Inverloch is a seaside town located in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and the most populous city of the

Bass Coast Shire The Bass Coast Shire is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southeastern part of the state. It covers an area of and in June 2018 had a population of 35,327. It includes the towns of Bass, Cape Paterson, Cape Woolama ...

. It is located south east of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

via the

South Gippsland Highway The South Gippsland Highway is a partially divided highway in Victoria, Australia which connects the city of Melbourne with the South Gippsland region of Victoria, ending in the town of Sale. The highway begins at Lonsdale Street (Princes High ...

on the Bass Highway in the

Gippsland Gippsland is a rural region that makes up the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains to the rainward (southern) side of the Victorian Alps (the southernmost section of the Great Dividing Range). It covers ...

. Known originally for the calm waters of

Anderson Inlet Anderson Inlet (Boonwurrung: ''Toluncan''), sometimes incorrectly referred to as Andersons Inlet, is a shallow and dynamic estuary in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia where the Tarwin River enters Bass Strait. It forms a almost enclosed ...

, it is now also known for the discovery of Australia's first dinosaur bone. The town had a population of 5,437 as of the 2016 census. Inverloch is a popular tourist destination, particularly for

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

kitesurfing Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wak ...

and

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...

at the calm waters of

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

and

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

are also popular. The town is named after

Loch Inver Loch Inver is a long sea loch in Assynt, Sutherland and is on the northwest coast of Scotland. The loch meets the coastal embayment of Enard Bay at the north end and The Minch, where it meets Soyea Island at its mouth. Geography At the head o ...

(Lake Entrance) in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

History

The

Bunurong The Boonwurrung people are an Aboriginal people of the Kulin nation, who are the traditional owners of the land from the Werribee River to Wilsons Promontory in the Australian state of Victoria. Their territory includes part of what is now the c ...

aboriginal people were custodians of this stretch of coast for thousands of years prior to

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

settlement. The first European to settle in the Inverloch area was Samuel Anderson who, together with his brothers and Robert Massie, owned cattle and grew wheat in the area. The Post Office opened on 1 September 1883 as Anderson's Inlet and was renamed Inverloch in 1889. The inlet on which the town is situated on is named

after Samuel Anderson. As the area developed, Inverloch became a port for the shipment of black coal from

Wonthaggi Wonthaggi is a seaside town located south east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland and Bass Highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Known originally for its coal mining, it is now the largest town in South Gippsl ...

. Australia’s first discovered dinosaur bone, known as the Cape Paterson Claw, was discovered here in 1903 by William Ferguson in

Cape Paterson Cape Paterson () is a cape and seaside village located near the town of Wonthaggi, south-east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland and Bass Highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Known originally for the disc ...

, in what is now Eagles Nest in the Bunurong Marine National Park.

Population

At the 2016 Census, there were 5,437 people in Inverloch. 79.6% of people were born in Australia, with the next most common country of birth was England at 4.6%. 89.1% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion at 39.5%, Catholic at 20.0% and Anglican at 14.9%.

Today

Anderson Inlet

Anderson Inlet is a shallow and dynamic

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

where the Tarwin River enters

Bass Strait Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The strait provides the most direct waterwa ...

. It forms a 2,400 hectare almost-enclosed bay next to Inverloch, for which it provides a popular and protected beach. At low tide its intertidal

mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...

s provide important feeding habitat for migratory

wader 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...

s. It is named after the Anderson brothers, the first Europeans to settle in the area. Anderson Inlet is classified by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

. It supports internationally significant numbers (over 6,000) of

red-necked stint The red-necked stint (''Calidris ruficollis'') is a small migratory wader. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific ''ruficollis'' is from ...

. It has also been known to support the critically endangered

orange-bellied parrot The orange-bellied parrot (''Neophema chrysogaster'') is a small parrot endemic to southern Australia, and one of only three species of parrot that migrate. It was described by John Latham in 1790. A small parrot around long, it exhibits sex ...

, with six birds seen there in 1998 and two in 1999. Seashell collecting is permitted from The Caves (beach) to the north-east, past the main shopping precinct. Seashell collecting is prohibited in the Bunurong Marine National Park, namely The Oaks, Twin Reefs, Shack Bay and Eagles Nest (beaches), heading south-west after Flat Rocks and The Caves.

Farmers Market

The town showcases local produce from the farms and towns of South Gippsland, local artists, entertainers, community groups and service clubs at a monthly market held by the Lions Club on the last Sunday of every month.

Shell Museum

Inverloch has a Shell Museum which also has a dinosaur exhibition. It is located opposite the Rainbow Park. Australia’s first dinosaur bone, and many other dinosaur bones, were discovered in Inverloch.

Coast

Inverloch's beaches include Twin Reefs, Shack Bay, Eagles Nest, The Caves, Flat Rocks, Main Surf Beach, two more surf beaches, Anderson Inlet-Western Beach, Anderson Inlet-Browns Beach, Anderson Inlet-Venus Street and Anderson Inlet-The Glades. Twin Reefs, Shack Bay and Eagles Nest make up most of the

Bunurong Marine National Park The Bunurong Marine National Park () is a protected marine national park located off the coast of Cape Paterson in the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The marine national park is located about southwest of and about off the ...

(excluding The Oaks in Cape Paterson). The Caves and Flat Rocks are a part of the

Bunurong Marine Park The Bunurong Marine and Coastal Park () collectively are a marine park and a coastal park located along the reef and coast of Harmers Haven, Cape Paterson and Inverloch in the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Collectively, the ...

, which starts at Coal Point in Harmers Haven. Anderson Inlet

Bunurong Marine Parks

is a 17 km marine and coastal park along the

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

of Harmers Haven,

and Inverloch, namely Coal Point to Wreck Creek.

is an outstretching middle section of Bunurong Marine Park. The National Park part is about 21 km² or about 5 km in length along the coast and stretching from 2.5 km east of Cape Paterson eastwards to a point 6 km south-west of Inverloch, extending seawards for 3 nm to the limit of Victorian waters. The restricted zone/

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

(Bunurong Marine National Park inside Bunurong Marine Park), on foot begins after Undertow Bay heading towards Inverloch from Cape Paterson. It is an area past Safety Beach and rockpool and past Undertow Bay beach namely The Oaks, Twin Reefs, Shack Bay and Eagles Nest. It ends at Wreck Creek in Inverloch. It is prohibited to kill or take any matter (i.e.,

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

collecting The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining items that are of interest to an individual ''collector''. Collections differ in a wide variety of respects, most obvio ...

seashells A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal or organism that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washe ...

or kill or take any sea or land

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

, living or dead) from the smaller of the two parks; Bunurong Marine National Park. Both parks are named after the

Aboriginal people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

. Bunurong Marine Park is considered special due to the unusual set of environmental conditions. It supports many marine animals including seastars, featherstars, crabs, snails, 87 species of fish, Whales and Seals. It has the highest recorded diversity of intertidal and subtidal

invertebrates Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

in eastern Victoria. The range of

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

species is large. Flat Rocks is a beach which has large rockpools for rockpooling/rambling and direct access from Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road. Bunurong Marine Park is seen and accessed at many different points along this coast, a popular one being near Cape Paterson

caravan park Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals *Convoy, a group of veh ...

on Surf Beach Road as it has a modified

rockpool A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only at low tide. Many tide pool habitats are home to especially adaptable animals that ...

for swimming. The National Park is around to the left. Direct and more difficult access to the National Park is via car parks off Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road. Exploring,

snorkelling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, ...

and

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

are popular. There are boat launching facilities at Inverloch on

Eagles Nest

Eagles Nest is a large rock structure adjacent to the coastline that resembles the top half of a map of Australia.

The Caves

The Caves is a beach with a set of pirate caves just past Eagles Nest. The Caves Inverloch

Fishing

Inverloch is very popular for surf and bay fishing. Anderson Inlet and Inverloch Surf Beach are popular for fishing and a good catch is usually found. Surf fishing usually produces fish such as Silver Trevally, King George Whiting, Flathead, Mullet and Juvenile Snapper (pinky). There are two boat launches on in Inverloch on Anderson Inlet. Inverloch Jetty

Festivals

The town hosts a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

festival each Labour Day long weekend in March, featuring high-profile local and interstate musicians. The Food And Wine Festival is also in March. Inverloch Aerial

Climate

Inverloch's location on the north shore of Bass Strait gives it an oceanic climate, with the moderating effect of the ocean allowing a narrower temperature range throughout the year compared to other regions in Victoria. Average daily maximum temperatures range from 23.5 °C in summer to 13.5 in winter. Frost is rare, occurring on average 6 mornings a year. On 10 August 2005 Inverloch received its first snowfall since July 1951, with snow even settling briefly on the beach.

Education

Inverloch has one

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

. The nearest secondary school is in nearby Wonthaggi.

Facilities

Farmers' market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or o ...

- 3rd Sunday every month, The Glade, Esplanade *

Surf Lifesaving Surf lifesaving is a multifaceted social movement that comprises key aspects of voluntary lifeguard services and competitive surf sport. Originating in early 20th century Australia, the movement has expanded globally to other countries, inc ...

Club, Geroke Street * Shell Museum and Dinosaur Exhibition, Ramsey Boulevard * Seashell

Collecting The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining items that are of interest to an individual ''collector''. Collections differ in a wide variety of respects, most obvio ...

is permitted on Inverloch coast from The Caves to

- Small sizes and small quantities of empty

driftwood __NOTOC__ Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides shelter and fo ...

, dead fallen

twigs A twig is a thin, often short, branch of a tree or bush. The buds on the twig are an important diagnostic characteristic, as are the abscission scars where the leaves have fallen away. The color, texture, and patterning of the twig bark are ...

's,

sea glass Sea glass and beach glass are naturally weathered pieces of glass, which often have the appearance of tumbled stones. "Sea glass" is physically and chemically weathered glass found on beaches along bodies of salt water. These weathering proc ...

and interesting

rubbish Rubbish may refer to: *Waste *Garbage * ''Rubbish'' (magazine), a fashion magazine * ''Rubbish'' (radio series), a British radio series *"Rubbish", a song by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine *An adjective which is colloquially used in British En ...

* Wyeth-McNamara

Park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

- playground, shaded picnic areas, tables, barbecues, Ramsey Boulevard * Melaleuca Links

Golf Course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

, Bass Highway - 9 hole, par 3 * Inverloch Tennis Club, Pier Road *

- explore/snorkel, directly off Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road *

- protected state park, explore/snorkel, Steps off Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road * Screw Creek Walk (and

Mangroves A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...

), eastern end of the Esplanade: * Inverloch has large

chain store A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many pa ...

RACV The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) is a motoring club and mutual organisation. It offers various services to members, including insurance and roadside assistance. It has about 30,000 ordinary club members who have access to the lif ...

Inverloch Resort (accommodation choices & restaurant/Sunday buffet), Foodworks

supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...

. Four

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...

agencies; Stockdale & Leggo,

LJ Hooker LJ Hooker is one of Australia's largest real estate groups, with 600 franchise offices and 6,000 people engaged in residential and commercial property sales and property management. The company was founded in 1928 by Sir Leslie Joseph ...

, Alex Scott and First National. Mitre 10 (hardware), farmers market 3rd Sunday every month, cafes, restaurants, pubs, motels,

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

s, three caravan parks and a foreshore camping reserve. * Wonthaggi Museum - open Saturday mornings, Murray Street, Wonthaggi * State Coal Mine - museum and tours, Garden Street,

Hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

- Graham Street, Wonthaggi * Rotary Centenary Park - Start location of

parkrun Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of events for walkers, runners and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across six continents. Junior Parkrun (stylised as junior parkrun) ...

, held weekly on Saturday mornings at 7.45am

Localities

Other localities in this postcode: * Pound Creek Other localities nearby: *

Leongatha Leongatha is a town in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria, Australia, located south-east of Melbourne. At the , Leongatha had a population of 5,869. Canadian dairy company Saputo which trades in Australia ...

Kongwak Kongwak is a small town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Korumburra to Wonthaggi Road southeast of Melbourne, in the South Gippsland Shire. At the 2016 census, Kongwak had a population of 197. The town in conjunction with neighbo ...

* Venus Bay

References

External links

Dinosaur Dreaming Web SiteInverloch Holiday Online DirectoryInverloch Surf Lifesaving Club WebsiteInverloch Windsurfing Club WebsiteInverloch Historical Society
{{authority control Coastal towns in Victoria (Australia) Mining towns in Victoria (Australia) Towns in Victoria (Australia) Towns in South Gippsland Bass Coast Shire