Introduction to Phillip Island
Named after Governor Arthur Phillip, Phillip Island forms a natural breakwater for the shallow waters of Western Port Bay. The island is 26 kilometres long and 9 kilometres at its widest point (approximately 10,300 hectares). A 640 metre bridge connects to San Remo on the mainland. Approximately 60 per cent of the island is farmland devoted to grazing of sheep and cattle.
Phillip Island is part of the Bass Coast Shire and is mainly a tourist destination. It attracts 3.5 million visitors each year. The Penguin Parade is the main attraction, with visitors from all over the world coming to see one of the few areas where this species of penguin (Little Penguin or Fairy Penguin) can be seen. Another popular tourist attraction is the Seal Rocks which host the largest colony of fur seals in Australia (up to 16,000). In September over one million Mutton Birds (Short-tailed Shearwaters) begin to arrive on the island after completing a 16,000 km journey from the Bering Strait around the Aleutian Islands near Alaska. They come to breed in sand dune burrows. In 1996, the state government created an award winning not-for-profit organisation called Phillip Island Nature Parks which protects the natural wonders of the island.
The island is recognised as having some of the most consistently reliable and varied surf conditions in the country. The island has hosted various surf events in the past, such as the Rip Curl Pro in 2005 (when conditions at Bells Beach were unfavourable) and the Roxy Pro Women’s Surfing Festival.
Fishing is an ongoing industry and attraction on the island. Snapper, King George Whiting, School Sharks and Gummy Sharks are common catches.
Koala Conservation and Visitor Centre
This centre is dedicated to koala research and conservation – your visit helps with this important work. Stroll through bushland and experience koalas in their natural habitat. Meet koalas ‘face to face’ on treetop boardwalks and enjoy the colourful birdlife. Open 10am-5pm daily.
World Superbike Championship
Phillip Island has a strong background in motor sport since 1929 and is currently host to the World Superbike Championship round in March/April, the Motor Cycle Grand Prix in October and the V8 Supercars Championship in November/December.
Phillip Island History
The first permanent settlement of the island was in1842 by the McHaffie brothers when they were granted a pastoral lease that covered the majority of the island. It was worked as a sheep run until1868, after which the island was surveyed and made available for sale. The first recorded land was at Rhyll in 1868. Further sales took place in 1869 at Cowes which was known as Mussel Point until 1865t was renamed by government surveyor Henry Cox after a holiday retreat on England’s Isle of Wight. Jetties were built at Rhyll in 1868 and at Cowes in 1870 to facilitate access from, and trade with, the mainland. By 1870 the Isle of Wight Hotel had also been built at Cowes.
There were 165 settlers on the island in 1872. It was thought that wheat-growing would prove viable as Phillip Island was a short boat trip from the Melbourne markets, unlike the distant wheat belt of Western Victoria, although the industry never really got off the ground.
The fishing industry grew, particularly crayfish. Chicory was grown for the first time in 1870. You can still see the occasional chicory kiln with its odd-looking tower and pitched roof along some of the island’s roads By the late 1940s nearly three-quarters of Australia’s chicory crop was grown on Phillip Island but due to declining demand and high labour costs, the industry disappeared.
Municipal government commenced in 1871. The island developed slowly as drought forced a lot of early settlers abandon their land in the 1870′s. There were no more than 50 settlers by 1902.
Development accelerated in the 1920s when the access track to the penguin colony was established. Visitors accessed the island by means of the ferry service at Cowes.
The Shire of Phillip Island was declared in 1928 and the first motor race was held on the island that same year. A bridge linked the island to the mainland for the first time in 1940.
