Locke Estate

{{Short description|Nature reserve in Western Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}

{{Infobox Australian place

| type = protected

| name = Locke Estate

| state = wa

| city =

| iucn_category = Ia

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| zoom = 13

| coordinates = {{coord|33.66|S|115.24|E|display=inline,title}}

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| pushpin_label_position = top

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| nearest_town_or_city = Busselton

| area = {{convert|222|hectare|abbr=on}}

| area_footnotes = {{cite web |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/capad2022-terrestrial-wa.xlsx |title=Terrestrial CAPAD 2022 WA summary |author= |website=www.dcceew.gov.au/ |publisher=Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |access-date=9 September 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/dashboard |title=Australian Protected Areas Dashboard |author= |website=www.dcceew.gov.au/ |publisher=Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |access-date=9 September 2023}}

| established = 1920s

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}}

The Locke Estate is an area of Crown land located on the coast of Geographe Bay near Caves Road approximately {{convert|10|km|0}} west of the town of Busselton. Comprising an area of {{convert|37.5|ha}}, the estate was designated an A-Class Reserve in the 1920s for the purposes of "Recreational Campsites and Group Holiday accommodation".

The estate was divided into 16 sites which have been leased to churches and community organisations at minimal rates.{{Cite web|url=https://www.busselton.wa.gov.au/Community-Services/Property-Services/Locke-Estate|title=Locke Estate|publisher=City of Busselton|accessdate=10 August 2019}} The presence of the church sites throughout the estate has led to the area being known locally as the "Holy Mile".{{Cite news|url=https://www.busseltonmail.com.au/story/226026/interest-in-busseltons-holy-mile-sites/|title=Interest in Busselton's 'Holy Mile' sites|date=12 March 2012|work=Busselton Mail|access-date=10 August 2019}}{{Citation | title=Battle on the Holy Mile | journal=Australasian Business Intelligence | publication-date=2002-02-18 | publisher=COMTEX News Network, Inc | pages=1008049i6424 | issn=1320-6680 }}{{Citation | title=Developers eye SW's Holy Mile coastal strip | journal=Australasian Business Intelligence | publication-date=2007-02-15 | publisher=COMTEX News Network, Inc | issn=1320-6680 }}

The Locke Estate provides low-cost accommodation along one of the most expensive real estate locations in the South West region of Western Australia. As an A-Class Reserve the land cannot be sold and has the highest level of protection.{{Citation | author1=Western Australia. Department for Planning and Infrastructure | author2=Western Australia. Dept. for Planning and Infrastructure. New Coastal Assets Branch | title=Locke Estate Busselton (Class 'A' Reserve no. 22674) : investigation of beach stabilisation | publication-date=2004 | publisher=Dept. for Planning and Infrastructure | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/19858528 | accessdate=10 August 2019 }}

The estate was gazetted as a nature reserve with a size of {{convert|222|hectare|abbr=on}} on 11 February 1992.{{Dubious|Incorrect page name|date=January 2024}}

In 2018, a bridge was built from the reserve across the Buayanyup River to link two previously isolated populations of western ringtail possums.{{cite news|url=https://thewest.com.au/news/busselton-dunsborough-times/hopes-new-bridge-will-link-possums-ng-b88900846z|title=Hopes new bridge will link possums|date=23 July 2019|work=Busselton Dunsborough Times|first=Sarah|last=Ison|accessdate=10 August 2019}}{{Citation | author1=BA Jones | author2=RA How | author3=DJ Kitchener | title=A field study of Pseudocheirus occidentalis (Marsupialia : Petauridae) II. Population studies | journal=Wildlife Research | publication-date=1994-03-01 | publisher=CSIRO PUBLISHING | volume=21 | issue=2 | pages=189–201 | issn=1448-5494 }}{{Citation | author1=Jones, B.A | author2=Meathrel, C.E | author3=Calver, M.C | title=Hypotheses arising from a population recovery of the Western Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus occidentalis in fire regrowth patches in a stand of Agonis flexuosa trees in south-western Australia | publication-date=2004 | publisher=Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/36605346 | accessdate=10 August 2019 }}