Plan Book Travel Australia

Main Attractions

The Geraldton Museum, located on Marine Tce, has an outstanding maritime display, with relics from the 17th- and 18th-century Dutch shipwrecks, Batavia, Zuytdorp and Zeewijk, together with natural and cultural heritage exhibits. The eclectic St Francis Xavier Cathedral, completed 1938, is one of John Hawes' architectural masterpieces. A pamphlet describing the Monsignor Hawes Heritage Trail is available and includes The Hermitage, the monsignor's former residence. Other notable buildings in town are the prefabricated Point Moore Lighthouse (1878); Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage (1870); and the Bill Sewell Complex (1887), formerly the Victoria District Hospital, then prison, and presently incorporating the Old Gaol Craft Centre. Geraldton Art Gallery has well-regarded permanent and touring exhibitions. Marra Indigenous Art Gallery, located at the old Railway Station on Chapman Rd, displays Aboriginal artworks. There are several lookouts providing good views, including Mount Scott, which is the site of the HMAS Sydney Memorial. Fishermen unload huge rock lobster hauls on Fisherman's Wharf and the lobster processing plant conducts tours of its operations Dec-June. Activities in the area include windsurfing, diving, walking, fishing, kite flying and cycling.