Margaret River

Town in southwest Western Australia, 294 km/183 mi south of Perth and 8 km/5 mi from the coast; population (1996) 2,900. Local industries include beef and sheep farming, fruit growing, aquaculture, fishing, tourism, and various cottage industries. Since the 1970s wine production has become an important industry and the region is now one of Australia's premium wine growing areas. Margaret River is also the unofficial ‘surf capital’ of Western Australia, with international surf championships held on the nearby beaches.

Margaret River was founded in the 1920s as part of a government scheme to attract migrants and establish agriculture in the southwest of Western Australia. In 1922, around 100 new settlers arrived to establish dairy farms in the heavily forested district.