Esperance History

Pre 20th Century

The original inhabitants of the Esperance area are believed to be the Wudjari people. Very little is recorded about their way of life, but place names and evidence of middens point to a significant presence before a familiar cycle of European settlement and dispossession.

The Wudjari are believed to have been made up of four family groups: the yonga (kangaroo), gnow (mallee fowl), waitch (emu) and coudda (long-tailed goanna).

Modern

Esperance was named in 1792 when the Recherche and L'Espérance sailed into the bay to shelter from a storm. Although the first settlers came to the area in 1863, it was during the gold rush in the 1890s that the town became established as a port. When the gold fever subsided, Esperance went into a state of suspended animation until after WWII.

Recent

In the 1950s it was discovered that adding missing trace elements to the soil around Esperance restored fertility; the town has since rapidly become an agricultural centre.

It has also become a popular resort due to its even climate, stunning coastal scenery, blue waters, good fishing and dazzling beaches. The seas offshore are studded with the many islands of the Archipelago of the Recherche, home to a variety of wildlife.

In July 1979 Esperance made world headlines when the USA's Skylab space station crashed to earth in and around the town. Pieces of space junk scattered across the surrounding area, some weighing up to one tonne. The shire issued the USA with a fine for littering, which remains unpaid.

Esperance is the only port in Western Australia's southeast. In 2002 an extensive upgrade made the port one of the deepest along Australia's southern coast.