17 October 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-pér09_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-pér09_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-pér09_2-2) [F. Peron](/source/Fran%C3%A7ois_P%C3%A9ron); [L. Freycinet](/source/Louis_de_Freycinet) (1809). [*A Voyage of Discovery to the Southern Hemisphere: Performed by Order of the Emperor Napoleon during the Years 1801, 1802, and 1804*](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89009078353). London: Richard Phillips. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [6521670](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/6521670). [OL](/source/OL_(identifier)) [6948659M](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL6948659M). [Wikidata](/source/WDQ_(identifier)) [Q128790983](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q128790983).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Fornasiero, F. Jean; Monteath, Peter; West-Sooby, John (2004). *Encountering Terra Australis: The Australian Voyages of Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders*. Wakefield Press. pp. 44–45. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1862548749](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1862548749).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Cape Naturaliste Climate Statistics"](http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_009519_All.shtml). [Bureau of Meteorology](/source/Bureau_of_Meteorology). Retrieved 7 April 2024.

## External links

- [Lighthouse visiting information](https://www.margaretriver.com/members/cape-naturaliste-lighthouse/)

v t e Australian places named by French explorers in the 18th and 19th centuries South Australia Cape Bedout Cape Borda Cape Bouguer Cape Carnot Casuarina Islets (Îlots du Cassuarina) Cape du Couedic D'Estrees Bay (Baie d'Estrées) Dorothee Island (Île Dorothée) Fenelon Island Fleurieu Peninsula Cape Forbin Cape Gantheaume Guichen Bay (Baie de Guichen) Jussieu Peninsula Lacepede Bay Masillon Island Maupertuis Bay (Baie Maupertuis) Ravine des Casoars Rivoli Bay (Baie de Rivoli) Cape Thevenard Veteran Isles (Île du Vétéran) Vivonne Bay (Baie Vivonne) Western Australia Adele Island Bernier Island Bonaparte Archipelago Bonaparte Gulf Cape Bossut Cape Bouvard Cape Clairault Faure Island Cape Freycinet Freycinet Harbour Gantheaume Point Geographe Bay Hamelin Pool Institut Islands Cape Keraudren Lagrange Bay Lancelin Island Cape Latouche Treville Legendre Island Cape Leveque L'Haridon Bight Cape Mentelle Middle Island (Îles du Milieu) Montalivet Islands Montebello Islands Cape Naturaliste Peron Peninsula Recherche Archipelago (Archipel de la Recherche) Taillefer Isthmus Thevenard Island Only places with the name still in use in either the original or anglicised version are listed above. Many names have been anglicised; for these the original French name appears in brackets.

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