Cowes, Victoria

Cowes is the main township on Phillip Island in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. It is about two hours' drive from Melbourne and can also be reached by coach, or passenger ferry from Stony Point on the Mornington Peninsula. Cowes is located on the northern side of Phillip Island and faces towards French Island and the Mornington Peninsula. At the 2021 census, Cowes had a population of 6,593.

Cowes beach has been named the 10th best beach in Australia for 2025.

History

The area was originally known as Mussel Rocks. In 1865, a government surveyor Henry Cox returned from a holiday retreat in England and named the town he surveyed after the seaport town of Cowes on the Isle of Wight, England. A jetty was built and ferry established in 1870, connecting the island to Stony Point. The area was frequented by visitors for the beach, fishing and game hunting. The Isle of Wight and Wood's Family Hotels were built during the 1870s.

The main Street of Cowes is Thompson Avenue, named after William Eastwood Thompson (-1955).  Thompson first visited Phillip Island as a child in 1889 and then moved to the island with his own family many years later.  He is primarily responsible for the “mile long” planting of Golden Cypress trees along the street, which began in 1912 and concluded around 1935, assisted by residents and school children.  

The Post Office opened on 1 August 1869.

In the 1920s, Cowes had many guesthouses, catering to visitors. The Wood's Family Hotel burnt down in 1920, and was replaced by the Phillip Island Hotel, which burned down again in the 1960s. The Isle of Wight Hotel caught fire in 1925, but was rebuilt. However, it too burned down again in 2010.

With the rise of cars in the 1950s, and a bridge being built to mainland Victoria in 1940, many motels and caravan parks were constructed.

The Cowes Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.

Climate

Cowes possesses an oceanic climate ( Köppen: Cfb), with tepid, relatively dry summers and mild, wetter winters. Average maxima vary from in February to in July, while average minima fluctuate between in February and in July. Mean precipitation is moderately low (averaging per annum), but rainfall is frequent, as Cowes receives 151.8 precipitation days annually (with a maximum frequency of rain in winter).

The town today

In recent years Cowes has seen a rapid expansion in its size. Many estates and apartments have been built in and around the town on what was previously rural farmland. An estimated 70% of houses are owned by absentee owners, most of whom live in and around Melbourne.

The main road of the island (Phillip Island Road) leads into Cowes and becomes the town's main road, Thompson Avenue. A distinctive feature of the road is the 1 km lining of Golden Cypress trees which were planted in the early 20th century. Further into town, the road begins a gradual descent before it terminates with a T-intersection at the waterfront. As the road approaches the waterfront, density of restaurants and general retail outlets increases. Retailers in Cowes include Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA and Dimmeys. Cowes Jetty was built at the end of Thompson Avenue in 1870 and remains a focal point of the town. It is flanked by sheltered beaches which are a popular attraction for families. An annual fireworks event was held at 9pm on New Year's Eve until in 2010 when they were cancelled and then reinstated in 2017. Occasionally a container ship can be seen from the waterfront heading to or from the port at Hastings which is located to the north.

Traffic tends to be heavy and accommodation may be scarce during holiday periods and large events at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

Since the 1960s, Cowes has been home to Christian Youth Camps in Church St and have run holiday camps for children, youth and young adults. CYC has since redeveloped another much larger campsite just outside Cowes - the Phillip Island Adventure Resort. After this CYC then also bought campsites at Adanac and Forest Edge.

The town has an Australian Rules football team, Phillip Island, competing in the Alberton Football League.

Golfers play at the course of Phillip Island Golf on Settlement Road.

Phillip Island Nature Park (PINP) is one of the largest conservation parks in Australia. PINP is located on Philip Island, Victoria, Australia. This park was created in 1996 and it is totally owned by the Victorian State Government. PINP is located 1.5 hours’ drive at the south of Melbourne. This park mainly covers over 1805 hectares. Main attractions in the park are Pyramid Rock, Rhyll Inlet, Seal Rocks, and Cape Woolamai. The park also includes specific viewing and attraction areas such as Nobbies Centre which is mainly for seals, dolphins and shark viewing, the Penguin Parade where one can see penguins coming ashore, Koala Conservation Centre and the Churchill Island Heritage Farm.

Image:Cowes Vic Jetty.jpg, The Cowes Jetty
Image:Cowes Vic Isle of Wight Hotel.jpg, Isle of Wight Hotel, destroyed by fire in July 2010

References

External links

Phillip Island Cemetery deceased records and online map
at Chronicle Cemetery Map

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Phillip Island
Western Port
Towns in Victoria (state)
Coastal towns in Victoria (state)
Bass Coast Shire