Special Sub-Topic: The South -West Click Here To Play: The South -West

Name the island off Perth first discovered in 1696 by Willem de Vlamingh.

Rottnest Island. Rottnest Island is of course, home to the unique marsupial species called Quokkas which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Vlamingh mistook them for large rats, hence the use of the Dutch term rott.

Can you name the oldest white settlement of Western Australia?

Albany. Albany was founded in 1826, three years before Perth. It contains the largest natural harbour to be found in Western Australia. It was originally established as a British outpost to thwart French settlement of the western part of Australia.

Bluff Knoll is just about the only place to record snowfall in Western Australia. Can you name the range(s) within which it lies?

Stirling Ranges. The Stirling Ranges is of course named after the first Governor of Western Australia, Captain James Stirling.

Skylab was the first US space station launced into orbit in 1973. It plummeted back to earth in 1979 scattering in various pieces over parts of Western Australia with some debris to be found near this coastal town.

Esperance. As inner Western Australia is sparsely populated nobody was injured, but at the time it created a great furore among the local population.

Western Australia is renowned for its wildflowers. Wildflower season usually commences in spring. Which of the following is NOT a Western Australian wildflower?

Shasta Daisy. The shasta daisy can be found in many Perth suburban gardens, but it is of European origin.

Which of the following is the floral emblem of Western Australia?

Red and Green Kangaroo Paw. The uniqueness of the wildflowers of Western Australia is of course due to the isolation of Australia from the rest of the world. It is also due to the isolation of the south-west from the rest of Australia.

A statue of CY O'Connor can be found outside the Fremantle Port Authority building. Which of the following achievements is he NOT responsible for?

Establishment of King's Park. Sadly, CY O'Connor was much criticised by the press. He committed suicide in 1902, less than a year before the water first began flowing along his Perth to Kalgoorlie pipeline.

Cyclones are normally restricted to the northern part of Western Australia. In 1978 a particular one veered unexpectedly south causing widespread damage throughout the south west. Can you name it?

Alby. The storm surge devastated the beaches of Perth, causing terrible erosion. The cyclonic winds also fanned bushfires in the south west forests and farming land.

This particular tree can only be found in the south west forests of Western Australia, nowhere else in the world. It can grow up to 40 metres and live up to 1,000 years. Can you name it?

Jarrah. The Jarrah is much prized for its timber. This plus the clearing of the forest for farming practise has sizably reduced the number of trees which once existed.

During the 1950's this town south of Perth was once a small sleepy fishing village attracting the occasional vacationer. It is now a booming, bustling city of 60,000 and growing. Can you name it?

Mandurah. Mandurah lies about 70 kms south of Perth and has virtually become a satellite city of Perth. The current construction of a railway line from Perth to Mandurah will ensure its continued prosperity and growth.