page_title: Busselton
section_title: Early colonial period
hierarchical_section_title: Busselton / History / Early colonial period
caption_attribution_description: English: AWM caption&#160;: Australia: Victoria, Melbourne, Laverton. CAC CA-17 Mustang Mk 20 aircraft on the tarmac at RAAF Base Laverton. This aircraft, serial number A68-33, was among the group of P-51D’s (A68-1 to A68-80) that were assembled by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation largely from kits imported from the USA This aircraft was also know as ‘Busselton’ and was used in support of War Loan fundraising activities. A68-33 was converted to components and written off in September 1958.
context_page_description: Busselton is a city in the South West region of the Australian state of Western Australia. As of the 2016 census, Busselton had a population of 25,329. Founded in 1832 by the Bussell family, Busselton is 220 km south-west of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Busselton was voted Western Australia's top tourist town in 1995, 1996, and 2005.
context_section_description: Busselton was one of the earliest settlements in Western Australia. It was first settled by the Bussell family, George Layman, and the Chapman brothers, who relocated there from their location on the Blackwood River. John Garrett Bussell first visited Busselton in December 1831, describing the land as follows: "The country as we advanced improved rapidly; the ground on which we trod was a vivid green, unsullied with burnt sticks and blackened grass trees". Bussell was granted land in the area in July 1832 and the settlers moved there in April 1834. The Bussells established a cattle station which they named Cattle Chosen, which quickly became one of the most prosperous stations in the colony, and as a result, nearly all of the settlers at Augusta relocated to the area within a few years. A number of settlers established themselves at Wonnerup, and eventually a contingent of troops was stationed there under Lieutenant Henry Bunbury. It was originally intended to locate the townsite at Wonnerup, but the area was low-lying and marshy, and Bunbury considered it unsuitable for a townsite. The present area was then recommended by the Surveyor General, John Septimus Roe.
  The present name of Busselton derives from the Bussell family. It was first officially used in June 1835. The Bussells, who were not consulted about the name, preferred the name Capel after a relative in England, Capel Carter, but the name Busselton was retained. A town named Capel was later established to the north of Busselton. The name "The Vasse" was also used for the district interchangeably with "Busselton" until the end of the 19th century. The townsite was planned and surveyed in 1836 by Bunbury and in 1839, by which time it had a population of 77, it was laid out by surveyor Henry Ommaney. This was followed by the opening of the post office in 1842 and St Mary's Church in 1845. In 1847, the town was officially gazetted as Busselton, and the first government-assisted school was opened there in 1848. In the early days of the settlement, and for some time afterwards, the area was visited by whaling ships from the US, France, and England. The Americans in particular traded with the settlers, who gained vital supplies such as iron, flour, and clothing in exchange for fresh food; there was also a trade in smuggled rum and tobacco. The American whalers delivered mail to England via the US, providing an alternative to infrequent government schooners. Visits from foreign whalers declined in the 1860s due to the introduction of fossil fuels to replace whale oil, but a nearby whaling group in what is now part of the Meelup Regional Park, the Castle Bay Whaling Company, survived until 1872.
  Being in close proximity to the tall timber country, Busselton soon established itself as a leading port. In 1850, timber was being exported and the small town prospered. Jetties for this purpose were built at Wonnerup, Busselton, and Quindalup. Of these, only the Busselton Jetty remains. During the 1850s, Busselton began to receive convicts who were beginning to arrive in Western Australia; they particularly helped with the timber industry. Western Australia's first railway line was built just north of Busselton at Lockville in 1871, the original engine being known as the Ballarat engine. The privately owned line was used for the transport of timber to the Wonnerup jetty across the Ballarat bridge. By the 1880s Busselton had a regular mail and passenger coach service from Perth and Bunbury and, in 1894, a passenger rail service commenced between Busselton and Bunbury on the South Western Railway via Boyanup; it operated until 1985.
caption: The P-51 Mustang which was given the nickname Busselton at RAAF Base Laverton in 1945
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