| Type: | other |
| Sandpatch | |
| State: | wa |
| Lga: | City of Albany |
| Local Map: | yes |
| Zoom: | 12 |
| Coordinates: | -35.0574°N 117.7823°W |
| Postcode: | 6330 |
| Dist1: | 388 |
| Dir1: | SE |
| Location1: | Perth |
| Dist2: | 10 |
| Dir2: | SE |
| Location2: | Denmark |
| Dist3: | 40 |
| Dir3: | W |
| Location3: | Albany |
| Stategov: | Albany |
| Fedgov: | O'Connor |
| Near-Nw: | Elleker |
| Near-N: | Cuthbert |
| Near-Ne: | Robinson |
| Near-W: | Elleker |
| Near-E: | Torndirrup |
| Near-S: | Southern Ocean |
| Near-Se: | Torndirrup |
Sandpatch is a locality of the City of Albany in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, located along the Southern Ocean. In the east, it borders the locality of Torndirrup and Torndirrup National Park. Sandpatch is the location of the Albany Wind Farm.[1] [2]
Sandpatch and the City of Albany are located on the traditional land of the Minang people of the Noongar nation.[3] [4] [5] [6]
In the late 1870s, the Albany Sand Patch, a set of four sand dunes, were identified as a hazard to the Princess Royal Harbour, with the possibility of it gradually filling up the harbour being feared. The sand patch started at the shore and extended 5km (03miles) inland to the west, but its extend into the harbour could also be seen at low tide. Using prison labour, a barrier made from stakes and brushwood was constructed to prevent the sand from moving further into the harbour. Once the barrier was installed, seeds were sown. Despite setbacks in the form of only certain types of plants thriving in the sandy environment and other dying, like 8,000 trees planted in 1883, of which none survived, the problem was considered under control by 1886.[7] [8]