When Capt. George Vancouver left England in 1791 on his four-year expedition, he had to sail south before he could reach his goal of the Pacific north coast.
Along the way, he dropped anchor off the western shoreline of Australia. In recognition of his subsequent formal claim of King George Sound, a small lake near Albany was named in his honour.
Today, a man who is concerned about a hotel proposal on the otherwise undeveloped lake is reaching out to the people who live in a city that also bears Capt. Vancouver’s name for support.
Ian Herford of Albany, Western Australia, has started a petition called Save the Lake @ Goode Beach on Change.org. It has almost 2,400 signatures
“Lake Vancouver is one of a small number of freshwater wetlands in the Albany area and is in near pristine condition. Located only 200 metres back from Goode Beach in Albany, the lake and surrounding wetlands are protected from the ocean by a series of coastal dunes,” Herford writes in an email to the Courier. “Developers propose to build a tourist resort comprising over 50 holiday units as well as a function centre and restaurant between the lake and the beach. The proposal involves substantial clearing of native vegetation, flattening of the coastal dunes in close proximity to the lake at a point especially vulnerable to storm surges, and development of a road through the Lake Vancouver wetlands, threatening several animals and plants of conservation significance.”
The petition says, “The proposal will also compromise important historical and Aboriginal cultural heritage areas, and increase risks associated with safe evacuation from wildfires threatening Goode Beach.”
Herford is hoping to get enough support to convince his local council to reject the development proposal. This would ensure the lake “will be available for any citizens of Vancouver lucky enough to visit our beautiful and historic coast in the future.”
You can read about the petition here.
