Recherche Archipelago
Recherche Archipelago, also known as the Bay of Isles, is a group of 105 islands, and over 1200 "obstacles to shipping", off the south coast of Western Australia. The islands stretch 230 km (140 mi) from east to west and to 50 km (31 mi) off-shore encompassing an area of approximately 4,000 square kilometres (1,544 sq mi). The western group is near Esperance and the eastern group at Israelite Bay. They are located in coastal and inland waters, part of which is designated the Recherche Archipelago Nature Reserve.
Indigenous Australians are thought to have inhabited some of the islands up to 18,000 years ago. Archeologists have found ancient artefacts on Salisbury Island such as stone blades, lizard traps, axe heads, grinding stones and granite watering holes. The objects are believed to be 5,000 to 18,000 years old from a time when many of the islands were joined to the mainland.
The islands became known to Europeans when François Thijssen and Pieter Nuyts, sailing on Gulden Zeepaert, sighted and explored the area in 1627. George Vancouver also passed through the archipelago as part of his expedition in HMS Discovery in 1791. The area was named the Recherche Archipelago (French: L’Archipel de la Recherche, IPA: [aʁ.ʃi.pɛl də la ʁə.ʃɛʁʃ]) by Bruni d'Entrecasteaux during a French expedition in 1792. This name was taken from one of the rear admiral's ships, La Recherche; the town of Esperance is named from the other ship of the expedition. They also came to be known as the D'Entrecasteaux Islands. Matthew Flinders was the first to explore and chart the islands of the archipelago in 1802 as part of his voyage in the Investigator.
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