 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2025) |
| Port Phillip | |
|---|---|
| Port Phillip Bay | |
 TheMelbourne skyline, seen across Port Phillip. | |
  Port Phillip | |
 Map of the Port Phillip area | |
| Coordinates | 38°09′S144°52′E / 38.150°S 144.867°E /-38.150; 144.867 |
| Type | Saline, Permanent, Natural |
| Primary inflows | Yarra River,Patterson River,Werribee River,Little River,Kororoit Creek |
| Primary outflows | Bass Strait |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Surface area | 1,930 km2 (750 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Max. depth | 24 m (79 ft) |
| Water volume | 25 km3 (6.0 cu mi) |
| Shore length1 | 264 km (164 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Islands | Swan Island,Duck Island,Mud Islands |
| Settlements | Melbourne,Geelong,Frankston,Mornington,Queenscliff,Sorrento |
| 1 Shore length isnot a well-defined measure. | |
Port Phillip (Kulin:Narm-Narm[1]) orPort Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shapedenclosed bay on the central coast of southernVictoria,Australia. The bay opens into theBass Strait via a short, narrowchannel known asThe Rip, and is completely surrounded bylocalities of Victoria's two largest cities — metropolitanGreater Melbourne in the bay's main eastern portion north of theMornington Peninsula, and thecity of Greater Geelong in the much smaller western portion (known as theCorio Bay) north of theBellarine Peninsula. Geographically, the bay covers 1,930 km2 (750 sq mi) and the shore stretches roughly 264 km (164 mi), with the volume of water around 25 km3 (6.0 cu mi). Most of the bay is navigable, although it is extremely shallow for its size — the deepest portion is only 24 m (79 ft) and half the bay is shallower than 8 m (26 ft). Its waters and coast are home toseals,whales,dolphins,corals and many kinds ofseabirds andmigratorywaders.
BeforeEuropean settlement, the area around Port Phillip was divided between the territories of theWathaurong (west),Wurundjeri (north) andBoonwurrung (south and east) people, all part of theindigeousKulin nation. The first Europeans to enter the bay were the crews ofHMS Lady Nelson, commanded byJohn Murray and, ten weeks later,HMS Investigator commanded byMatthew Flinders, in 1802. Subsequent expeditions into the bay took place in 1803 to establish the first settlement in Victoria, nearSorrento, but was abandoned in 1804. Thirty years later, settlers fromTasmania returned to establish Melbourne (now Victoria's capital city) at the mouth of theYarra River in 1835, and Geelong at Corio Bay in 1838. Today, Port Phillip is the most densely populated catchment in Australia[2] with an estimated 5.5 million people living around the bay;Melbourne's suburbs extend around much of the northern and eastern shorelines, and the city of Geelong sprawls around Corio Bay in the bay's western arm.
Port Phillip formed between the end of thelast Ice Age around 8000 BCE and around 6000 BCE,[3] when thesea-level rose to drown the vastriver plains,wetlands andlakes at what was then the lower reaches of theYarra River. The ancient Yarra and its tributaries (the other present-day rivers of the Port Phillip catchment) flowed down what is now the middle of the bay, formed a coastal lake in the southern reaches of the bay dammed byThe Heads, and subsequently pouring out into a closed bay that formed over the western portion of the prehistoric Bassian Plain, which was later completely flooded and becameBass Strait.[4]
TheAboriginal people inhabited the area long before the bay was formed, with evidence of occupation dating at least 40,000 years ago. Settler records indicate anoral history with at least 18,000 years of linearity whenBoonwurrung ElderNingerranarro spoke of his ancestors huntingkangaroo andpossum where the Bay now lies.[5] Large piles of semi-fossilised seashells known asmiddens can still be seen in places around the shoreline, marking the spots where Aboriginal people held feasts. They made a good living from the abundant sea-life, which includedpenguins andseals. In the cold season, they worepossum-skin cloaks and intricate feathered head-dresses.
A dry period combined withsand bar formation, may have dried the bay out as recently as between 800 BCE and 1000 CE.[6]
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Seismicity has been observed around the bay continually since the 1800s with earlierearthquakes recorded in local newspaper reports.[7]An earthquake that occurred in July 1885 was described in a newspaper.[8]
"The earth-quake appears to have been confined to the southern portion of the colony, and principally to those places bordering on Bass's Straits and Port Phillip Bay. Telegrams to the Argus from Cowes, Flinders, Kangaroo Grounds, Mornington, Queenscliff, Eltham, Lilydale, Shoreham, and Cape Schanck, all mention the earthquake."
Anthonys Nose is anescarpment landform ofDevoniangranite on theMornington Peninsula that is located whereArthurs Seat ends as the mountain falls steeply towards Port Phillip and is part of theSelwyn Fault.[9][10][11]
In 1800, LieutenantJames Grant was the first known European to pass through Bass Strait from west to east inHMS Lady Nelson. He was also the first to see, and crudely chart, the south coast fromCape Banks in South Australia toWilsons Promontory in Victoria. Grant gave the name "Governor King's Bay" to the body of water betweenCape Otway and Wilsons Promontory, but did not venture in and discover Port Phillip.[12]
The first Europeans to find and enter Port Phillip, were the crew of theLady Nelson, commanded byJohn Murray, which entered the bay on 15 February 1802.[13][14] The bay was then known as Narm-Narm by the people of theKulin tribe, and Murray called the bay Port King after theGovernor of New South Wales,Philip Gidley King. On 4 September 1805,[15] King formally renamed it Port Phillip, in honour of his predecessorArthur Phillip.[16] Murray chose to base theLady Nelson off what is now known as Sorrento Beach.
During this voyage, Murray records in his journal his first encounter with localAboriginal peoples. This initially friendly encounter started with trading, eating, and gifting, and was suddenly interrupted by a violent ambush by a large group of Aboriginal people.
"They were all clothed in opossum skins and in each basket a certain quantity of gum was found. ... if we may judge from the number of their fires and other marks this part of the country is not thin of inhabitants. Their spears are of various kinds and all of them more dangerous than any I have yet seen."
The crew in response shot at the Aboriginal people, and continued to shoot at them as they fled, inflicting likely mortal wounds on two of the Aboriginal people. Watching from the boat, Murray orderedgrapeshot andround shot to be fired from thecarronades aboard the ship at the fleeing Aboriginal people. Murray said
"Thus did this treachery and unprovoked attack meet with its just punishment and at the same time taught us a useful lesson to be more cautious in future."
After exploring the southern part of the bay, Murray formally took possession of the area on 8 March 1802 forKing George III ofGreat Britain in a small ceremony at a place now known as the Point King Foreshore Reserve inSorrento. A few days later Murray sailed out of the heads and returned toSydney.[17]
About ten weeks after Murray,Matthew Flinders inHMS Investigator also found and entered the bay,[14] unaware Murray had been there. The official history ofNicholas Baudin's explorations inLe Géographe claimed they too had sighted the entrance at that time (30 March 1802) but this is almost certainly a later embellishment or error, being absent from the ship's logs and Baudin's own accounts.[18] As a result of Murray's and Flinders' reports, King sent LieutenantCharles Robbins inHMS Cumberland to explore Port Phillip fully. This surveying party, which includedCharles Grimes, produced a mostly complete chart of Port Phillip including the mouth of theYarra River, which they visited on 2 February 1803. Robbins found Aboriginal habitations and groups of Aboriginal people atTootgarook,Carrum Carrum, on the banks of the Yarra and atGeelong.[19]
King decided to place a convict settlement at Port Phillip, mainly to stake a claim to southern Australia ahead of the French. On 10 October 1803 a convoy of two shipsHMS Calcutta andOcean led by CaptainDavid Collins carrying 402 people (5 Government officials, 9 officers of marines, 2 drummers, and 39 privates, 5 soldiers' wives and a child, and 307 convicts with 17 convicts' wives and 7 children) entered Port Phillip.[20] After some investigation it was decided to establish the settlement at a spot known asSullivan Bay, very close to whereSorrento now exists. The expedition landed at Sullivan Bay on 17 October 1803, and the first of the "orders" issued by Collins bears that date. On 25 October, the King's birthday, the British flag was hoisted over the tiny settlement and a little salvo of musketry celebrated the royal occasion.[21]
On 25 November the first white child was born in Victoria and was baptised onChristmas Day, receiving the name of William James Hobart Thorne. The first marriage took place on 28 November, when a free woman, Hannah Harvey was wedded to convict Richard Garrett.[22] Small exploratory groups from this settlement surveyed a land route to Western Port and also sailed to the northwest shore of Port Phillip. On this latter journey, a large group of about 200 Aboriginal people came to meet the Britishers with "hostile intentions", and "with the application of fire-arms absolutely necessary to repel them", several Aboriginal people were shot.[23] Lack of fresh water and good timber led this first British attempt at settlement in the region later known as Victoria to be abandoned on 27 January 1804. When Collins left Port Phillip, theCalcutta proceeded toSydney, and theOcean to Risdon Cove inTasmania, where they arrived on 15 February 1804.[24] Prior to abandonment, a group of convicts includingWilliam Buckley, escaped from the settlement. Buckley took up residence in a cave near Point Lonsdale on the western side of the bay's entrance,The Rip, and later lived with anAboriginal Australian group for many years, being given up for dead.
Port Phillip was then left mostly undisturbed until 1835, when settlers from Tasmania led byJohn Batman andJohn Pascoe Fawkner (who had been at the Sorrento settlement as a child) established Melbourne on the lower reaches of the Yarra.John Batman encounteredWilliam Buckley who then became an important translator in negotiations with the local Aboriginal tribesmen. In 1838Geelong was founded, and became the main port serving the growing wool industry of theWestern District. For a time Geelong rivalled Melbourne as the leading settlement on the bay, but theGold Rush which began in 1851 gave Melbourne a decisive edge as the largest town in Victoria.
AsMelbourne prospered, its wealthy classes discovered the recreational uses of Port Phillip.Bayside suburbs such asSt Kilda andBrighton were established on the east shore of the bay. Later, resorts further south such asSorrento andPortsea became popular. The more swampy western shores of the bay were not so favoured, and have been used mainly for non-residential purposes such as agriculture, thePoint CookRoyal Australian Air Force base and theWerribee Sewage Farm, and significant nature reserves. In recent decades the population along the western side of the bay has grown more rapidly.
In the 21st century, property along the Port Phillip coastline continues to be highly sought after. Port Phillip continues to be extensively used for recreational pursuits such as swimming, cycling, boating, and fishing. The bay also features a number of historical walks and fauna reserves.[25] The traditional land owners of the area have also been acknowledged at a number of sites.
Port Phillip lies in southern Victoria, separated fromBass Strait by theBellarine Peninsula to the southwest andMornington Peninsula to the southeast. It is the largest bay in Victoria and one of the largest inland bays in Australia. The narrow entrance to the bay, calledthe Rip, betweenPoint Lonsdale andPoint Nepean, features strong tidal streams made turbulent by the uneven contours of the seabed. The best time for small craft to enter the Rip is atslack water. Large ships require expert local guidance to enter and exit, provided by the Port Phillipmaritime pilots. Work has begun todeepen the channel entrance, to allow newer, largercontainer ships to access Melbourne's docks.
The eastern side of the bay is characterised by sandy beaches extending fromSt Kilda,Sandringham,Beaumaris,Carrum, and down theMornington Peninsula toFrankston,Safety Beach/Dromana andRye toPortsea.Longshore drift carriessand from south to north during winter and from north to south during summer. Clifferosion control has often resulted in sand starvation, necessitating offshoredredging to replenish the beach.[which?] On the western side of the bay there is a greater variety of beach types, including both sandy and sandstone rock beaches, seen atQueenscliff,St Leonards,Indented Head,Portarlington, Altona and Geelong'sEastern Beach. Numeroussandbanks andshoals occur in the southern section of the bay, and parts of the South Channel require occasional maintenance dredging.
The region has anoceanic climate (KöppenCfb) with warm summers possessing occasional very hot days due to northerly winds and mild winters. Annual rainfall, which is evenly distributed over the year, shows considerable variation due to the Otway Ranges to the southwest: the northwestern shore of the bay is the driest part of southern Victoria and almost approaches asemi-arid climate (BSk) with a mean annual rainfall as low as 425 millimetres (17 in) (comparable toNhill orNumurkah), whilst the eastern shores less shielded by the Otways receive as much as 850 millimetres (33 in). Summer temperatures average around 25 °C (77 °F) during the day and 14 °C (57 °F) at night, but occasional northerly winds can push temperatures over 40 °C (104 °F), whilst in winter a typical day will range from 6 °C (43 °F) to 14 °C (57 °F).
Port Phillip is often warmer than the surrounding oceans and/or the land mass, particularly in spring and autumn; this can set up a "bay-effect rain", similar to the "lake effect snow" seen in colder climates, where showers are intensified leeward of the bay (particularly inMelbourne'seastern suburbs).
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Port Phillip hosts many beaches, most of which are flat, shallow and long, with very small breaks making swimming quite safe. This attracts many tourists, mostly families, to the beaches of Port Phillip during the summer months and school holidays. Water sports such asbody boarding andsurfing are difficult or impossible, except in extreme weather conditions. However, stand up paddle boarding (SUP), kite surfing and wind surfing are very popular. Most sandy beaches are located on the bay's northern, eastern and southern shorelines, while the western shorelines host a few sandy beaches, there mostly exists a greater variety of beaches, swampy wetlands and mangroves. The occasional pebble beach and rocky cliffs can also be found, mostly in the southern reaches.
Due to its shallow depth, several artificial islands and forts have been built; however, despite the depth, it only hosts a few true islands. Many sandy, muddy banks and shallows exist in its southern reaches, such asMud Islands, but most islands are located in the marshy shallows ofSwan Bay. Some of the bay's major islands include:
Jellyfish are a familiar sight in Port Phillip, and its waters are home to species such asAustralian fur seals,bottlenose dolphins,[26]common dolphins,[26]humpback whales,[26] andsouthern right whales.[27] Many othercetacean species may also migrate off the areas. Thesmooth toadfish is one of the most common fishes in muddy areas.[28] The bay has many endemic species including the bluedevil fish and fantastic sponge walls on the Lonsdale wall in the heads of the bay. It also hostsbreeding colonies of Australian fur seals. Occasionally,Australian sea lions,[29]New Zealand fur seals,subantarctic fur seals, andleopard seals may come into the bay as well.[30] Certain individualsouthern elephant seals may frequent the bay as well.[31]
Swan Bay, adjacent to Queenscliff, is an important feeding ground forwaterbirds andmigratorywaders. TheMud Islands, offSorrento, are an important breeding habitat forwhite-faced storm petrels,silver gulls,Australian pelicans andPacific gulls.Salt marshes in the northwestern sections of the bay, such as that in theWerribee Sewage Farm and the adjacentSpit Nature Conservation Reserve, are within thePort Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site, listed as wetlands of international importance under theRamsar Convention, and the critically endangeredorange-bellied parrot is found at three wintering sites with saltmarsh habitat around Port Phillip and theBellarine Peninsula. A variety ofseabirds, such asAustralasian gannets,[32] nest on artificial structures in the bay.
Port Phillip contains 3 Marine Sanctuaries managed by Parks Victoria to protect and conserve the bay's biodiversity, ecological processes and the natural and heritage features.
Port Phillip's marine water quality is monitored by theEnvironment Protection Authority of Victoria[33] and was fluctuating between Good to Very Good across the bay in 2021-2022.[34]
In 1906,George Gordon McCrae wrote two letters to a local schoolmaster atDromana, Mr G.H. Rogers. His subject was his earliest recollections of an idyllic boyhood spent at Arthur's Seat Run, location of the historicMcCrae Homestead on the southern shore of the bay, part of theMornington Peninsula. In the letters he described in detail thenatural history of the area in the 1840s, and the species he particularly remembered 60 years later. In 1939, Charles Daley read an article before theRoyal Historical Society of Victoria based on these letters, which was published in its journal in 1940 the year after a largebushfire in January 1939 hastened the disappearance of much of the original surviving wildlife from the area. The names of the species reflect the titles given to them by the original European settlers of the bay.[35]
Theanimals he observed as a young boy were "immense droves ofkangaroos, brush kangaroos orwallaby,paddy-melon,bandicoots (two varieties), great opossum (two varieties), ring tail,flying squirrel,flying mouse,dingoes or wild dogs in the gullies, that were caught in box traps with sliding doors, porcupine ant eater orechidna that were at the back of Arthur's Seat mountain, the great iguana, tree lizard- 5 feet, python, and the rock or sleeping lizard."
Thetrees were coast banksia, honey suckle, and grass trees "with crowns for thatching". The gum ofXanthorrhoea australis was used for carriage varnish.
In thewaters of the bay he described "scallop shells which were used as an oil lamp with a bulrush wick, banks ofcockles covered with birds, grey and white gulls, a 13-16 lb sizeschnapper ground off Mt Martha Point,mutton fish or venus ear- bait,[36] coatfish,parrot fish, leather jackets,[37]flathead, dog fish,[38] sting rays,[39] shark tailed rays,[40] and pig fish[41] that he thought to be "very old".
On thebeaches could be sighted pelicans, penguins, grey and grey white gull, called "bungan" by aborigines (theBunurong Mayone-bulluk clan), small white and lavender gull, pied oyster catchers, terns, cormorants, the little sandpiper, and musk ducks.
In theswamps (which have since been filled in) were "The Nankeen bird with one long white feather behind the ear, The rail, The bittern, The snipe and jack snipe, Several ducks- wood duck, black duck, Teal, Spoonbill, Black swan Geese, Cranes, Blue and white coots, Water hens, Kingfishers here and there and swamp or ground parrot with the barred tail feathers."
In thescrub by the waterholes were "honey eaters, warblers, red coat robins, emu wren with 2 long feathers in tail, Laughing jack ass- everywhere, butcher bird, also known as shrike or whistling jackass, Quail where coverage good in bottom of scrub, turkey at Boneo and the big swamp off the property."
Onthe flats were found spur wing plovers, minas, and leatherheads.
Intimbers near the flats were "many varieties of parrots, Lorry, Rosella, Blue mountain or honeysuckle parrot, Sulphur –crested white cockatoo, Black cockatoo of two kinds, Grey cockatoo with scarlet crest and Corella or cockatoo parrot."
Among the cherry trees in the garden at the homestead were "bronzewing pigeon and satin birds, love birds and honeyeating parakeets."
Birds of prey were "eagle hawks, falcons, and owls, some white and of great size".
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Small numbers ofcommon dolphins have become residents in eastern parts of the bay since the late 2000s.[42]In recent years, the numbers ofsouthern humpback andsouthern right whales entering the bay of Port Phillip have shown increases.[43] Unlike inPortland and onGreat Ocean Road, Southern Rights in eastern Victorian waters are still critically endangered[27] and in very small numbers; however, presences of cow-calf pairs in the bay in recent years indicate that Port Phillip was possibly once a wintering/calving ground for these whales.[44][45] They swim very close to shores to take rests in shallow, sheltered waters, sometimes just next to piers inFrankston.[46]
The bay is home to about 100 to 150 of the recently described species ofbottlenose dolphin, theBurrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis). The other 50 or so of this rare species are to be found in theGippsland Lakes.[47]
Port Phillip has lost over 95% of native flat oyster and blue mussel reefs since European settlement.[48] In 2014 the Port Phillip Shellfish Reef restoration project set about restoring shellfish reefs at two locations off Hobsons Bay near St Kilda, and off Corio Bay near Avalon. 300,000 native Angasi oysters were laid on limestone rubble over a 600 square metre area. The project aimed to improve marine biodiversity, water quality and fish habitat.[49][50][51]
Like theYarra which flows into it, Port Phillip faces the environmental concerns of pollution and water quality. Litter, silt and toxins can affect the beaches to the point where they are shut down byEPA Victoria.[52]
In 2008, the owner and master of Hong Kong-registered container vessel MVSky Lucky were found liable for illegally disposing garbage into Port Phillip, convicted and fined $35,000.[53]
An Environmental Management Plan has been adopted for 2017-2027 in order to improve and ensure the water quality is helping the marine life flourish as well as divide the supervising of the Bay between the government, community and industries.[54]
The southern section of the Bay near the Heads is covered by extensive sand banks, known as the "Great Sand". A shipping channel was dredged in an east–west direction from the Heads to near Arthur's Seat late in the nineteenth century, and maintained ever since. Early shipping used piers at Sandridge (Port Melbourne), but later moved to various wharves along the Yarra River, which make up today'sPort of Melbourne.[55] The Melbourne Harbor Trust and Geelong Harbor Trust were responsible for the piers and wharves in their respective cities — they are now the government ownedPort of Melbourne Corporation and the privately operated GeelongPort.
Today, thePort of Melbourne has grown to become Australia's busiest commercial port, serving Australia's second largest city and handling an enormous amount of imports and exports into and out of the country. ThePort of Geelong also handles a large volume of dry bulk and oil, while nearbyPort of Hastings onWestern Port handles steel and oil products.
In 2004 the Victorian Government launched thePort Phillip Channel Deepening Project to deepen the existing shipping channels and the lower Yarra to accommodate deeper draft vessels. The lower Yarra sediments were identified as likely to be contaminated with toxic chemicals and heavy metals, and were to be contained within a sealed berm clear of the shipping channels south of the Yarra entrance. The vessel chosen for the dredging is theQueen of the Netherlands. 52 environmental groups, recreational fishing groups, and divers' groups formed the "Blue Wedges" group to oppose the proposed channel deepening and dredging with organised protests carried out, culminating in the group taking action in the Federal Court in January 2008 against the Commonwealth to stop it signing off on the project.[56] On 15 January 2008 it was announced that their appeal was dismissed,[57] with dredging starting soon after. The government announced the completion of works in November 2009, ahead of schedule and $200 million under budget.[58]
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Some of the more significant and historicshipwrecks in the bay include:
The bay is one of Victoria's most popular tourist destinations. Many residents of Melbourne holiday on the shorelines of the bay, particularly the Bellarine (South west, near Geelong) and Mornington (south east of Melbourne) Peninsulas, most annually, either camping in tents, caravan or villas incaravan parks, sharing rental houses or staying in holiday homes.
Port Phillip's mostly flat topography and moderate waves make perfect conditions for recreationalswimming,kitesurfing,windsurfing,sailing,boating,snorkeling,scuba diving, stand up paddle boarding (SUP) and other sports.
Port Phillip is home to 36yacht clubs. It also hosts theMelbourne to Hobart and Melbourne toLaunceston Yacht Races. Port Phillip is also home to a number ofmarinas, including large marinas atSt. Kilda,Brighton and Geelong. For the1956 Summer Olympics, it hosted thesailing events.[60]
Dozens oflifesaving clubs dot Port Phillip, especially on the east coast fromAltona toFrankston. These clubs provide volunteer lifesaving services and conduct sporting carnivals.
Port Phillip is also known as a temperate waterscuba diving destination. The shore dives from beaches and piers around the Bay provide a wide variety of experiences on day and night dives. Boat diving in Port Phillip provides access to a remarkable variety of diving environments including wrecks, reefs, drift dives, scallop dives, seal dives and wall dives. Of particular interest are the five scuttled J-Class World War 1 submarines and the Ships' Graveyard off Torquay. With 3 Marine Sanctuaries and easily accessible piers, Port Phillip is also popular for recreational snorkeling.
There are also a number of bike paths, including theBayside Trail and theHobsons Bay Coastal Trail.
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