Shell bricks

Building material
Tiny shells make solid houses

The still and hypersaline waters of Shark Bay’s Shell Beach provide just the right environment for these tiny white shells from the fragum cockle to thrive. Trillions of these tiny shells line the beach here in deposits up to 10 metres deep. Back in the early 1900s Shark Bay residents would come to the beach to cut out heavily compacted shell bricks to build houses in nearby Denham. While most of these buildings no longer stand, you can still see examples in Denham’s Anglican Church and Old Pearler Restaurant today.

Available at:

Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery and Visitor Centre

A rich and fascination cultural and natural heritage revealed

Few places in Australia could boast the rich and fascinating cultural and natural heritage of Shark Bay. This stunningly beautiful and remote peninsula boasts more than 30,000 years of Indigenous...

Address:

53 Knight Tce
Denham WA 6537
Australia

Open Hours
Mon to Fri 9am - 4.30pm; weekend hours vary seasonally

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While you're in the area

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Useless Loop
Attraction
Useless Loop
Walking along the pristine beach at Denham you will be amazed by the...
via Useless Loop Road, Denham, WA 6537
Shell Beach
Attraction
Shell Beach
Formed from billions of tiny shells, aptly named Shell Beach in the Shark...
via Shark Bay Road, Denham, WA 6537
Francois Peron National Park
Attraction
Francois Peron National Park
For a four-wheel driving adventure along a scenic coastline with dramatic...
via Monkey Mia Road, Denham, WA 6537
Dolphins of Monkey Mia
Attraction
Dolphins of Monkey Mia
The Dolphins of Monkey Mia in the Shark Bay World Heritage area are famous...
Monkey Mia, via, Denham, WA 6537