Western Port, also known as
Western Port Bay, is a large tidal
bayHeadlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found together on the same stretch of coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are...
in southern
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
opening into
Bass StraitBass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland specifically the state of Victoria.-Discovery and exploration:The first European to discover Bass Strait was George Bass in 1797...
. It is the second largest bay in Victoria. Geographically, the bay is dominated by the two large islands;
French IslandFrench Island is located in Western Port, Victoria, Australia, 61 km southeast of Melbourne. In 1997 about 70 per cent of the island was declared the French Island National Park, and is listed in the register of the National Estate. The island is an Unincorporated area of Victoria.French...
and Phillip Island. Contrary to its name, it lies to the east of the larger
Port PhillipPort Phillip is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for its size, most of the bay is navigable. The deepest portion is only , and half the region is shallower than...
, and is separated from it by the
Mornington PeninsulaThe Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Central Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its...
. In its southern reaches, life such as Australian Fur Seals,
whaleWhale is the common name for marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale is sometimes used to refer to all cetaceans, but in more common English usage it generally excludes the members of the Delphinoidea superfamily, such as dolphins and porpoises...
s and
dolphinDolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly...
s exist, while its northern reaches are inhabited by many
birdBirds are winged, bipedal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay eggs. There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Birds range in size from the Bee Hummingbird to the ...
species including the waterbird,
migratoryBird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. These however are usually irregular or in only one direction and are termed variously as nomadism, invasions,...
waderWaders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
s,
White-faced Storm-PetrelThe White-faced Storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina also known as White-faced Petrel is a small seabird of the storm-petrel family. It is the only member of monotypic genus, Pelagodroma....
,
Silver GullThe Silver Gull also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South African Hartlaub's Gull and the New Zealand Red-billed Gull The Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus...
,
Australian GannetThe Australasian Gannet is a large seabird of the gannet family Sulidae....
s amongst many others.
Western Port, also known as
Western Port Bay, is a large tidal
bayHeadlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found together on the same stretch of coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are...
in southern
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
opening into
Bass StraitBass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland specifically the state of Victoria.-Discovery and exploration:The first European to discover Bass Strait was George Bass in 1797...
. It is the second largest bay in Victoria. Geographically, the bay is dominated by the two large islands;
French IslandFrench Island is located in Western Port, Victoria, Australia, 61 km southeast of Melbourne. In 1997 about 70 per cent of the island was declared the French Island National Park, and is listed in the register of the National Estate. The island is an Unincorporated area of Victoria.French...
and Phillip Island. Contrary to its name, it lies to the east of the larger
Port PhillipPort Phillip is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for its size, most of the bay is navigable. The deepest portion is only , and half the region is shallower than...
, and is separated from it by the
Mornington PeninsulaThe Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Central Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its...
. In its southern reaches, life such as Australian Fur Seals,
whaleWhale is the common name for marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale is sometimes used to refer to all cetaceans, but in more common English usage it generally excludes the members of the Delphinoidea superfamily, such as dolphins and porpoises...
s and
dolphinDolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly...
s exist, while its northern reaches are inhabited by many
birdBirds are winged, bipedal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay eggs. There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Birds range in size from the Bee Hummingbird to the ...
species including the waterbird,
migratoryBird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. These however are usually irregular or in only one direction and are termed variously as nomadism, invasions,...
waderWaders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
s,
White-faced Storm-PetrelThe White-faced Storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina also known as White-faced Petrel is a small seabird of the storm-petrel family. It is the only member of monotypic genus, Pelagodroma....
,
Silver GullThe Silver Gull also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South African Hartlaub's Gull and the New Zealand Red-billed Gull The Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus...
,
Australian GannetThe Australasian Gannet is a large seabird of the gannet family Sulidae....
s amongst many others. It is listed under the
Ramsar ConventionThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
for its habitat for migratory water birds.
The area around the bay and the two main islands were originally part of the
BoonwurrungThe Bunurong are Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation, who occupy South-Central Victoria, Australia. Prior to European settlement, they lived as all people of the Kulin nation lived, sustainably on the land, predominantly as hunters and gatherers, for tens of thousands of years...
nation's territory prior to European settlement. The bay was first seen by Europeans in 1798 when an exploration crew in a
whaleboatA whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
led by
George BassGeorge Bass was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia.-Early Years:He was born on 30th of January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George Bass, and a local beauty named Sarah Nee Newman. His father had past away in 1777 when bass was 6...
, journeyed south from
SydneySydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million and an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres. Its inhabitants are called Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City"...
to explore Australia's south eastern coastline. Due in most part to a lack of food, the expedition was halted, spending two weeks in Western Port before returning to Sydney. As it was the most westerly charted point at the time, it was named
Western Port, however it actually lies in the
eastern half of Victoria and to the
east of the larger
Port PhillipPort Phillip is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for its size, most of the bay is navigable. The deepest portion is only , and half the region is shallower than...
and Greater
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
.
The bay is home to the French Island Marine National Park, while the land adjacent to the north is largely used for farming purposes including cattle and wineries. Today the bay is mostly used for recreation, however there is also a military base (HMAS Cerberus), shipping and oil production facilities adjoining the bay. Westernport Bay is around one hour from Melbourne by car and a small number of holiday villages with sandy swimming beaches lie on its shores.
History
Prior to European settlement, the
BunurongThe Bunurong are Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation, who occupy South-Central Victoria, Australia. Prior to European settlement, they lived as all people of the Kulin nation lived, sustainably on the land, predominantly as hunters and gatherers, for tens of thousands of years...
people lived around Western Port living off shellfish, mutton birds and plantlife. The bay was discovered by Europeans in 1797, when
George BassGeorge Bass was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia.-Early Years:He was born on 30th of January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George Bass, and a local beauty named Sarah Nee Newman. His father had past away in 1777 when bass was 6...
received permission from Governor Hunter in
SydneySydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million and an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres. Its inhabitants are called Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City"...
to sail a
whaleboatA whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
along the unexplored section of coast south of
Botany BayBotany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
. On such a rough stretch of water, Bass could not get more than halfway through the strait now known as Bass Strait. This voyage led to the discovery of Western Port, so named because of its situation relative to every other known harbour on the coast at that time. (the area from
Point HicksPoint Hicks , formerly called Cape Everard, is a coastal headland on the eastern coast of Victoria, Australia, located within the Croajingolong National Park.- Name :...
to
Cape HoweCape Howe is a coastal headland in Australia, forming the border of New South Wales and Victoria.It lies within the Nadgee Nature Reserve on the NSW side, and the Croajingolong National Park on the Victorian side...
). But relative to the city of
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
and
Port PhillipPort Phillip is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for its size, most of the bay is navigable. The deepest portion is only , and half the region is shallower than...
, it actually lies 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. It was only after the end of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
that serious consideration was given to the development of the Bay as a port, and its flat shores north of Stony and Crib Points have become a centre for heavy industry.
Geography
Formerly a major river drainage system, it was inundated together with
Port PhillipPort Phillip is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for its size, most of the bay is navigable. The deepest portion is only , and half the region is shallower than...
by the rising sea in the
HoloceneThe Holocene is a geological epoch which began approximately 11 700 years ago . According to traditional geological thinking, the Holocene continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Neogene and Quaternary periods. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely...
period, the Western Port sunkland now forms an extensive tidal bay. The waters of Western Port cover an area of 680 km² of which 270 km², are exposed as mud flats at low tide. The topography of Western Port is dominated by two large islands;
French IslandFrench Island is located in Western Port, Victoria, Australia, 61 km southeast of Melbourne. In 1997 about 70 per cent of the island was declared the French Island National Park, and is listed in the register of the National Estate. The island is an Unincorporated area of Victoria.French...
and Phillip Island. The coastline, including that of the islands, is some 263 km.
In the northern reaches, several rivers and creeks drain into the bay and flow through extensive mangroves, mudflats and sand banks before being channelled either side of French Island and into the open water in the southern reaches around Phillip Island. Several natural river paths and channels provide access for boats to the northern reaches however, this is highly dependent on the tides and local knowledge is essential. Up until the mid 20th century, the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp adjoined the bay in the north, covering an area of 30-40 thousand hectares, extending inland to present day Pakenham, prior to cultivation of the land by early settlers. The mangroves in the bay's northern reaches are the only remnants of this swamp today.
Some of the major tributaries of Western Port include;
- Bunyip River
The Bunyip River is a river in southern Victoria, Australia to the east of Melbourne. It flows into Western Port. The river formally flowed into the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp, the largest wetlands in Victoria, covering an area of 40,000 hectares, before flowing into Western Port....
, Lang Lang RiverThe Lang Lang river is a relatively short coastal river located in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The river headwaters are in the Strzelecki Ranges, in the East Poowong valley north of the town of Korumburra, flowing northwest, then west before entering Western Port, near the town of Lang...
, Bass RiverBass River may refer to:* Bass River, New Brunswick, an unincorporated rural community in Kent County* Bass River, Nova Scotia, an unincorporated rural community in Colchester County and small river therein located...
, Cardinia CreekCardinia Creek is a fresh water creek which flows from Cardinia Reservoir into Western Port Bay south east of Melbourne.It forms the boundary between the City of Casey and the Shire of Cardinia. It runs through the town of Beaconsfield, Victoria and is home to much native flora and fauna....
, Redbill Creek, Mosquito Creek, Brella Creek and Tankerton Creek.
Islands
Western Port hosts a diverse range of islands, some of which include, in approximate order of size:
- French Island - 170 km² (population: 70)
- Phillip Island - 100 km² (population: 7,000)
- Middle Spit - exposed at low tide
- Quail Island
Quail Island is the third largest island in Western Port . It is uninhabited, the entirety of it being gazetted as Quail Island Nature Conservation Reserve. It is offshore from Warneet and can be accessed by boat. There are two seasonal dams located in the centre and the Southern Brown Bandicoot...
- Tortoise Head Bank - exposed at low tide
- Churchill Island - 57ha
- Chinamans Island
- Elizabeth Island
- Sandstone Island
- Reef Island
- Long Island
- Shnapper Rock
- Pelican Island
- Barralliar Island
- Rams Island
- Joe Island
Fauna
Western Port consists of rocky platforms, sandy beaches and marine habitats. It is home to a diverse range of
invertebrateAn invertebrate is an animal without a vertebral column. The group includes 95% of all animal species — all animals except those in the Chordate subphylum Vertebrata ....
s including colonial ascidians, sponges and
coralCorals are marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals...
s. Mudflats and
mangroveMangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from brackish water, through pure seawater , to water of over twice the salinity of ocean seawater,...
swamps around the northern end of the bay support a large number of invertebrates that are an important food source for
wadersWaders may refer to:* Waders a type of shoe* Wader a bird...
and visiting migratory birds. French Island is home to migratory wader birds,
pelicanA pelican is a large water bird with a distinctive pouch under the beak, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae.Along with the darters, cormorants, gannets, boobies, frigatebirds, and tropicbirds, pelicans make up the order Pelecaniformes. Modern pelicans are found on all continents except...
and Short-tailed Shearwater rookeries, and many other significant fauna species.
Phillip IslandPhillip Island is an Australian island located about 140 km away from Melbourne, Victoria. Named after the first Governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip, Phillip Island forms a natural breakwater for the shallow waters of Western Port. The island area is approximately 10,000 hectares. It...
Penguin Reserve has the largest colony of Little Penguins in
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
as well as major breeding colonies of Short-tailed Shearwaters, and Hooded Plovers and
Peregrine FalconThe Peregrine Falcon , also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is a large, crow-sized falcon, with a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
nesting areas. Seal Rock off Phillip Island is home to the largest colony of Australian Fur Seals and the only known breeding site of the Kelp Gull and Sooty Oyster-catcher. San Remo's marine community is a rich assemblage of marine biota listed under the State Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, 1988. The bay is listed under the
Ramsar ConventionThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
for its wetlands.
http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/dse/nrenpr.nsf/FID/-5BDC05F727469CE44A2568A3001C3C7C?OpenDocument
Flora
Western Port supports a mosaic of habitat types including underwater seagrass beds, intertidal rock platforms, sandy beaches, intertidal mudflats, tidal channels, saltmarshes and mangroves. The coastline around Phillip Island is of State significance because of its remnant coastal tussock grasslands and dune scrub, a rare vegetation community in Victoria. The bay is listed under the
Ramsar ConventionThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
for its wetlands.
http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/dse/nrenpr.nsf/FID/-5BDC05F727469CE44A2568A3001C3C7C?OpenDocument
Parklands
- Coolart Wetlands and Homestead
- French Island National Park
French Island is located in Western Port, Victoria, Australia, 61 km southeast of Melbourne. In 1997 about 70 per cent of the island was declared the French Island National Park, and is listed in the register of the National Estate. The island is an Unincorporated area of Victoria.French...
- Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve
- Mornington Peninsula National Park
Mornington Peninsula is a national park in Victoria , 77 km south of Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula. It is one of Victoria's most popular and most loved parks, protecting lots of the area's natural attractions and providing an important habitat for many forms of wildlife....
- French Island Marine National Park - 2,800ha
- Yaringa Marine National Park - 980ha
- Churchill Island Marine National Park - 670ha
Recreation on Phillip Island
- Penguin
The Little Penguin is the smallest species of penguin. The penguin, which is about 43 cm tall, is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile....
Reserve - visited at dusk to watch the penguins return to their burrows in the sand dunes
- Seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...
Rocks - viewed through binoculars
- Koala
The Koala is a thickset arboreal marsupial herbivore native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
Conservation Centre
- Bird watching
Recreation on French Island
- Bushwalking or bird observing; bush orchid and fishing areas; horse riding, bike rides, and deep water fishing
- Koala habitat
- Camping
Shipping and Boating
Deep channels lead from
Bass StraitBass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland specifically the state of Victoria.-Discovery and exploration:The first European to discover Bass Strait was George Bass in 1797...
into the western section of the bay, giving access to the region's port facilities. The town of
HastingsHastings is a town on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula. It is served by Hastings railway station on the Stony Point greater-metropolitan line....
is the main boat landing in the bay.
There are boat launching ramps at:
Stony Point -Concrete 3 lane ramp, 2 holding jetties, All Tides
Blind Bight -Tarmac Single lane ramp, Holding Jetty, High Tide
Corinella -Concrete 2 lane ramp, 2 Holding jetties, All Tides
Hastings - Concrete 4 lane ramp, Holding Jetty, All Tides
There are also ramps at Tooradin, Newhaven, Cowes, Warneet, Lang Lang, Grantville, Flinders, and Rhyll (Phillip Island).
Accommodation is available on both Phillip Island and French Island.
Industry
Western Port has several industrial complexes, including a
BlueScope SteelBlueScope Steel is a flat product steel producer with operations in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Pacific and North America. It was spun off from BHP Billiton in 2002 as BHP Steel and renamed BlueScope Steel on 17 November 2003...
steel processing works and the major
Royal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following federation of the Australian Colonies in 1901, the former colonial navies merged to become the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
training base, HMAS Cerberus. Holden Australia's proving ground is located just east of Western Port.
Regulations
For the protection of the marine environment, a number of activities are prohibited within the boundaries of Victoria's Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries. No fishing, netting, spearing, taking or killing of marine life. All methods of fishing, from the shore or sea, are prohibited. No taking or damaging of animals, plants and objects or artefacts. There are strong penalties under the National Parks Act for fishing in Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries. All offenses can by reported to the Department of Primary Industries on 133 474 (within Australia)
However, you may carry fin-fish on board your boat within park boundaries if you caught the fish outside the parks and you may also carry but not use, a fishing rod or spear gun. You may also have abalone or rock lobster associated equipment on board the boat provided that you are travelling straight through the park by the shortest practicable route.
External links