Housed in the old hay-store building built by Aboriginal prisoners in 1857, this engaging little museum tells of the island's natural and human history, not shirking from grim tales of shipwrecks and Aboriginal incarceration.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Historic Chapel

0.03 MILES

Push open the door and enter this hushed, simple chapel near the old prison, built in 1858 and with creaky floorboards, a driftwood crucifix and a single…

3. Quod

0.05 MILES

Built in 1864, this hefty octagonal building with a central courtyard was once the Aboriginal prison block. During its time as a prison several men would…

4. Holy Trinity Church

0.09 MILES

Rottnest's Catholic church is a Spanish Mission–style beauty, with mass at 9am daily.

5. Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground

0.13 MILES

Adjacent to the Quod is a hushed, shady woodland area where hundreds of Aboriginal prisoners were buried in unmarked graves. Until relatively recently,…

6. Vlamingh Lookout

0.22 MILES

Not far away from Thomson Bay (wander up past the old European cemetery), this unsigned vantage point offers panoramic views of the island, including its…

7. Bathurst Lighthouse

0.48 MILES

Historic landmark out on the point near Pinky Beach. It was built in 1900 after the wreck of the City of York nearby in 1899, just shy of Fremantle after…

8. The Basin

0.53 MILES

The Basin is Rotto's top family swim spot – a sheltered, natural sandy-floored pool, fringed by reefs to keep the waves at bay. It's a short cycle from…