THIS week marks the 393rd anniversary of the first known landing of Europeans on Australia's shores, at Dirk Hartog Island in Shark Bay. It will also start another chapter to the colourful history of this remote location at the western edge of Australia.
THIS week marks the 393rd anniversary of the first known landing of Europeans on Australia's shores, at Dirk Hartog Island in Shark Bay.
It will also start another chapter to the colourful history of this remote location at the far western edge of Australia.
Seemingly timed to coincide with that historic occasion, Environment Minister Donna Faragher is expected to formalise the island's status as part of the World Heritage-listed Shark Bay Marine Park.
While it is best known for the landing by its namesake, a Dutch sea captain, the island has a more recent history as something of a private retreat for the late Tom Wardle, one of Western Australia's pioneer retailers whose Tom the Cheap grocery stores revolutionised shopping.
Four decades after Mr Wardle bought the 620 square kilometre pastoral lease, it is now officially becoming part of the state's network of national parks, realising his original conservation dream.
His family, though, will retain an interest through a series of small freehold titles to be signed off this week to end nearly 20 years of negotiation between the state and the Wardles.
Kieran Wardle, Tom's grandson, has been operating an eco-tourism business on the island since the mid-1990s and plans to stay on to continue the business, which services about 550 visitors a year, mainly as four-wheel-drive campers. Up to 14 people can stay at the Wardle's homestead lodge and up to eight vehicles are allowed on the island at one time, crossing by barge at the southern tip.
Mr Wardle confirmed that the decades-long process was set to end this week when he expected his family to be granted freehold over three sites on the island in exchange for relinquishing the pastoral lease and some other freehold land.
The Wardle family previously had 97ha of freehold land but, under the new arrangements, it will end up with just more than 70ha.
The biggest holding will be about 57ha at its existing homestead on the south east coast adjacent tiny Meade Island.
It will also have two parcels of land, one more than 11ha and the other more than 4ha, at Sunday Island Bay near the southern tip - both of which could accommodate eco-tourism operations.
In addition, they have a long-term lease at Turtle Bay at the northern end of the island, which is earmarked for a five-star wilderness lodge.
“We are looking to develop if the right partner or tourism operator approached us with something along those lines," Mr Wardle said.
“We'll be actively seeking a joint venture with the knowledge to operate in remote areas."
He said the development areas were a small footprint on the island and would offer a very specialist tourism service.
“It [Dirk Hartog] could easily be another Fraser Island (off Queensland) but why would you?" Mr Wardle said.
“We don't want to ruin it.
“It has to be eco-tourism."
Mr Wardle confirmed he had received interest in some of the freehold land, which was suitable for the development of eco resorts.
He would not comment on speculation that the Clough family may be one of the buyers. Shark Bay Shire minutes from September 30 show a consortium led by a J Clough is seeking to build a single residential dwelling on a 4.6ha parcel of land on Dirk Hartog Island, possibly in advance of further development.
Jock Clough would not comment on his family's plans for the area. He has a house on a site across the water from that site on the mainland near Steep Point, which is leased from the Department of Conservation.
