Rottnest Island is situated in the Great Southern of Western Australia and it can be accessed by ferry from Fremantle or Perth. Rottnest is famous for fishing, diving and swimming, with its warm summer temperatures, outdoor cafés and picnic areas. Nearby Langley Point offers a wide range of natural wonders including the beautiful Little Rottnest Island Nature Reserve which is home to over 400 species of birds.

It was named after Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh who, in 1696, landed there for the first time. For almost fifty years no European colonist landed on the island and it remained nature’s paradise until 1829 when an expedition led by Captain James Stirling visited Rottnest Island.

In 1831, Captain J. Clark made further explorations and wrote down the Aboriginal name of Rottnest as Wadjemup. The island is also known as Rat’s Nest Island, and less frequently as Blindman’s Island. The French name for Rottnest Island was Île des Rats or Ile des Souris, which literally translates to Rat Island or Mouse Island respectively (Vlamingh named the island “Rattenfels” after the Dutch word for rat).

In 1879, the Western Australian Government officially declared Rottnest Island as a Quarantine Station.

During World War II, the Government of Western Australia established a military garrison on the island. It was later abandoned in 1956. The Australian Department of Defence also constructed an anti-aircraft gun installation on Mount Meredith during World War II and this was manned by members of the RAAF until 1954!

Rottnest Island is located off the coast of Perth, Western Australia. It’s a small island with limited tourism, but it’s a fantastic place to spend a day without getting on a ferry or going more than 1km from shore. The entire island is less than half the size of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and it has an amazing sandy beach that is completely closed to swimming.

Today, Rottnest Island is a popular tourist destination and attracts thousands of visitors every year.