Capel

Capel Western Australia
Capel
Population:	2,151 (2006 Census) [1]
Established:	1897
Postcode:	6271
Elevation:	19 m (62 ft)
Location:	212 km (132 mi) South of Perth 17 km (11 mi) South of Bunbury 23 km (14 mi) North of Busselton
LGA:	Shire of Capel
State District:	Collie-Preston
Federal Division:	Forrest

Coordinates: 33°33′25″S 115°33′58″E / 33.557°S 115.566°E / -33.557; 115.566

Capel is a town in the South West region of Western Australia, located 212 kilometres south of Perth and midway between Bunbury and Busselton.

The town is located on the Capel River and is approximately 19 m above sea level. Capel has a Mediterranean climate, with hot dry summers and cool wet winters. Daily temperatures range from 13 °C to 40 °C in summer, and from 5 °C to 27 °C in winter. Average annual rainfall is about 830 mm.

Historically, Capel is a farming area; traditional agricultural pursuits include dairy and beef. In recent times, Capel has become popular for hobby farms, and a number of innovative agricultural pursuits have been introduced, including alpacas, viticulture, aquaculture and growing of blue gums. There is also some mining of mineral sands in the Shire, and tourism is increasingly important to the Shire’s economy.

The Capel area was settled very early in the history of colonial Western Australia. The Capel River was discovered by Frederick Ludlow in 1834, but it was not named until the Bussell family settled in the area. The name honours a cousin of the Bussells, Miss Capel Carter. In the 1830s a number of settlers followed the Bussells into the area, and both James Stirling and John Hutt, (the first two Governors of Western Australia) took up land in the region. Plans to establish a townsite in the area were first mooted in 1844, but the site was not surveyed until the 1870s and lots were not sold until 1897. Initially the town was named Coolingnup, which is the Noongar Aboriginal name for the place; the name was changed to Capel in 1899.^[2]

References

External links

• Capel portal
• South West portal