Albany (pop. 31,128) is a town and port in the southwest of Western Australia. It is on King George Sound, about 255 miles (410 kilometers) south of Perth.
The port of Albany has one of the finest natural harbors in Australia. It handles exports of barley, canola, wheat, and wood chips. Albany also manufactures fertilizer, fish products, vegetable products, and wool products. The scenic coastline attracts many tourists.
The British explorer George Vancouver first sighted and charted the harbor of Albany in 1791 and named it Princess Royal Harbour. In 1826, Major Edmund Lockyer, a British Army officer, established the first settlement in Western Australia at Albany. It became a municipality in 1851. The town developed rapidly after World War II (1939-1945). Whaling was the earliest industry in Albany. The last whaling station near the town closed in 1978.
