Rottnest Island

History and heritage on Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island, known as Wadjemup to the Whadjuk Noongar people, contains a complex history spanning maritime navigation, colonial industry, and military defense. This list highlights the island's 19th-century lighthouses, such as Western Australia’s first stone lighthouse at Wadjemup, and the remnants of the salt harvesting industry. It also includes memorials to significant shipwrecks like the City of York and Mira Flores, alongside monuments acknowledging the island's history as a former Aboriginal penal settlement.

History & Heritage — Map

Moondyne / CC BY-SA 3.0

A

Wadjemup Lighthouse

Completed in 1849, the original 20-metre Wadjemup Lighthouse was Western Australia's first stone lighthouse and was built to provide a…

Djanga / CC BY 2.5

B

Bathurst Lighthouse

Bathurst Lighthouse is one of two lighthouses on Rottnest Island, the other being Wadjemup Lighthouse.

C

Roland Smith Memorial

A monument dedicated to the prominent yachtsman Roland Smith, who disappeared at sea during the 1958 Bunbury race. It is situated near the island's narrow neck.

D

Wanju Wadjemup Monument

A welcoming sculpture at the main settlement that acknowledges the Whadjuk Noongar people's traditional ownership and the island's spiritual significance as Wadjemup.

E

Prison Bell memorial

A memorial bell located near the former Aboriginal prison site, commemorating the thousands of Aboriginal men and boys incarcerated on the island between 1838 and 1931.

F

Mira Flores Anchor

The recovered anchor of the Mira Flores, a German iron barque that struck Horseshoe Reef in 1886 while traveling from London to Fremantle.

G

City of York Anchor

A memorial featuring the anchor of the City of York, which wrecked in 1899. The tragedy resulted in 11 deaths and prompted significant changes to the island's maritime signals.

H

Salt Works

Ruins of the 19th-century industrial site where Aboriginal prisoners harvested salt from the island's inland lakes for export to the mainland.

I

Military Camp

Remnants of World War II coastal defense infrastructure, including foundations and barracks used by personnel stationed to protect the approach to Fremantle Port.

J

Kiryo Maru

The wreck of a Japanese long-line tuna boat that ran aground on the reefs at the island's western end in 1984.

K

City of York

Site of the 1899 shipwreck of a British barque. The vessel is one of the island's most significant maritime disasters, located in the bay that now bears its name.

L

Lighthouse

A stone monument commemorating the 1658 landing of Dutch navigator Abraham Leeman and his crew during their search for the lost ship Vergulde Draeck.

Other Lists

Rottnest Island Essentials Nature and Wildlife