Preston Beach is located 2 hours drive south from Perth, Western Australia or 45 minutes drive south from Mandurah. It is a small town situated in the Peel region off the Old Coast Road between Mandurah and Bunbury in the Yalgorup National Park.
In 1829, explorers Dr Alexander Collie and Lieutenant William Preston RN sighted Lake Preston and Lake Clifton while exploring the coastline from Mandurah and Bunbury. In the 1850s, convicts were introduced to Swan River Colony. Subsequent to which, the Old Coast Road, south of Mandurah was reconstructed. The surrounding land consists of well-timbered, sandy limestone country with little potential for agricultural activities.
In 1959, the Preston Beach Estate was developed privately. The Preston Beach Estate and the Lakeside Estate were then incorporated into the locality of Yalgorup which in the Noongar Aboriginal language means place of waters or lakes. The town site was gazetted in 1975 and the name changed to Preston Beach in 1989.
The north and south areas of Preston Beach have been identified for development since the 1990s.
In the 1970s, the Yalgorup National Park was established to safeguard the coastal lakes, swamps and tuart woodland in the region. Migratory water birds can be seen here, and rock-like structures which are constructed by tiny microorganisms believed to resemble the earliest forms of life on Earth can be found at the edge of Lake Clifton. These are known as thrombolites and their presence is due to the availability of fresh groundwater high in calcium carbonate. An observation walkway has been built to enable visitors to view these fragile organisms.
A nine hole course is available at Preston Beach for golf enthusiasts.
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Australia