Coral Coast

Welcome to Australia's Coral Coast

A home to gentle whale sharks, dramatic gorges, wildflower carpets, and Pat Batten who, in 1972, raised eyebrows by wearing a homemade hot pink lace ensemble to an Army Ball: an outfit you can see for yourself when visiting the Chapman Valley.

There are more curiosities to be revealed as you wind up the coast, from an old telephone switchboard in Mingenew to a rusty red bus in Exmouth – a town US President Lyndon B Johnson once called a “unique experiment in bi-national living”.

Discover it all on your next road trip up the WA Coral Coast.

Monsignor Hawes Heritage Centre

Monsignor Hawes - discover the man behind the work

This modern and beautifully interpreted display showcases the life and architecture of priest and prolific architect Monsignor John Hawes, who arrived in the Mid West in 1915. Excerpts from Hawes’...

Chapman Valley Historical Society

Heaven for vintage farm machinery enthusiasts

Farm machinery and vintage motors enthusiasts will find themselves in heaven at the Chapman Valley Historical Society Heritage Centre. This massive and lovingly tended collection features trucks...

Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum

Carnarvon's role in the race to land humans on the moon

Carnarvon may not be the most likely place you’d expect to encounter world-changing space technology but it once played a key role in the global race to land man on the moon. The Carnarvon Space and...

Mingenew Historical Society

Farming history brought to life

Mingnew’s original government school, built in 1894, is today home to the extensive collection of the Mingenew Museum. Meander through the former classrooms to witness artefacts dating back to the...

Koobabbie Precinct

Relocating Koobabbie Farm, kitchen sink and all.

This collection was saved by Coorow Heritage Group, after it was gifted three buildings and the farming equipment from a historically significant farm. Find out about the history of Samuel Rudduck and...

Cervantes Historical Society

A rollicking shipwreck and community past

This delightful collection of artefacts tells the story of Cervantes’ rich shipwreck history, its fishing past and the community that rolled up their sleeves and shaped their coastal township through...

Carnarvon Library and Gallery

Capturing Carnarvon's past

You’ll find the Carnarvon Local Studies library within the Carnarvon Library and Art Gallery building. This treasure-trove of local historical information provides an insight into the region’s...

Irwin and Districts Historical Society Overview

Irwin Districts Historical Society and Russ Cottage

Old prison protects pioneering history

Wander through the old police house and court rooms which today house the vast Irwin Districts Historical Society collection and you can almost hear the click of chains which once bound prisoners here...