Sussex Land District is a land district (cadastral division) of Western Australia, located within the South-West Land Division on the state's west coast. It covers the south-western corner of the state and includes the townsites of Busselton, Margaret River and Augusta as well as Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin.[1]

Sussex
Western Australia
Location in Western Australia
Lands administrative divisions around Sussex:
Indian Ocean Indian Ocean Wellington
Indian Ocean Sussex Nelson
Indian Ocean Flinders Bay Nelson

History edit

The system of land districts came together in an ad-hoc fashion, and the Sussex district started to be subdivided in 1840 well before any thought was given to formally defining its boundaries.[2] The definition later used by the Lands and Surveys department came from an 1862 gazettal which read as follows:[3]

Bounded on the North by an East line from the sea-coast to Capel River through the North end of Wonnerup Inlet, then by said river upwards to location 171 (exclusive), then by a South-easterly line to junction of Padbury Brook with the River Blackwood; on the West and South by the sea-coast; and on the East by the Blackwood downwards to its junction with a South line through Black Point, thence by that line to the sea-coast.

Towns and areas edit

Towns edit

The Sussex district contains the following current or former townsites:[4]

Townsite Coordinates Gazetted Notes
Augusta 34°18′43″S 115°09′32″E / 34.312°S 115.159°E / -34.312; 115.159 (Augusta) 1830
Broadwater 33°39′43″S 115°16′34″E / 33.662°S 115.276°E / -33.662; 115.276 (Broadwater Suburban) 1897
Busselton 33°38′53″S 115°20′46″E / 33.648°S 115.346°E / -33.648; 115.346 (Busselton) 1835
Carbunup River 33°41′56″S 115°11′20″E / 33.699°S 115.189°E / -33.699; 115.189 (Carbunup River) 1926
Cowaramup 33°51′07″S 115°05′42″E / 33.852°S 115.095°E / -33.852; 115.095 (Cowaramup) 1925
Dunsborough 33°36′50″S 115°06′18″E / 33.614°S 115.105°E / -33.614; 115.105 (Dunsborough) 1879
Forest Grove 34°04′19″S 115°05′53″E / 34.072°S 115.098°E / -34.072; 115.098 (Forest Grove) 1925 Cancelled in 1970
Gracetown 33°52′05″S 114°59′13″E / 33.868°S 114.987°E / -33.868; 114.987 (Gracetown) 1963
Jarrahwood 33°47′49″S 115°39′58″E / 33.797°S 115.666°E / -33.797; 115.666 (Jarrahwood) 1932
Margaret River 33°57′18″S 115°04′30″E / 33.955°S 115.075°E / -33.955; 115.075 (Margaret River) 1913
Mowen 33°56′17″S 115°11′46″E / 33.938°S 115.196°E / -33.938; 115.196 (Mowen) 1925
Prevelly 33°58′52″S 114°59′31″E / 33.981°S 114.992°E / -33.981; 114.992 (Prevelly) 1978
Quigup 33°57′29″S 115°42′07″E / 33.958°S 115.702°E / -33.958; 115.702 (Quigup) 1911
Quindalup 33°37′44″S 115°07′44″E / 33.629°S 115.129°E / -33.629; 115.129 (Quindalup) 1899
Ruabon 33°39′14″S 115°29′28″E / 33.654°S 115.491°E / -33.654; 115.491 (Ruabon) 1925 "Abba River" until 1928
Vasse 33°41′02″S 115°15′50″E / 33.684°S 115.264°E / -33.684; 115.264 (Vasse) 1907
Witchcliffe 34°01′26″S 115°05′56″E / 34.024°S 115.099°E / -34.024; 115.099 (Witchcliffe) 1926
Wonnerup 33°37′26″S 115°24′58″E / 33.624°S 115.416°E / -33.624; 115.416 (Wonnerup) 1856
Yallingup 33°38′24″S 115°01′44″E / 33.640°S 115.029°E / -33.640; 115.029 (Yallingup) 1911* Not formally gazetted

Agricultural areas edit

Under the Land Act 1898, the Agricultural Lands Purchase Act 1896, and preceding regulations, it was open to the Governor to declare agricultural areas on crown land or repurchased estates on private land, to which special provisions applied for both alienation and improvement. Many of these estates came into being shortly after World War I for the purposes of soldier resettlement.

Name Coordinates Gazetted Notes
Anniebrook Estate 33°39′14″S 115°10′37″E / 33.654°S 115.177°E / -33.654; 115.177 (Anniebrook Estate) 1930 West of Busselton
Locke's Estate 33°39′50″S 115°14′10″E / 33.664°S 115.236°E / -33.664; 115.236 (Locke's Estate) 1921 West of Busselton
Marybrook Estate 33°39′32″S 115°12′04″E / 33.659°S 115.201°E / -33.659; 115.201 (Marybrook Estate) 1907 West of Busselton
Stirling Estate 33°33′50″S 115°28′55″E / 33.564°S 115.482°E / -33.564; 115.482 (Stirling Estate) 1904 Near Ruabon

References edit

  1. ^ "Index Map of Western Australia", Department of Lands and Surveys, 1949, and definition in gazette.
  2. ^ Surveyor-General. Districts of the colony – Revision of. (169/96), p.28-30. Accessed at State Records Office, Perth.
  3. ^ "Boundaries defining the Wellington and Sussex Residencies". Western Australia Government Gazette. 1 July 1862. p. N/A.
  4. ^ Western Australian Government Gazette, various editions. Accessed at Battye Library, Perth.

33°54′56″S 115°05′06″E / 33.91556°S 115.08500°E / -33.91556; 115.08500