Leeman (including Green Head)
Sleepy fishing village and holiday resort.
Located 88 km south of Dongara and 295 km north of Perth, Leeman is a typical sleepy little fishing villages which, with the inevitability of all charming and unspoilt places, is in the process of changing into a tourist destination and a commuting zone for miners working for Western Titanium near Eneabba which is only 40 km to the east.

Leeman is named after the intrepid Dutch upper steersman and navigator Abraham Leeman van Santwits who, in 1658, was shipwrecked on the Fishermen Islands to the southwest of the tiny settlement.

Leeman was a member of the crew of the Waeckende Boey (it means the Watch Buoy) which was searching the Western Australian coast looking for survivors of the Vergulde Draeck which had disappeared two years earlier.

Leeman had been in charge of the landing parties which had scoured the shores for signs of survivors. One evening, with a storm looming, he had been ordered by his captain to head towards the shore. Leeman and his crew were caught in the storm and found themselves unable to either land or return to the Waeckende Boey. They drifted north until they crashed into a ledge of rocks and coral on Fisherman Island midway between the current sites of Leeman and Jurien. They managed to survive on seals and seabirds until their boat was repaired. Once the boat was made seaworthy they headed south searching for the Waeckende Boey. They spent a night on Lancelin Island (just off the coast from the modern day site of Lancelin) but did not sight the boat. Despairing of ever being found they started to sail north and landed on the Green Islets south of Cervantes. From here they sighted the vessel and duly lit fires which were acknowledged by a cannon blast from the ship. However the seas were still rough and, to the horror of Leeman and his men, the Waeckende Boey proceeded to sail north leaving them marooned. Leeman refused to accept the impossibility of his situation and, after killing a number of seals and doing his best to collect adequate provisions, he sailed north eventually reaching Batavia. It is appropriate that the village of Leeman is named after this remarkable and resourceful sailor and navigator.

Things to see:  

Fishing and other water activities
Today Leeman is a tiny fishing village which is ideal for fishermen and holiday makers eager to get away from the more commercialised centres. Calling itself the 'Home of Western Australia's Dhufish' the settlement boasts huge and dramatic white sand dunes, good beach and offshore fishing, safe beaches for surfing, swimming and sailboarding, and superb displays of wildflowers in the spring.

Green Head
13 km to the south is the small fishing village of Green Head. Like Leeman it is doomed to change in the next decade from a sleepy little fishing village to a thriving tourist resort. Recent sub-divisions and the building of an 18 hole golf course have ensured that its 'get away from it all' atmosphere is bound to disappear.

Both Green Head and Leeman are homes to lobster fishing fleets which ply the lobster grounds off the coast in the season. The industry developed in the 1950s and has since become one of the most important on the Central West coast.

	Holiday Homes & Units
	Tamarisk Court Holiday Units Cnr Tamarisk & Nairn Sts Leeman WA 6514 Telephone: (08) 9953 1190 Rating: **
	Caravan Parks
	Leeman Caravan Park 29 Thomas Street Leeman WA 6514 Telephone: (08) 9953 1080 Rating: **
	Restaurants
	Green Head Caravan Park 9 Green Head Rd Leeman WA 6514 Telephone: (08) 9953 1131 Rating: **
	Leeman Restaurant Rudduck St Leeman WA 6514 Telephone: (08) 9953 1770