Mandurah

Mandurah is a coastal city located in the Australian state of Western Australia, positioned approximately 72 kilometres south of the state capital, Perth. As the state's second most populous city, it has a total population of 107,643 residents.

The city's landscape is defined by its extensive water systems, centered around the Mandurah Estuary, Peel Inlet, and Harvey Estuary. This freshwater system, which feeds into the Indian Ocean, creates an inlet area that is approximately twice the size of Sydney Harbour. Much of the surrounding terrain lies on coastal dune systems typical of southwestern Western Australia, gradually grading inland toward the Swan Coastal Plain. The region features sandy, infertile soils with poor water retention qualities, alongside limestone outcrops found north of the city near the railway line. The local ecosystem encompasses shoreline and dune deposits from the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs, supporting diverse vegetation that ranges from coastal scrub-heath and banksia low woodlands to inland eucalypt woodlands.

Mandurah contains multiple seasonal wetlands surrounding the Peel Inlet that remain dry in summer and wet in winter, forming diverse habitats for local fauna. The area is situated close to Yalgorup National Park, which preserves modern thrombolites alongside local flora and fauna. Suburbs such as Halls Head, Dudley Park, and Wannanup feature artificially created canal systems extending outward from the Peel Inlet. The ocean coastline comprises many kilometres of sandy beaches, situated within the broader Swan Coastal Plain ecorgion.