French's Shack

Values

• The place is associated with the development of Coral Bay as a tourist region.
• The place is representative of the construction and evolution of holiday beach shacks along the Western Australian coastline, used for recreational purposes.
• The place is associated with the French and Robinson families, who were known pastoralists in the Gascoyne region.

Physical Description

French’s Shack comprises two structures surrounded by native vegetation facing the Ningaloo coastline. An upward sloping driveway leads to the buildings. The main structure has a brick and concrete slab flooring with fibrous cement/asbestos walls. There is a verandah at the front elevation and timber window shutters on all exterior walls to protect louvered windows. The interior of the main building includes a main kitchen and living area, two bedrooms, bathroom facilities, and a large water tank. Adjacent to the main structure is another fibrous cement/asbestos clad shed with sliding doors, with an additional internal water tank. This shed appears to be used for storage.

History

The Gascoyne region was traditionally occupied by the Yinggarda, Baiyungu, Thalanyji, Burduna, Binigura, Tharragi, Thiin, Warriyangga, and Jiwarli people. The Coral Bay area is of particular importance to the Baiyungu people, whose country extends from Point Cloates, north of Carnarvon along the coast to Point Quobba, then east to Manberry Station and north to Winning Pool Station. The earliest known European activity in the Coral Bay area was the landing of the schooner ‘Maud’ in 1884. Located approximately 240 kilometres north of Carnarvon, the site became known as Maud’s Landing, and was used as an anchorage point in the 1880s. Prior to this, Murlanda (Maud’s Landing) was a traditional meeting place where people from neighbouring language groups would gather. In 1896, a townsite reserve was formally gazetted and in August that year, plans began to erect a stock jetty and woolshed at Maud’s Landing. The facilities were leased to pastoralists from the 1898 to ship out wool, sheep, and cattle. Leases were not always renewed, and the facilities at Maud’s Landing ceased use as a coastal port. The jetty was sold to the Northwest Whaling Company and moved to Norwegian Bay in 1950, 85 kilometres away from its original location. Little remains of the jetty at Maud’s Bay. The construction of the jetty at Maud’s Landing, along with others in Carnarvon, Ashburton, Port Hedland, and Roebuck Bay, as well as the establishment of a stock route from De Grey to Mullewa, was influential in growing the pastoral industry in the North West. To encourage settlement in the region, the Government offered leases on state-owned land for grazing, known as pastoral leases. One of these pastoral leases was Cardabia Station, located on land surrounding Maud’s Landing. Soon after its gazettal as a townsite, a bay approximately three kilometres south of Maud’s Landing gained popularity as a recreational area for locals. The area became known as ‘Bill’s Bay’, named after Ruby May French (known as Aunty Billie) who was married to Charles French, the owner of Cardabia Station at the time. The French family managed Cardabia Station for three generations until 1997, when the pastoral lease was purchased for the Baiyungu people. The Baiyungu Aboriginal Corporation continue to run Cardabia Station as a pastoral property and a gathering place for Baiyungu people. The first building at Bill’s Bay was a shack built in 1933 by Jack McKenna, manager of Mia Mia Station, for use as a summer coastal retreat. An undated photograph of the 1933 shack shows a corrugated iron structure with timber window frames and a rear extension. This corrugated iron structure preceded French’s Shack. In 1958, Jim Robinson was the manager of Cardabia Station, who would direct tourists to Bill’s Bay. Visitors in the 1960s recalled little facilities at Bill’s Bay excluding a small hut toward the west side of the bay. Aerial imagery from 1970 shows the 1933 corrugated iron structure extant, and slightly south from the current French’s Shack. Formal settlement of Bill’s Bay began in 1968 when a hotel, caravan park, and service station was established. A resort complex was formed comprising three accommodation blocks for tourists, two accommodation blocks for staff, workers, backpackers, and fishermen, and a swimming pool. The Coral Bay Hotel officially opened on 12 February 1969, named after the Ningaloo coral reef. At this point, the area became known as Coral Bay. Further development in Coral Bay occurred in the 1970s with the Bayview Caravan Park. Between 1970 and 1974, the 1933 corrugated iron shack was demolished and replaced with the existing fibrous cement/asbestos structure, French’s Shack. The 1970s shack was constructed with concrete and brick slab, intended to withstand cyclonic conditions. In 2015, RAC purchased the Coral Bay Hotel complex, which is now known as Ningaloo Reef Resort. RAC intend to redevelop the resort complex in 2024. French’s Shack remains in a liveable condition and is periodically privately occupied for recreational purposes. Two streets in Coral Bay have been named after the French and Robinson families, including Robinson Street which French’s Shack fronts.

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