Historic Point Samson is located on the eastern tip of Western Australia’s Dampier Archipelago – an ideal spot to relax and soak up the quiet beauty of this part of the West Pilbara Coast. It boasts excellent accommodation options, all strategically located close to protected sandy beaches and great fishing and snorkeling spots, such as Point Samson Beach, John’s Creek and Honeymoon Cove.
History of Point Samson
The town and the peninsula was named Point Samson in honor of Michael Samson, a member of a prominent WA family, who accompanied the district’s first settler, Mr Walter Padbury, on his journey in 1863. Mr Samson was the second officer of their ship, the ‘Tien Tsin’, and it was during Walter Padbury’s expedition to Nickol Bay, that the town was named. For years the point was misspelled as Sampson and the error was not brought to the government’s attention until 1918, after which both the point and the town site were corrected.
In contrast to the peaceful seaside town of today, it had a very active history as a deep water port, handling the third largest annual tonnage in WA. The port of Point Samson and its deep water jetty were built in 1902/03 to service Roebourne, the then boom town of Wittenoom and the developing community of Wickham.
The original T head jetty, nearly 1,900 feet long, was destroyed by a cyclone in 1925. The remaining part of the jetty was badly damaged by Cyclone Orson in 1989 and was completely removed in 1991. A small section was rebuilt on land as a reminder of the jetty’s significant role in the town’s past. Our customer service counter (at Karratha Visitor Centre) was also made from remnants of the old jetty.
Attractions
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Relax at Honeymoon Cove - a beautiful sandy beach protected by fringing coral reefs.
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Cast a line from the recently constructed rock groins and boat launching ramp which offer easy access to deep water fishing for shore based anglers. The tidal rivers of WA’s Point Samson Peninsula contain a variety of fish, prawns and mud crabs. There are numerous fishing spots around the township.
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Follow the Point Samson Heritage Trail and discover the rich history that Point Samson has to offer.
