Denham provides access to surrounding tourist areas with its beautiful beaches and clear blue waters, making it a popular destination.
Denham is a beautiful place with many opportunities for stunning photographs. Located on the Coral Coast, the beaches around Denham are pristine, with white sand meeting the deep blue ocean.
Shark Bay’s center
Denham, known initially as ‘Freshwater Camp’, is the most westerly settlement in Australia. It was established as a pearling camp and eventually evolved into a township that supported the pearling, pastoral, and fishing industries of Shark Bay. Denham became a town on May 3, 1898, named after Captain Henry Mangles Denham of the Royal Navy.
Denham is a popular location for exploring the diverse Shark Bay World Heritage Area.
The Denham Discovery Trail in Denham offers a 2.3km walking route that passes by sites of interest related to Shark Bay’s history. The town also has scenic views of Australia’s most westerly sunset, various accommodations, dining and shopping options, safe beaches for swimming, and a children’s play park.
Where is Denham?
Denham is located 837 kilometres northwest of Perth.
Denham is located within the Shark Bay World Heritage area on the western side of the Peron Peninsula. One convenient way to reach Denham is renting a car from Perth Airport. You can get to Denham from Perth in a 10-hour drive by road or a 2-hour 15-minute flight from Perth. You will also find that a stop at Shark Bay is on the itinerary of many extended tours from Perth, such as the Monkey Mia tours. Witness the natural beauty and rare local flora and fauna.
Points of interest in Denham
Monkey Mia
Monkey Mia, located just a 30-minute drive from Denham, is famous for its regular visits from bottlenose dolphins. Visitors can interact with the dolphins up close and feed them by hand, making it a potentially unforgettable experience.
Hamelin Pool
Although appearing as ordinary rocks, stromatolites are considered “living fossils” formed by cyanobacteria. The Hamelin Pool is one of the few locations where these world heritage-worthy stromatolites can be found, each providing insight into the evolution of Earth.
Shell Beach
The beach in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area is unique because it is full of millions of shells from the abundance of cockles. In the past, these shells were used to construct buildings in Denham. The water around the beach is very salty, allowing visitors to float on it like they can at the Dead Sea.
Eagle Bluff
Eagle Bluff is a high cliff near Denham with a boardwalk along the coast for visitors. The view from the cliff, overlooking the ocean and surrounding area, is stunning. Dugongs can sometimes be spotted feeding near the shore during the summer. Sunset is the best time to visit for a breathtaking view.
How’s the weather?
Denham and Monkey Mia, located on the Peron Peninsula, have similar climates. Denham has a semi-arid climate with warm and dry summers and more rainfall in winter. The area also experiences infrequent thunderstorms and occasional cyclones. In summer (December to February), the average maximum temperature is 31°C and the average minimum temperature is 23°C. In winter (June to August), the average maximum temperature is 22°C and the average minimum temperature is 5°C.
Explore the history of Denham
Denham was one of the first places discovered on the Western Australian mainland by Dirk Hartog, who landed nearby on an island now known as Dirk Hartog Island. However, despite being discovered early on, Europeans didn’t settle the area until the 1850s.
Denham was initially known as “Freshwater Camp” during its pearling days due to the abundance of pearl-shell oysters. It was later renamed after Royal Navy Captain Henry Mangles Denham. Today, Denham serves as the administrative town for the Shire of Shark Bay and is the gateway for visitors to see the famous Monkey Mia dolphins.
For visitor and tourist information, maps, brochures, booking assistance, and local expert tips in Denham, the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery & Visitor Centre is a helpful resource.