A Brief History

The Dutch named the southern tip of the coast "Leeuwin's Land" in 1622 but did not chart the coastline to the north. On May 30, 1801, Nicholas Baudin sailed up the coast rounded Cape Naturaliste and anchored in Geographe Bay. Both locations were named after his two vessels the Geographe and the Naturaliste.

Settlement of the area occurred from the movement of settlers from Augusta to Busselton in the 1830s and by 1845, Castle Rock Whaling Station was in operation. The town was proclaimed in 1877 but was little more than a few shacks until the mid-1950's. The name of Dunsborough is a mystery. A rumour says it was named after an American whaler named Dunn who settled in the area during the wet season and that the area simply became known as "Dunns Burrow" (Dunsborough).

Climate

Dunsborough has a moderate-Mediterranean climate and is affected slightly more by prevailing winds than its neighbor Busselton. With warm Summers and cool Winters, the weather is a great mixture of hot and cold temperatures throughout the year:

(^oC)        Summer            Winter

Low            16                       8

High            30                    17