Margaret River is a large town in the
South West of
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
, located in the valley of the eponymous
Margaret River
The Margaret River is a river in southwest Australia, southwest Western Australia. In a small catchment, it is the eponym of the town and tourist region of Margaret River, Western Australia, Margaret River.
The river arises from a catchment ...
, south of
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, the state capital. Its
Local Government Area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
is the
Shire of Augusta-Margaret River.
Margaret River's coast to the west of the town is a renowned surfing location with worldwide fame for its surf breaks including, but not limited to, 'Main Break' and 'The Box'. Colloquially, the area is referred to as "Margs".
The surrounding area is the
Margaret River wine region and is known for its wine production and tourism, attracting an estimated 500,000 visitors annually.
History
The town is named after
the river, which is presumed to be named after Margaret Whicher, cousin of
John Garrett Bussell
John Garrett Bussell (16 August 180317 September 1875) was an early settler in Western Australia. Born at Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire in England on 16 August 1803, Bussell was educated at Winchester College in England. After the death of hi ...
(founder of
Busselton
Busselton is a city in the South West (Western Australia), South West region of the States and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia approximately south-west of Perth. Busselton has a long history as a popular holiday destin ...
) in 1831. The name is first shown on a map of the region published in 1839. Before British settlement the area was inhabited by the
Noongar
The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian people who live in the South West, Western Australia, south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton, Western Aus ...
people. The first British settlers arrived as early as 1850, with timber logging commencing in around 1870. By 1910, the town had a hotel which also operated as a post office. That year the Margaret River Progress Association requested that a townsite be declared at "the Upper Margaret Bridge", because "the district is likely to be dotted with public buildings several miles apart in the near future if a townsite is not made available shortly". The inspecting district surveyor had a preference for an area near the lower bridge on
Caves Road, but his preferred site was unavailable. Lots were surveyed in 1912 and the townsite was gazetted in 1913. From 1918 to 1927, the name of the townsite was officially "Margaret" but it was changed back to "Margaret River" due to local usage.
After
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, an attempt by the
Government of Western Australia
The Government of Western Australia is the States and territories of Australia, Australian state democratic administrative authority of Western Australia. It is also commonly referred to as the WA Government or the Western Australian Governmen ...
to attract migrants to Western Australia (known as the
Group Settlement Scheme) and establish
farm
A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...
s in the region attracted new settlers to the town. In 1922, over 100 settlers moved into the district.
In the early 1920s, the Busselton to Margaret River Railway was built and, in 1925, the
Margaret River to Flinders Bay line opened.
The
Perimeter Road, a bypass to take traffic, including heavy vehicles, from
Bussell Highway
Bussell Highway is a generally north–south highway in the South West (Western Australia), South West region of Western Australia. The highway links the city of Bunbury, Western Australia, Bunbury with the town of Augusta, Western Australia, A ...
, to the east of the town, and also connect to a new access road to the
nearby airport, was opened in December 2018 and completed in February 2019.
Geography and climate
Margaret River is located inland from the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
at a point about halfway between
Cape Naturaliste and
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 ...
in Western Australia's
South West region.
The climate is
warm-summer Mediterranean (''Csb'' in the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
), with an average annual rainfall of around . Most rain falls between May and August, when around two days in three record measurable rainfall and around one in ten over . On occasions, as in August 1955, the town has had measurable rain on every day of a month in this period. During the summer, the weather is warm, though there are usually
sea breeze
A sea breeze or onshore breeze is a wind that blows in the afternoon from a large body of water toward or onto a landmass. By contrast, a land breeze or offshore breeze is a wind that blows in the night from a landmass toward or onto a large ...
s, and it is frequently sunny. The dry summers, coupled with strong winds, creates an environment where there is always a high risk of
bush fires.
Wine region
Margaret River
The Margaret River is a river in southwest Australia, southwest Western Australia. In a small catchment, it is the eponym of the town and tourist region of Margaret River, Western Australia, Margaret River.
The river arises from a catchment ...
is the foremost
Geographical Indication
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town or region). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, is inten ...
wine region in the South West Australia Zone, with nearly under vine and over 138 wineries as at 2008. The region is made up predominantly of
boutique
A () is a retail shop that deals in high end fashionable clothing or accessories. The word is French for "shop", which derives ultimately from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in anc ...
-size wine producers, although winery operations range from the smallest, crushing per year, to the largest at around .
[Campbell Mattinson, "Why the French hate us", Hardie Grant Books 2007] The region produces just three percent of total Australian grape production, but commands over 20 percent of the Australian premium wine market.
Stretching some from north to south and about wide in parts, the region is bounded to the east by the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, between
Cape Naturaliste and
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 ...
, and to the west by the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
. A Mediterranean-style climate, lacking extreme summer and winter temperatures, provides ideal growing conditions. The climate is described as similar to that of
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
in a dry vintage.
Humidity levels are ideal during the growing period and the combination of climate, soil and viticulture practices leads to consistently high quality fruit of intense flavour. Consequently, annual vintage results continue to exceed expectations and reinforce Margaret River's reputation as one of the premium wine-producing regions of the world.
The principal
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...
varieties in the region are fairly evenly split between red and white;
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebano ...
,
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, ; ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new a ...
,
Sauvignon blanc,
Shiraz
Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...
,
Merlot
Merlot ( ) is a dark-blue-colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of , the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color ...
,
Chenin blanc
Chenin blanc (, ; known also as Pineau de la Loire among #Synonyms, other names) is a white wine grape variety from the Loire Valley (wine), Loire Valley of France (wine), France. Its high acidity (wine), acidity means it can be used to make var ...
and
Verdelho.
Caves

Several hundred caves are located near Margaret River, all of them within
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Six of these are open to the public.
One of these caves is the multi-chambered
Mammoth Cave
Mammoth Cave National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in south-central Kentucky. It encompasses portions of Mammoth Cave, the List of longest caves, longest known cave system in the worl ...
, which lies south of the town and contains fossils dating back over 35,000 years. The cave was first discovered by European settlers in 1850 and has been open to the public since 1904. The cave can be explored by a self-guided audio tour, and is one of the few caves in Australia offering partial disabled access.
The other five caves open to the public in the area are Jewel Cave, Lake Cave,
Ngilgi Cave, Calgardup Cave and Giants Cave. Many other caves can be accessed with a permit by experienced cavers.
Surfing breaks
The Margaret River area has acquired a range of synonyms for the collection of surf breaks nearby, with some 75 breaks along of coastline.
Usually significant surfing competitions concentrate their locale to ''Margarets Main Break'' (aka Surfers Point) which breaks in the vicinity of Prevelly at the mouth of Margaret River.
The actual range of
surf breaks range from the eastern side of
Cape Naturaliste down to just south of Cape Hamelin, and despite web sites and online sources calling the whole Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin region the ''Margaret River'' surfing area, conditions and break types vary along the coast.
The
Cowaramup Bombora ("Cow Bombie")
big wave surf break
A surf break (also break, shore break, or big wave break) is a permanent (or semi-permanent) obstruction such as a coral reef, rock (geology), rock, shoal, or headland that causes a Wind wave, wave to Wind wave#Wave breaking, break, forming a ...
offshore produces one of the biggest waves in Australia.
Education
The town contains four primary schools, Margaret River Primary School, Rapids Landing Primary School, Margaret River Montessori School, and St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, and one high school,
Margaret River Senior High School. All schools are located within the town itself except for Rapids Landing Primary School, which is located in the suburb of Rapids Landing.
Media
Radio stations that broadcast to the town are
ABC South West WA,
Triple M Southwest and Radio Margaret River, a community-based, not-for-profit station that provides local news, information, and entertainment which broadcast on 101.9 FM and also online.
Local newspapers are ''Augusta-Margaret River Times'' and ''Augusta-Margaret River Mail''.
Television services available include:
*The
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...
(ABC) – ABC TV, ABC Family/ABC Kids, ABC Entertains, ABC News (digital channels)
*The
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public broadcasting, public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from tax revenue. SBS operates six TV channels (SBS (Australian TV chann ...
(SBS) – SBS TV, SBS Viceland, SBS World Movies, SBS Food, SBS WorldWatch, NITV (digital channels)
*
Seven (
GWN), an owned and operated and formerly affiliated station of the
Seven Network
Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
*
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television broadcasting, Australian television network owned and operated by WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single television stat ...
, an affiliate station of the
Nine Network
Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
*
West Digital Television
West Digital Television is an Australian digital television network jointly owned by Seven West Media and WIN Corporation. It broadcasts free-to-air on a number of digital terrestrial transmitters in regional and remote areas of Western Aust ...
, an affiliate station of the
Network 10
Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's UK & Australia division and is one of the five national free-to-a ...
(provided jointly by Seven West Media and WIN Television)
Cultural events
The WSL
Margaret River Pro is held annually in May attracting professional surfers from across the globe. The
CinefestOZ film festival stages several events across the region in late August each year.
In the media
Arte-TV produced an episode of ''Nouveaux paradis'' about Margaret River. The 2008 documentary shows interviews with (amongst others) tourist officials, surfers, and dolphin watchers.
Margaret River was also visited in the 1966 documentary film ''
The Endless Summer
''The Endless Summer'' is a 1966 American surf movie, surf documentary film directed, produced, edited and narrated by Bruce Brown (director), Bruce Brown. The film follows surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August on a surfing trip around the wor ...
''. In 2013, many locals featured in the film ''
Drift'', starring
Sam Worthington, as well as many surfing scenes being shot on location at local surf breaks such as Grunters and Main Break.
See also
*
West Australian wine
*
Great Southern (wine region)
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Western Australia government tourist information (including map)The Rotary Club of Margaret RiverPopular guidebook App for the Margaret River Region (works offline)*
{{authority control
Coastal towns in Western Australia
Towns in Western Australia
Surfing locations in South West Western Australia
Wine regions of Western Australia
Shire of Augusta–Margaret River