La Perouse is one of the few suburbs in Sydney that still holds its French title and is located within the spectacular landscape of Botany Bay National Park with dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean.
The La Perouse Museum and Visitor Centre stands on the site of the first landing of the
First Fleet in January 1788. The museum is located in the historic 1881-1882 Cable Station on the headland at La Perouse.
The Museum opened in 1988 and tells the story of the Laperouse expedition, its arrival in Botany Bay in 1788 and encounter with the First Fleet, and eventual shipwreck in the Solomon Islands. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm this museum houses a collection of more than 2000 items that consist of objects from La Perouse wrecks and generic navigational and maritime history. You will also find maps, scientific instruments and relics recovered from French explorers. The museum also has a growing local history and aboriginal collection.
One of the most significant collection items is a complete Atlas of the Voyage of Laperouse, consisting of 72 coloured drawings and maps, featuring places the expedition visited between 1785 and 1788.
Significant heritage items may be visited in the immediate vicinity of the Museum and include the Macquarie Watchtower, the Laperouse Monument and the tomb of Father Receveur, the first Catholic priest to be buried on mainland Australia. A walking trail from the museum to the Endeavour Lighthouse, offers spectacular views across the bay to the site of Captain Cook's Landing Place.
Less than a hour away from Sydney centre this suburb invites visitors to find out more about their historic past in between the beautiful Botany bay.
