Albany / Great Southern, Western Australia
A private mansion on 650 acres of its own headland east of Albany, above the Southern Ocean, with two private beaches, a helipad and its own airstrip.
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Wedding Venues · Albany / Great Southern, Western Australia · Visit in person
Albany's Historic Whaling Station at Discovery Bay
- Accommodation on site: No
About
Overview & Vibe
Albany’s Historic Whaling Station is a museum at the tip of the Flinders Peninsula, on the site of the last whaling station to operate in Australia. It also hires out its grounds for weddings, and the result is unlike anything else in the Great Southern: you can be married in a grassed amphitheatre above King George Sound, on the deck of a decommissioned whale chaser, or surrounded by whale skeletons.
Setting & Style
The site runs across three parts — the Historic Whaling Station itself, the Regional Wildflower Garden with its wetland boardwalks, and the Australian Wildlife Park. The venue’s own photography shows a paved ceremony circle set into lawn with the Sound filling the horizon, white marquees pitched on the grass for larger events, and the Cheynes IV whalechaser standing on the shore behind the café deck. It is coastal, raw and industrial rather than manicured.
Ideal For
Couples who want their venue to be a place rather than a room, and who like the idea of guests wandering through wildflowers and museum galleries between the ceremony and dinner. It suits both small gatherings in the wetland garden and larger marquee receptions on the amphitheatre lawn, and it is unusually strong on accessibility — something few outdoor venues in the region can claim.
The Need-to-Knows
Nothing is priced or sized publicly. The venue says only that it can “accommodate a variety of function and reception sizes and styles”, with no guest numbers and no hire rates anywhere on the site — everything goes through the Bookings Coordinator on (08) 9844 4021. Two practical limits matter: the site is a working visitor attraction open 9am to 5pm daily, and no animals except assistance animals are permitted, with none at all allowed in the Wildflower Garden or Wildlife Park, which are a biosecurity zone — so a dog in the wedding party is not an option in the garden.
Standout Feature
The choice of ceremony backdrop. The venue offers to marry you “on the deck of Australia’s last whale chaser at sunset, or surrounded by incredible whale skeletons, or even the region’s largest shell collection”. Set against the grassed amphitheatre and its view over King George Sound, that is a range of settings no conventional reception venue can offer.
Amenities
- Grassed Amphitheatre Overlooking King George Sound
- Regional Wildflower Garden
- Wetland Boardwalks
- Marquee Sites In The Wildflower Garden
- Cheynes IV Whalechaser Ship
- Giants Of The Seas Whale Skeleton Display
- Hilda Hotker Shell Collection
- Parry Gallery Exhibition Space
- Historic Whaling Station Museum
- Australian Wildlife Park
- Whaler's Galley Cafe
- In-house Catering
- Gift Shop
- Free Gas Barbeques
- Undercover Picnic Areas
- Coastal Photography Locations
- Drop-off Zone
- Designated Disabled Parking Bays
- Level Or Ramped Access From Car Park
- Accessible Toilets
- Wheelchair Designated Seating
- Accessible Stage And Speaker Platforms
- Free Wheelchair Hire
- Seating At Regular Intervals
- Assistance Animals Welcome On The Whaling Station Site
Ceremony Setting
- amphitheatre
- garden
- wetland
- marquee
- museum
- deck
Dietary Options Supported
No details available.
Nearby Landmarks
- King George Sound – The ceremony lawn overlooks it; "larger functions held in the grassed amphitheatre capturing amazing water views"
- Flinders Peninsula – "Situated at the tip of the Flinders Peninsula, overlooking the stunning King George Sound, it is an amazing and unique location to host an event"
- Albany – "Our venue located a short drive from Albany is a truly beautiful function, wedding ceremony, reception and photography venue"
On Site Accommodation
- No
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Contact
- Website
- discoverybay.com.au
- Phone
- (08) 9844 4021
- Address
- 81 Whaling Station Road, Torndirrup WA 6330
81 Whaling Station Road, Torndirrup WA 6330
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