Cape Londonderry is the most northerly mainland point of Western Australia. It is not accessible by land.
It is located at 13°44′59″S 126°55′02″E, which is 300 kilometres north-west of Kununurra.
Cape Londonderry is described in the Australian Pilot (note that this is not the Australian Pilot that will found in a Google search) as:
“a boat haven, and a gully between green wooded hills at the back, [which] appeared likely to contain water.”
Cape Londonderry was named by Phillip Parker King (1791-1856) on 30 September 1819 during his third voyage in the cutter HMS Mermaid.
- Phillip Parker King 1791-1856.
Geonoma states it was named after Londonderry in Ulster, Ireland whereas the Foyle Civic Trust of Londonderry produced a paper (author unknown) wherein it is stated that it was named after the Marquess of Londonderry, Britain’s then Foreign Secretary.
King was the first and for years the only Australian-born person to attain eminence in the world outside the Australian colonies.
Cape Londonderry is (direct line):
2320 kilometres from Perth
2550 kilometres north-north-east from Torbay Head
2000 kilometres north-east from Steep Point
1380 kilometres north-north-west from Surveyor Generals Corner
For obvious reasons this ‘extreme’ will not be visited by land.
References
Geonoma, Landgate.
Narrative of a Survey of the Inter-Tropical and Western Coasts of Australia, Volume One by Phillip Parker King.
Australian Pilot Vol 5, 6th Edition, p82.
© Kim Epton 2025
256 words.
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