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Rockingham CairnPrint Page 
The Rockingham Cairn features brass plaques attached to both the north and south faces. The north plaque commemorates the arrival of the ship "Rockingham" in 1830 and the south plaque commemorates when the West Australian population reached one million.
Thomas Peel, cousin of the famous British Prime Minister Robert Peel, had developed a scheme to settle 10 000 people in the district. The British Government had granted him 404 million hectares. He was preparing to sail to Western Australia when the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir George Murray, demanded that the colony be started by 1 November 1829. Peel arrived late and his grant was cut to 101,000 hectares. Peel was furious that his original land grant had been reduced by his failure to arrive on the coast by 1 November.
However Captain Stirling persuaded him to take up land south of Woodman`s Point which he named Clarence, in honour of the Duke of Clarence. The settlement at Clarence was a disaster. The colony could not move until the arrival of the Rockingham (427 tons) which had been delayed by a series of accidents. The Rockingham arrived in heavy weather on the afternoon of 13 May 1830. While easing out the cable in order to bring her closer inshore to facilitate unloading, the pitching seas put such a strain on the capstan that it broke. The ship drifted out of control and ran aground, broadside on. Miraculously all managed to make the shore without loss of life.
Location
| Address: | Rockingham Beach Road, Governor Road Reserve , East Rockingham, 6168 |
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| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -32.261485 Long: 115.747275 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | Landscape |
| Sub-Theme: | Settlement |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 14-May-1830 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 14-May-1830 |
| Link: | https://www.dplh.wa.gov.au/about-in… |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Friday 28th May, 1971 |
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The ship "Rockingham" of 428 tons, Captain Haliburton, bringing 172 settlers (including 76 children) to the Swan River Colony, was cast ashore in a gale on the shores of Cockburn Sound on the 14th May 1830, the passengers struggling ashore through heavy surf. No lives were lost.
This memorial was constructed by Rockingham Shire Council from ballast stones brought by sailing ships to the port of Rockingham which flourished as a major timer port during the years of 1878 and 1908.
Date of erection 28th May 1971
This memorial also records the occasion in 1971 when the population of Western Australia reached one million citizens.
This plaque was unveiled by E. C. Rushton, M.L.A. Member for Dale on 28th May 1971 as part of the Local Government Centenary Celebrations.
The Rockingham and Districts Branch of the Royal W. A. Historical Society was associated with the erection of this memorial.
