Point D'Entrecasteaux is a

point Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Point ...

on the

south coast of Western Australia The south coast of Western Australia comprises the Western Australian coastline from Cape Leeuwin to Eucla. This is a distance of approximately , fronting the Great Australian Bight and the Southern Ocean. Components The Bureau of Meteorology ...

. The first European sighting was by the Frenchman

Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux Antoine Raymond Joseph de Bruni, chevalier d'Entrecasteaux () (8 November 1737 – 21 July 1793) was a French naval officer, explorer and colonial governor. He is perhaps best known for his exploration of the Australian coast in 1792, while ...

in the 1700s, although there were possible sightings by Dutch navigators from ships such as '' Leeuwin'' in the 1600s. The nearest populated site on the coast is

Windy Harbour Windy Harbour is a holiday settlement surrounded by D’Entrecasteaux National Park. It is located 27 km south of Northcliffe, on the south coast of Western Australia east of Augusta and west of Nornalup. It lies just east of Point D'E ...

to the east of the point, and Northcliffe to the north. The point is located within the

D'Entrecasteaux National Park D'Entrecasteaux National Park is a national park in Western Australia, south of Perth. The park is named after the French Admiral Bruni D'Entrecasteaux who was the first European to sight the area and name Point D'Entrecasteaux in 1792. The pa ...

. The main location west on the coast is

Cape Leeuwin Cape Leeuwin is the most south-westerly (but not most southerly) mainland point of the Australian continent, in the state of Western Australia. Description A few small islands and rocks, the St Alouarn Islands, extend further in Flinders Ba ...

, and to the east is Point Nuyts. There are named islands near the point, including Quagering Island and Sandy Island. It has been a site of material found from the ocean. There also had been reports of heavy sea conditions in the vicinity. It was frequently used as a reference point for reports on geology and biota relevant to the south coast of Western Australia. It was also a referent point for maritime navigation and cartographic charts.

Notes

References

{{reflist, 30em South coast of Western Australia D'Entrecasteaux National Park