Western Port
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Western Port looking west from French Island to the Mornington Peninsula

Western Port (also known incorrectly as Western Port Bay) is an inlet on the southern coast of Australia from Bass Strait and the Pacific Ocean, adjacent and to the east of Port Phillip on which is sited Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria. Western Port is separated from Port Phillip by the Mornington Peninsula. Western Port is listed under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands. [1]

Recreation

Two large islands, French Island and Phillip Island, dominate Western Port. The coastline, including that of the islands, is some 263 km.

Fishing, pleasure boating and yachting are some of the popular pastimes on the bay.

Phillip Island (approximately 100 km²)

• Penguin Reserve - visited at dusk to watch the penguins return to their burrows in the sand dunes
• Seal Rocks - viewed through binoculars
• Koala Conservation Centre
• Bird watching

French Island (approximately 170 km²)

• Bushwalking or bird observing; bush orchid and fishing areas; horse riding, bike rides, and deep water fishing
• Koala habitat
• Camping

History and development

The Bunurong Indigenous Australian people lived around Western Port living off shellfish, mutton birds and plantlife.

The first European to see the port was George Bass when he entered it in a whaleboat in January 1798 on his expedition south. Strong winds kept him there for two weeks and in fact this was the furthest point he reached on that expedition, a shortage of provisions obliged him to turn back for Port Jackson.^[1] The name "Western" port was relative to the parts of the coast known at that time (the area from Point Hicks to Cape Howe). But relative to the city of Melbourne or to Port Phillip Western Port lies in fact to the East.

In the early 19th century, the bay played a role in the struggle between Britain and France. Soldiers and convicts from Sydney were ordered to form a camp at Western Port to deter possible occupation by the French.

After the end of World War II, the bay was considered for development as a port. Its flat shores north of Hastings have become a centre for heavy industry.

Industry

Western Port has several industrial complexes, including a BlueScope Steel steel processing works and the major Royal Australian Navy training base, HMAS Cerberus.

References

1. ^ A Voyage to Terra Australis by Matthew Flinders at Project Gutenberg

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External links

• Phillip Island Guide
• Corinella information

Coordinates: 38°22′S, 145°20′E