1616
Dirk Hartog was the first European to arrive in Shark Bay.
1772
French explorers first interacted with the aboriginal people.
1801
When French explorers visited the area, 23 mammal species were recorded in the area, less than half of which remained when restoration efforts began.
1850
European settlement began in the area, and the land and its resources were taken advantage of including the first land-based industry of guano mining.
1850s
Starting in the 1850s and peaking in the 1870s, commercial pearling was a prominent industry, which severely limited the wild pearl oyster population.
1869
The first pastoral sheep station was built on Dirk Hartog Island.
1890s
Sandalwood was commercially harvested and shipped out of the island, and continued until 2000.
1930s
Fishing became a viable industry, and fishing licenses today can only be passed down through families in order to preserve the traditional fishing methods and fish stock.
1960s
Sheep populations reached about 142,000 in Shark Bay.