CBAY — Cowaramup Bay | Gracetown, WA

Why “CBAY”?

Cowaramup Bay is the long, curved shore that gives Gracetown its shape and its sense of place. Around town, “CBAY” is shorthand for the bay — and, by extension, for the Gracetown community that lives beside it.

It is a place of protected water and exposed points, of Cowaramup Brook, granite and limestone, beach shacks, long walks and changing swell. The bay can be gentle in one moment and elemental in the next.

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Two faces of the coast

The northwest-facing bay offers relatively sheltered swimming and family water, while North Point, South Point and Huzzas carry the energy of the Margaret River surf coast.

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A living shoreline

Cowaramup Brook, coastal heath, Moonah and granite country support a rich mix of wildlife and shorebird habitat. The coast is beautiful because it is alive.

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Walk the long view

The Cape to Cape Track passes through the bay, linking beach, headland and national park. Slow down, stay on marked paths and leave the coast better than you found it.

A short history of Gracetown

Before

Wadandi Country. The bay and its waterways hold continuing cultural, ecological and spiritual significance for the Wadandi people. This history did not begin with the townsite.

1957

A coastal camp takes shape. Gracetown was first envisioned as a caravan park and camping ground, as more people began making the south-west coast part of their lives.

1961–63

The townsite is planned and gazetted. The town was surveyed and planned in 1961, with lots offered from 1963. It was named for Grace Bussell, remembered as a Western Australian heroine.

1960s

Surf culture finds a home. Surfers were among the early residents, building shacks and returning to the point breaks and Huzzas. The road was rough, the houses were simple, and the waves were the drawcard.

1996

A community remembers. A cliff collapse at South Point during a school surfing carnival took nine lives. The memorials and the landscape are part of Gracetown’s shared memory; the cliffs demand care and respect.

Today

Gracetown remains a small coastal community. Locals, surfers, walkers and visitors share the bay — with an increasing focus on protecting its cultural values, biodiversity and low-key character.

Take the bay lightly.

Stay clear of unstable cliffs, respect surf conditions and other water users, keep dogs and vehicles where permitted, and carry out what you carry in. The dunes, brook, rocks and wildlife are not scenery to be consumed — they are the coast’s living fabric.

Read further

This page draws on publicly available local and regional sources. History and cultural references are intentionally concise and should not be treated as a substitute for Wadandi-led knowledge or official safety advice.