Esperance

Esperance

Fondly known as the "Bay of Isles", Esperance is a seaside town in the Goldfields-Esperance region in the state of Western Australia. The area, which fronts the Great Australian Bight and forms part of the south-western borders of Australia, is approximately 718 kilometres east-south-east of Perth, the state capital. It was named after the French Naval frigate, the Esperance, which is the French word for "hope".

Although the Dutch vessel Gulden Zeepaer sailed off the coast of Esperance in 1627, it was not until 1792 that Europeans landed on the region when French explorers under Antoine Raymond Joseph de Bruni d'Entrecasteaux took shelter from a storm in the area. The town was first settled in the 1870s by a family of Scottish descent, the Dempsters.

Established in 1896, Esperance is the Council Seat for the Shire of Esperance Local Government Area. The town is represented in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia by the State District of Eyre, as well as by the Federal Division of O'Connor in the Australian House of Representatives. It has an estimated population of 9,536 residents.

Thanks to its cultural, historical, and natural heritage, Esperance today is an excellent tourist destination. The town regularly attracts visitors, thereby making significant contributions to its economy. Some of its best spots include the Archipelago of the Recherche, Cape Arid National Park, Cape Le Grand National Park, Esperance Municipal Museum, Lucky Bay, Mississippi Hill, Observatory Point and Lookout, Pink Lake, Rossiter Bay, Rotary Lookout Esperance, Stokes National Park, Tanker Jetty, The Great Ocean Drive, Twilight Bay, and Woody Island Nature Reserve.