Quaranup, also known a Camp Quaranup and Albany Quarantine Station, was once a

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

station in

Albany, Western Australia Albany ( ; nys, Kinjarling) is a port city in the Great Southern region in the Australian state of Western Australia, southeast of Perth, the state capital. The city centre is at the northern edge of Princess Royal Harbour, which is a ...

; it now operates as a camp for tourists. Situated in a Class A nature reserve on the Vancouver Peninsula on the shoreline of Princess Royal Harbour opposite the

Port of Albany The Port of Albany is located within Princess Royal Harbour in King George Sound on the south coast of Western Australia, in the Great Southern region. Location The port is located on the northern shore of Princess Royal Harbour, a natural ...

, the camp has panoramic views of Albany. The complex consists of 17 separate stone and timber-framed structures in varying architectural styles. The necessity of a quarantine station arose after a number of incidences involving sickness aboard ships arriving in Albany lead to demands for a quarantine station to be built close to the port. These included an illness on the ''Bombay'' in 1865, suspected

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

on the ''Rangatira'' in 1872 and a sick passenger aboard the ''Baroda'' the following year. No plans were made until a group of dignitaries including the Colonial Secretary,

Frederick Barlee Sir Frederick Palgrave Barlee (6 February 1827 – 8 August 1884) was Colonial Secretary of Western Australia from 1855 to 1875; Lieutenant-Governor of the British Honduras (now Belize) from 1877 to 1882; and Administrator of Trinidad in 1884. ...

, were quarantined in tents during inclement weather on barren Mistaken Island for a period of two weeks. The irate officials then took an interest in having a permanent quarantine station close to the port. Tenders were called for and the facility was established in 1875. Initially the centre consisted of only a caretaker's cottage and jetty costing £530. A

powder magazine Powder Magazine, Powder House, or Powderworks may refer to: *Powder tower or powder house, a building used to store gunpowder or explosives; common until the 20th century *Gunpowder magazine, a building designed to store gunpowder in wooden barrels ...

was built on Geake island, the windowless stone building with an iron door used to store ammunition was completed in 1878. Further additions to the complex were completed in 1897, including the doctor's and servant's quarters, isolation ward, mortuary, laundry, wash house, general store, and first class quarters. A fumigation bath house and a jetty were built in 1903. The station was used to deal with various epidemics and diseases until 1930 with a final outbreak of

influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...

, after this the facility was virtually closed. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

the facility operated as a

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

base. American servicemen were also billeted there for

rest and recuperation R&R, military slang for rest and recuperation (or rest and relaxation or rest and recreation or rest and rehabilitation), is an abbreviation used for the free time of a soldier or international UN staff serving in unaccompanied (no family) duty ...

in 1942. The station was decommissioned in 1956. The Wheeler family then privately leased the station later the same year and the name was changed to Camp Quaranup. The Wheelers operated the camp until 1970. The site was then vested in the Shire of Albany who subsequently leased the camp to the Albany Youth Committee in 1971. The station was classified by the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

in 1977. The complex was deemed significant for its architectural character and its historic foundation. In 1992 the Department of Sport and Recreation sub-leased the camp to Rob and Joanne Lucas for a period of five years with a five-year option. A lookout was built at the highest point on the peninsula known as ''Quarantine Hill'' by the camp managers in 1997. Surrounding points of interest that can be seen form the lookout include;

Cheyne Beach Whaling Station Cheyne Beach Whaling Station is a defunct whaling station in Australia. It now operates as a tourist park known as Albany's Historic Whaling Station, and has previously also been known as Whaleworld or Whale World. The station is situated in ...

Torndirrup National Park Torndirrup National Park is a national park in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, southeast of Perth and via Frenchman Bay Road is south of Albany. Torndirrup National Park has many impressive rock formations on the coast. Thes ...

, Princess Royal Harbour, King George Sound, Goode Beach, Little Grove and Big Grove. The camp was closed for late 2005 and early 2006 and reopened by Premier Alan Carpenter in April 2006 after a 1.1 million renovation. The kitchen was refurbished, toilet blocks upgraded, new water storage and filtration equipment installed and

asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...

removed from the site.

References

{{reflist, 30em 1875 establishments in Australia Heritage places in Albany, Western Australia State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Albany

See also

References