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BASSETT PARK

Celebrating the life and of Arthur Bassett and his love of Shark Bay.

This park commemorates several generations of the Bassett family and their involvement in the pearling and fishing industry.  Arthur`s father, Thomas worked the pearling boats, "Aeolus" and Florrie" owned by the Sunter family during the 1920`s following his marriage to Ina Sunter whose family worked the pearling banks around Dirk Hartog Island from the 1880`s.  

Born in 1925, Arthur continued the family tradition going to work at the age of thirteen on the family`s pearling lugger.  Independent from the age of four, Arthur accompanied local aboriginal identities, Eddie Oakley and Freddy Wear on their weekend trips around Shark Bay.  He was shown how to track, what to eat and were to find water.  

Educated in Shark Bay and then Carnarvon, he returned after World War 2 and entered the fishing industry and skippered numerous boats including the "Bluefin" and "Kingfisher".  A strong free diver, Arthur developed a keen interest in collecting shells and marine life.  Eventually he built the second largest private collection of shells in the world.  After his 1954 wedding to Janet, the first in Denham`s new church, the couple moved into the Knight Street home built by Arthur`s grandmother, Harriet Sunter in 1910.

They had three children, Wanda, Philip and Ina who grew up in Denham and Useless Loop.

With failing health in 1987, Arthur moved to Geraldton and died in 1990.  His daughter Wanda Copeland still lives in Denham with her family.