Wellstead is located on the South Coast Highway:
476 km south east of Perth
100 km east of Albany 

For Fast Facts on Wellstead, click here.

What is Wellstead Like?

Wellstead is a small rural community situated between Albany and Jerramungup near the south coast of Western Australia. It lies on South Coast Highway, 100km east of Albany and just 19km from picturesque Cape Riche with the Stirling Ranges forming a majestic backdrop to the agricultural and natural landscape. The Wellstead area has a rich and diverse native flora, which adds splashes of colour to the roadside in changing shades throughout much of the year. These floral displays richly reward a closer inspection. Native fauna is plentiful and the colourful birdlife is particularly noticeable during harvest when spilled grain provides an easy meal along the roadsides.

Whales visit our coastline on their migration journey and can at times be seen comfortably from the beaches at Cape Riche Caravan Park and Boat Harbour Camping Reserve. The coastal scenery provides a beautiful backdrop for walking, swimming, fishing and diving, and provides inspiration for artists and photographers. The Stirling Ranges to the north are a comfortable drive north and are rich in a variety of flora with well marked trails for those in search of a more strenuous activity.
 

Currently the region supports agriculture, both stock and cropping, floriculture, and agriculture related industry. There are also monocultures of eucalyptus where the rainfall is higher or maritime pine to provide coverage where lands susceptible to erosion. Today conservation and farming work hand in hand for a sustainable future.

A Little bit of history

Noongar people have historically fished and hunted along the southern coastal region and it was not until the mid 19th century that the district was first settled by Europeans, at Cape Riche. Descendants of these settlers still farm at the Cape.
 

Edward John Eyre passed through this district when he was traversing the country from South Australia to Albany in 1841 and a cairn that marks his route can be seen at the junction of Sandalwood and Mettler’s Lake roads.
 

In from the coast the land was considered to be too poor to sustain agriculture, but this changed when scientists found that with the application of trace elements, good pastures could be produced and the area was opened up in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Conditional purchase blocks were allocated to people from all around Australia who had applied to the W.A. Land Board in the hope of acquiring a block. Together with the earlier settlers, these newcomers brought a feeling of community to the area. They established and built the original school, tennis courts, the hall and church and formed the foundations on which we continue today.

Future Directions

A 12 km magnetite deposit has long been known to be present just west of the townsite, and Grange Resources Limited has conducted drilling in the exploration area to map the extent of the deposit. An extensive Environmental Survey has also been conducted. Named the Southdown Magnetite project, this is expected to have a positive impact on the area when it finally goes ahead.