Wilsons Promontory, is a
peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the
Australian mainland, located in the state of
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 ...
.
South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia. Located at nearby
South East Point, () is the
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse. Most of the peninsula is protected by the
Wilsons Promontory National Park
The Wilsons Promontory National Park, commonly known as Wilsons Prom or The Prom, is a national park in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, located approximately southeast of Melbourne.
The national park is the southernmost national ...
and the
Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park
The Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park is a protected marine national park located in the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The marine park is situated off the southern tip of Wilsons Promontory and extends along the coastline ...
.
Human history
![Wilson's Promontory - Tidal River from Mt Oberon - Dec 2004](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Wilson%27s_Promontory_-_Tidal_River_from_Mt_Oberon_-_Dec_2004.jpg)
Wilsons Promontory was first occupied by indigenous
Koori
Koori (also spelt koorie, goori or goorie) is a demonym for Aboriginal Australians from a region that approximately corresponds to southern New South Wales and Victoria. The word derives from the Indigenous language Awabakal. For some people ...
people at least 6,500 years prior to European arrival.
Middens along the western coast indicate that the inhabitants subsisted on a seafood diet.
The first European to see the promontory was
George Bass
George Bass (; 30 January 1771 – after 5 February 1803) was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia.
Early years
Bass was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George ...
in January 1798. He initially referred to it as "Furneaux's Land" in his diary, believing it to be what
Captain Furneaux had previously seen. But on returning to
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea ...
and consulting
Matthew Flinders he was convinced that the location was so different it could not be that land. Bass and Flinders recommended the name Wilsons Promontory to
Governor Hunter, honouring Flinders's friend from
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
Thomas Wilson. Little is known of Wilson except that he was a merchant engaged in trade with Australia.
Seal hunting was conducted in the area in the 19th century. Shore-based
whaling
Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution.
It was practiced as an organized industr ...
was also carried out in a cove at Wilsons Promontory from at least 1837. It was still underway in 1843 at Lady's Bay (Refuge Cove).
Throughout the 1880s and '90s a public campaign to protect the area as a national park was waged, including by the
Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria.
The promontory has been a
national park, to one degree or another, since 1898.
Wilsons Promontory National Park
The Wilsons Promontory National Park, commonly known as Wilsons Prom or The Prom, is a national park in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, located approximately southeast of Melbourne.
The national park is the southernmost national ...
, also known locally as "the Prom", contains the largest coastal wilderness area in Victoria. Until the 1930s, when the road was completed, it was accessible only by boat.
The site was closed to the public during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, as it was used as a
commando
Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured
A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
training ground. The only settlement within Wilsons Promontory is
Tidal River
A tidal river is a river whose flow and level are influenced by tides. A section of a larger river affected by the tides is a tidal reach, but it may sometimes be considered a tidal river if it has been given a separate name.
Generally, tidal ri ...
which lies south of the park boundary and is the focus for tourism and recreation. This park is managed by
Parks Victoria.
In 2005 a burn started by staff got out of control and burnt 13% of the park, causing the evacuation of campers. In 2009, a lightning strike near Sealer's Cove started a fire that burned over . Much of the area had not been burned since 1951. The fire began on 8 February, the day after "
Black Saturday", where an intense heat wave, combined with arson, faulty electrical infrastructure and natural causes, led to hundreds of bushfires burning throughout the state of Victoria. Although the fire burned to within , the Tidal River camping area and park headquarters were unaffected. The park reopened to the public one month after the incident and the burned areas quickly regrew. Despite the damage, the natural beauty of the area remained largely intact.
In March 2011 a significant rainfall event led to major flooding of the Tidal River camping area. The bridge over Darby River was cut, leaving no vehicle access to Tidal River, leading to the evacuation of all visitors by helicopter over the following days, and the closure of the southern section of the park. In September 2011 public access to Tidal River was reopened following repair of the main access road, and the bridge at Darby River. All sections of the park south of Tidal River were closed while further repairs of tracks and footpaths were undertaken. The park was fully re-opened by Easter of 2012.
Tourists may choose basic or glam, cabins or camping (powered/unpowered) if they wish to stay inside Wilsons Promontory National Park. Many however choose to stay in accommodation just outside the Park in
Yanakie, where they can still view the Wisons Promontory mountains and scenery and be only minutes from the Park's free entrance.
There are overnight hiking tracks with two key circuits, one in the north and one in the south. The southern circuit is more popular with overnight hikers with several camping areas suited to wild camping. Camping is only allowed in the designated areas to reduce damage to the bush.
Geography and wildlife
![Wilsons Prom Swamp Wallaby](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Wilsons_Prom_Swamp_Wallaby.jpg)
Coastal features include expansive intertidal mudflats, sandy beaches and sheltered coves interrupted by prominent headlands and plunging granite cliffs in the south, backed by coastal dunes and swamps. The promontory is surrounded by a scatter of small granite islands which, collectively, form the
Wilsons Promontory Islands Important Bird Area
The Wilsons Promontory Islands Important Bird Area comprises a loose cluster of 19 small, granite islands, with a collective area of 658 ha, scattered around Wilsons Promontory in the state of Victoria, south-eastern Australia. The three so ...
, identified as such by
BirdLife International because of its importance for breeding
seabird
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same enviro ...
s.
Tidal River
A tidal river is a river whose flow and level are influenced by tides. A section of a larger river affected by the tides is a tidal reach, but it may sometimes be considered a tidal river if it has been given a separate name.
Generally, tidal ri ...
is the main river in Wilsons Promontory. It runs into Norman Bay and swells with the tide. The river is a very interesting colour, a purple-yellow. This is due to the large number of
tea trees in the area, which stain the water with
tannin
Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.
The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'' ...
, giving it a tealike appearance.
Darby River is the second major river, with extensive alluvial flats and meanders. It was the site of the original park entrance and accommodation area from 1909 to the Second World War.
Wilsons Promontory is home to many marsupials, native birds and other creatures. One of the most common marsupials found on the promontory is the
common wombat, which can be found in much of the park (especially around campsites where it has been known to invade tents searching for food). The peninsula is also home to
kangaroo
Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...
s,
snakes,
wallabies,
koala
The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the w ...
s,
long-nosed potoroo
The long-nosed potoroo (''Potorous tridactylus'') is a small, hopping, gerbil-like mammal native to forests and shrubland of southeastern Australia and Tasmania. A member of the rat-kangaroo family (Potoroidae), it lives alone and digs at night f ...
s,
white-footed dunnart
The white-footed dunnart (''Sminthopsis leucopus'') is a marsupial that occurs on Tasmania and mainland Australia. It occurs along the coast and in inner Gippsland and Alpine areas up to 400 metres near Narbethong. In southern New South Wa ...
s,
broad-toothed rat
The broad-toothed rat (''Mastacomys fuscus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
Distribution and habitat
It is found only in South-eastern Australia. In Victoria live specimens have been caught in the Snowfields, Great Dividing R ...
s,
feather-tailed glider
The feathertail glider (''Acrobates pygmaeus''), also known as the pygmy gliding possum, pygmy glider, pygmy phalanger, flying phalanger and flying mouse, is a species of marsupial native to eastern Australia. It is the world's smallest gliding ...
s and
emu
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...
s. Some of the most common birds found on the promontory include
crimson rosella
The crimson rosella (''Platycercus elegans'') is a parrot native to eastern and south eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It is commonly found in, but not restricted to, mountain forests and gardens. The ...
s,
yellow-tailed black cockatoo
The yellow-tailed black cockatoo (''Zanda funerea'') is a large cockatoo native to the south-east of Australia measuring in length. It has a short crest on the top of its head. Its plumage is mostly brownish black and it has prominent yello ...
s and
superb fairywren
The superb fairywren (''Malurus cyaneus'') is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae, and is common and familiar across south-eastern Australia. It is a sedentary and territorial species, also exhibiting a high degree of sex ...
s. There are also many pests, including
hog deer
''Axis'' is a genus of deer occurring in South and Southeast Asia. As presently defined by most authorities, four species are placed in the genus. Three of the four species are called hog deer. The genus name is a word mentioned in Pliny the Eld ...
,
fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
es,
feral cat
A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat (''Felis catus'') that lives outdoors and avoids human contact: it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens ...
s,
rabbits,
common starlings, and
common blackbirds.
As the
Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park
The Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park is a protected marine national park located in the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The marine park is situated off the southern tip of Wilsons Promontory and extends along the coastline ...
and
Corner Inlet Marine National Park
The Corner Inlet Marine National Park is a protected marine national park located in the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The marine park is situated approximately southeast of Melbourne and contains part of Corner Inlet.
...
have been established, the area holds a variety of marine life and
coral reef
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.
C ...
s. In recent years, after a long disappearance, due to illegal hunting by the Soviet Union with help by Japan,
Southern right whales started to return to the area to rest and calve in the sheltered bays along with
Humpback whale
The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hu ...
s.
Killer whale
The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...
s are also known to pass the area, and
dolphin
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...
s,
seals,
sea lion
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...
s, and
penguins still occur today.
The peninsula is also home to two large sets of dunes, the Big Drift and Little Drift. They are not very well-known but sometimes visited by hikers and suitable for sandboarding.
Climate
Wilsons Promontory has an
oceanic climate heavily influenced by the
Roaring Forties
The Roaring Forties are strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40°S and 50°S. The strong west-to-east air currents are caused by the combination of air being displaced from the Equator ...
, bringing summer temps far below what is the norm. Winters are dominated by low-pressure systems and high rainfall.
Gallery
Image:Emus, Wilsons Promontory National Park.jpg, Emus in the park.
Image:FiveMileBeach-4a.jpg, Five Mile Beach
Image:FiveMileBeachCamp.jpg, Five Mile Beach Camp
Image:ProcessedBeach.jpg, Beach near Johnny Souey Cove, home to many crabs.
Image:SouthEastPoint.jpg, Southeast Point.
Image:Squeaky Beach-Wilsons Prom-Vic.JPG, Squeaky Beach
Image:Tidal river on wilsons prom looking towards mt oberon.JPG, The Independent Companies Memorial at
Image:Whiskey Beach.jpg, Whiskey Beach
Image:Wilson's Promontory - Tidal River from Mt Oberon - Dec 2004.jpg, Tidal River seen from Mt Oberon.
Image:Wilsons Promontory lighthouse 1 Stevage.jpg, Southeast tip and lighthouse.
Image:Wilsons Promontory lighthouse 4 Stevage.jpg, Lighthouse and cabin accommodation.
Image:Wilsons Promontory southeast 13 Stevage.jpg, Skull Rocks.
Image:Wilsons Promontory southeast 5 Stevage.jpg, Waterloo Bay.
Image:Wombat Wilsons Promontory.jpg, Wombat
Image:Wilsons Promontory southeast 15 Stevage.jpg, Rocks at Waterloo Bay.
Image:Wilsons Promontory southeast 16 Stevage.jpg, Hiking track to the southeast.
Image:Wilsons Promontory southwest 2 Stevage.jpg, Oberon Beach.
Image:Wilsons Promontory southwest 1 Stevage.jpg, Mt Oberon, seen from Oberon Beach.
Image:Wilsons Promontory southwest 5 Stevage.jpg, Norman Beach, near Tidal River.
References
External links
Wilsons Promontory Resources Parks Victoria.
A map of the burned area from Prom Map, Parks Victoria.
{{Authority control
IBRA subregions
Bass Strait
Seal hunting
Whaling stations in Australia
Whaling in Australia