Jurien Bay
Postcode: 6516
Jurien, also called Jurien Bay, is a small coastal town in Western Australia, located 266 kilometres (165 mi) north of Perth facing the Indian Ocean.
The first settlement was established in the mid-1850s by Walter Padbury. A jetty was constructed in 1885-1887 due to the success of pastoralism. In the early 1900s, a temporary fishing village was built around the Jurien jetty and the coastal waters were used for catching dhufish, snapper and groper. Permanent residences were built only until the 1950s, however the buildings were only corrugated iron shanties instead of properly built dwellings. The settlement did not grow due to poor and unreliable water supply.
Today, Jurien Bay has depended on crayfishing and tourism for its survival. Local residents claim roughly that the town’s population nearly doubles during the crayfishing season. A coastal road was recently constructed to give quick access to the neighbouring towns of Leeman, Cervantes and Green Head. The town now also has many facilities including a supermarket, sporting facilities and a restaurant. The town’s population in 2003 is about 1,500. The town contains a district high school, and is visited by a daily Greyhound coach service from Perth.