Western Port
Vorlage:Infobox Ocean Western Port, also commonly Western Port Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia. Geographically, Western Port in dominated by two large islands; French Island and Phillip Island. It consists of a northern section, characterised by mud flats, river and creek deltas and wetlands, and a southern section that opens out into Bass Strait. Contrary to its name, it lies to the east of the larger Port Phillip, the two bodies of water being separated by the Mornington Peninsula. In its southern reaches, life such as Australian Fur Seals, whales and dolphins exist, while its northern reaches are inhabited by many species of bird including the waterbird, migratory waders, White-faced Storm-Petrel, Silver Gull, Australian Gannets amongst many others. It is listed under the Ramsar Convention for its wetlands. [1]
Prior to European settlement, the area around around the bay was occupied by the Bunurong people. The bay was first seen by Europeans in 1798 when an exploration crew in a whaleboat led by George Bass, journeyed south from Sydney 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 today it lies in the eastern half of Victoria, and to the east of the larger Port Phillip and Melbourne.
A variety of factors, such as quantity of mangroves, wetlands and mudflats around its northern shorelines, distance from Melbourne and lack of abundance of sandy beaches, have detered major settlements from being located around the bay, as is the case in Port Phillip. It is generally considered in recreation and tourism terms as "Port Phillip's little brother". 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.
Geography
The topography of Western Port is dominated by two islands. The coastline, including that of the islands, is some 263 km. In the north,
Islands
Western Port hosts a diverse range of islands, many tidal mud islands and two large islands:
- French Island (approximately 170 km²)
- Phillip Island (approximately 100 km²)
Recreation
Fishing, pleasure boating and yachting are some of the popular pastimes on the bay.
Recreation on Phillip Island
- 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
Recreation on French Island
- 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
External links