Point Leo is a town on the shore of
Western Port
Western Port, ( Boonwurrung: ''Warn Marin'') commonly but unofficially known as Western Port Bay, is a large tidal bay in southern Victoria, Australia, opening into Bass Strait. It is the second largest bay in the state. Geographically, it ...
bay on the eastern side of the
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located in the south of Greater Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to ...
in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
,
Victoria,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, south-east of Melbourne's
Central Business District
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
, located within the
Shire of Mornington Peninsula local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
. Point Leo recorded a population of 178 at the
2021 census.
Point Leo Foreshore Reserve provides excellent waves for surfing and is one of the closest surf beaches to Melbourne.
History
The area was known as ''Bobbanaring'' to the local
Bunurong
The Boonwurrung, also spelt Bunurong or Bun wurrung, 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 ...
people prior to European settlement. The area was first surveyed in 1841, and a town was proposed here in 1869, but the area did not develop until after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, when the Woods family built a house and store. Facilities were developed in the 1960s, including camping grounds, toilet blocks with hot showers on the foreshore and a kiosk on the surf beach. A Post Office opened on 8 December 1969, but closed in 1974.
By the 1980s the area was still dominated by holiday homes and weekend travellers with few permanent residents.
Present day
The small town contains a general store and supports an active surf lifesaving club and boat club. A large foreshore reserve includes picnic, barbecue and camping areas, managed by Point Leo Foreshore, and provide access to the surf beach. A gate fee is payable. Most other facilities are available from nearby
Shoreham and
Balnarring.
No public transport services Point Leo directly although the
bus route
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used i ...
782 operated by
Ventura Bus Lines
Ventura Bus Lines is a large bus and coach operator in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, operating a fleet of more than 950 buses on 141 bus routes.
History Early history
Ventura was founded in December 1924 by Henry Cornwall. The name and co ...
between
Frankston and
Flinders passes within 2 km of the town.
See also
*
Shire of Hastings
The Shire of Hastings was a Local government in Australia, local government area about south-southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, encompassing the eastern extremity of the Mornington Peninsula ...
– Point Leo was previously within this former local government area.
References
External links
Point Leo Foreshore
{{authority control
Towns in Victoria (state)
Mornington Peninsula
Western Port
Coastal towns in Victoria (state)