Geraldton
The Coral Coast Capital
On the lands of the Yamatji people.
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
The largest city on Western Australia's Coral Coast, halfway between Perth and Shark Bay. Geraldton is best known as the home of the HMAS Sydney II Memorial and the launch point for trips to the Houtman Abrolhos Islands.
Geraldton was founded in 1850 as a port for the lead and copper mines around Northampton. Today it is the largest city on the long stretch of coast between Perth and Carnarvon, with a population of around 38,000. It sits on Yamatji country.
The HMAS Sydney II Memorial on Mount Scott commemorates the 645 sailors lost when the cruiser was sunk by the German raider Kormoran in 1941, the largest single Australian military loss of life in any naval action. The memorial features a granite wall with the names of all 645 sailors and a dome of 645 silver gulls.
The Houtman Abrolhos Islands, around 60 kilometres offshore, were the site of the 1629 Batavia shipwreck, one of the most famous and disturbing events in early European exploration history. The islands are now a national park and home to a major rock lobster fishery. Day flights from Geraldton over the islands run year-round.
Tourist locations
Places to visit in Geraldton.
6 locations to explore
Greenough Leaning Trees
Wind-sculpted river gums
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardHMAS Sydney II Memorial
Australia's greatest naval tragedy
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardHoutman Abrolhos Islands
Coral reefs, seabirds, shipwrecks
Free by boat; $11 per person for aircraft landings
Full guide arrow_forwardMuseum of Geraldton
Dutch shipwrecks and deep time
Free (suggested donation $5)
Full guide arrow_forwardPoint Moore Lighthouse
Australia's first steel lighthouse
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardSt Francis Xavier Cathedral
A priest-architect's crowning work
Free entry; guided tours $5 per person
Full guide arrow_forwardScenic views
Lookouts near Geraldton.
You may also like
Wanneroo Raceway
Greens Pool
Exmouth
The Pinnacles
Esperance
D'Entrecasteaux National Park
Whiteman
Tunnel Creek
Geographe Bay
Horizontal Falls
Perth
Purnululu National Park
Attribution
Sources & credits
Content (1)
Images (2)
- Brand Hwy 363 N Rudds Gully.jpg · SyntaxTerror · Public domain
- Orbicular granodiorite (Neoarchean, 2.687 Ga; Warroan Hill,... · James St. John · CC BY 2.0
_4_(48751624851).jpg){kind=link}
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.