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French FrigatesPrint Page 
French Frigates
Photographs supplied by Diane Watson
The memorial commemorates the sheltering of French frigates "Le Esperance" and "Recherche" who took shelter in the bay in 1792. On the 2nd April 1988, an additional plaque was placed on the memorial to commemorate the re-enactment of the event.
Captain Bruni d`Entrecasteaux commanding "Le Recherche" and Captain Huon de Kermandec of "L`Esperance" were searching the Australian waters for the missing explorer La Perouse while charting the coastline and exploring the new continent. Forced to seek protection from a storm the two vessels sheltered on the lee side of Observatory Island and that night d`Entrecasteaux wrote in his journal `I decided to give the harbour the name of Esperance Bay, that of the first frigate to enter it'.
Location
| Address: | Twilight Beach Road, Great Ocean Drive,Observatory Point and Lookout, Esperance, 6450 |
|---|---|
| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.9075 Long: 121.793611 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Landscape |
| Sub-Theme: | Exploration |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1792 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 1792 |
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au
