A story worth sharing
The Timothée Resort has seen a lot in its time while sitting proudly on the banks of the Vasse River. It was originally opened in 1982 by the State’s Premier Sir Charles Court as ‘On The Vasse River Resort’ and was later renamed the “The Busselton River Resort”.
Local husband and wife Jamie & Alice Brady took over in 2022 and got to work refurbishing the place. In collaboration with Bel.Bon. Design, branding agency Blank Slate Creative and endless local trades the resort has undergone extensive renovations and can now reveal The Timothée Resort.
The Timothée Resort gives a nod to the retro motel era while also offering modern luxuries for guests.
The resort’s 33 thoughtfully crafted rooms feature commissioned artwork from award winning West Australian oil-painter Mia Laing, recycled plastic homewares from Precious Plastic Margaret River, complimentary drip coffee from the local legends at Margaret River Roasting Co., and the latest mod cons guests expect these days.
The Timothée is focused on stainable tourism, recently installing 84 solar panels and an electric vehicle charging station, as well as stopping single use plastic bathroom amenities and replacing them with luxury skincare amenities housed in refillable tamper proof bottles
What’s in a name?
The name ‘The Timothée Resort’ pays homage to Thomas Timothée Vasse, a French explorer who was lost in June 1801 on the shores of Busselton during the exploration of Western Australia. There are various rumours about his fate, each of them more peculiar than the last.
The town of Vasse and the Vasse River were named after the sailor. The resort is situated on the Vasse River and is a tribute to sailing and adventure.
Honouring the past
In 2024 owners Jamie & Alice Brady were lucky enough to meet the original owners Don & June Kelly, who built the resort (then called On The Vasse Motel Resort) in 1982.
Over morning tea Don and June were welcomed and honoured back to the resort for a reunion and trip down memory lane, with some ripper stories shared. The 80’s were a time!
June spoke about having dinner with guests most nights at the onsite restaurant ‘Rosies’ and waiting up late till all guests had arrived and checked in. Don told us how he would play a movie (VHS) at 7pm and 10pm from the office and it would ‘stream’ to all 34 guest rooms via a complex network of cables running to each room. This was Netflix before it’s time!
Jamie & Alice meeting the original owners Don & June Kelly.
June Kelly & WA Premier Sir Charles Court opening the motel.
The motel was formally opened in December 1982 by the Premier of WA Sir Charles Court, who apparently flew down from Perth in a charter plane to cut the ribbon and then back he went (image below).
Originally a dairy farm along Causeway Road in Busselton, the Kelly’s approached the farmer named Rosie and purchased the land to build this iconic 34-room motel with an on-site Restaurant, originally named Rosie’s Restaurant! We found her painted portrait (image below) in our storage and proudly display her up on our wall in the office to watch over us. We hope she’d be proud.
Many photos, memorabilia and stories were shared. Plus a few questions from Jamie about mysterious pipes/cables/wires and what they were originally meant for?! Don’s memory was as sharp as ever!
Original postcard found of the motel.
Rosie’s painted portrait.
Busselton Jetty summer in full swing, circa 1980.
An iconic getaway that’s equal parts nostalgia & luxury
“The town of Busselton holds a lot of holiday nostalgia, so we’ve made it our mission to bring this once iconic resort back to life, full with retro charm. We want guests to enjoy modern luxuries but in a fun environment. Making old memories new again! We look forward to welcoming you to The Timothée.”
- Alice & Jamie
We are a place free from discrimination, where everyone belongs. We respect and celebrate the diversity of our communities, including people of all cultural and faith backgrounds, classes, gender or sexual identities, ages and abilities and we are committed to creating a safe and welcoming space for all.
