Geraldton was such a surprising city. So many places to see and so much history. We left Coronation Beach about 10am and headed to Geraldton Wharf. There are about 8 free overnight stay places and we were there early enough (about 10.30am) to get the second last spot. We unhitched and set off to explore more of Geraldton. We saw the church designed by Monsignor Hawes in Northampton, and in Geraldton is the Monsignor Hawes Heritage Centre and the amazing Saint Francis Xavier's Catedral - designed by Monsignor Hawes.
The heritage centre tells the story of the man - from boy to priest to architect. A really interesting centre.
Monsignor Hawes arrived in Geraldton as a parish priest in 1915. The foundation stone was laid in 1916 and the building completed in 1938.
Photos don't do justice to the beauty inside the cathedral. It is not a traditional church interior, but a mixture of cultures. Absolutely beautiful.
Another must see in Geraldton is the HMAS Sydney II Memorial. This beautiful memorial honours the 645 Australian sailors who were lost off the WA coast on 19 November 1941, during WWII.
The memorial depicts one seagull for every man lost.
Located at Mount Scott, the memorial was designed by Joan Walsh-Smith and Charles Smith of Smith Sculptures. It was initiated by the Geraldton Rotary Club and was started in 1998.
The area is full of symbolic features, even the pathway guarded by bollards (used by HMAS Sydney II to tie up to in Geraldton in 1941), as one walks up to the memorial has significance. There is a bronze statue of a women looking out to sea in the direction of where the wreck was found.
On the 21st May 2009, The Australian Government recognised the moniment as a National Memorial.
We were camped at the boat ramp next to the Esplanade. The Esplanade is a wonderful work of art. Constructed to replace the first jetty and running along the old railway line, it has information boards, seating and wonderful views of the town, the beaches and the port.
At the end of the point there are picnic tables, a raised lookout and free viewing telescopes. Sadly the telescopes were all sticky, probably from the unsupervised young children running around. While we were camped at the free camp we saw the rangers come around twice and moved caravans and campers that were not in the designated areas.
Geraldton appeared to be a historic town, but it is difficult to park near the centre with a caravan, and the centre is where the information centre is. As a result we never went to the info centre. There are caravan parking areas on the edge of the city, one at The Esplanade next to where the free RV overnight parking is, and the other north of town, not far from the museum. The north parking is also good if one needs to stock up on groceries as Coles is across the road.
Geraldton is brimming with history, just walk around the CBD and see for yourself. The HMAS Sydney II Memorial, Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral, Victoria District Hospital, Old Geraldton Goal Craft Centre, and Point Moore lighthouse are just a few places in Geraldton that have an intersting story to tell.
Geraldton is 370km north-west from Perth.
PetalliTravellers 2 minutes of Geraldton
What a wonderful memorial to the lost sailors, I particularly like the seagulls overhead, one for each man lost. The church you visited was amazing too, it's always so interesting what is waiting to be discovered as we travel around.
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