Warrnambool is a regional centre and former port city on the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia. The City of Warrnambool local government area has a population of 33,922. Situated on the Princes Highway, Warrnambool marks the western end of the Great Ocean Road and the southern end of the Hopkins Highway.
The word Warrnambool originates from the local Indigenous Australians name for a nearby volcanic cone. It is interpreted to mean many things including land between two rivers, two swamps or ample water. The first settlers arrived in the 1840s in the Lady Bay area, which was a natural harbour.
The town was surveyed in 1846 and established soon after, the Post Office opening on 1 January 1849. During the Victorian Gold Rush, Warrnambool became an important port and grew quickly in the 1850s, benefiting from the private ownership of nearby Port Fairy. It was gazetted as a municipality in 1855, and became a borough in 1863. Warrnambool was declared a town in 1883, and a city in 1918. Post Offices opened at Warrnambool South in 1937 (closed 1973), Warrnambool East in 1946, and Warrnambool North in 1947 (closed 1975).
The coastline around Warrnambool varies widely, with beauty and terror both represented by expansive beaches, as well as the rocky Shipwreck Coast. Both are accessible and there to be enjoyed in Warrnambool's scenic coastal promenades, heritage museums and numerous activities in the city and around it.
This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
Warrnambool is a regional city on the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia in the City of Warrnambool Local Government Area. The city has a population of 33,922. It is situated on the Princes Highway and is near the western end of the Great Ocean Road.
The word "Warrnambool" originates from the local Indigenous Australians name for a nearby volcanic cone. It is interpreted to mean many things including land between two rivers, two swamps or ample water. A popular legend is that the first Europeans to discover Warrnambool were Cristóvão de Mendonça and his crew who surveyed the coastline nearby and were marooned near the site of the present town as early as the 16th century, based on the unverified reports of local whaler's discovery of the wreck of a mahogany ship. The ship's provenance has been variously attributed to France, China, Spain and Portugal. There is no physical evidence to suggest that the Mahogany Ship existed.
The Lady Nelson under Lieutenant James Grant sailed along the coast in December 1800 and named several features, followed by Matthew Flinders in the Investigator and French explorer Nicholas Baudin, who recorded coastal landmarks, in 1802. The area was frequented by whalers early in the 19th century.The first settlers arrived in the 1840s in the Lady Bay area, which was a natural harbour. The town was surveyed in 1846 and established soon after, the Post Office opening on 1 January 1849.
Warrnambool attracts approximately 715,000 visitors per year, and is a comprehensive regional service centre. The town's tourism benefits from the views from the Great Ocean Road, and its nearby beaches, some of which are used for surfing. In the winter months, Southern Right whales can be seen in the waters near the city at the Logan's Beach nursery, and boats make whale-watching tours. Visitor levels are usually higher during the winter school holidays due to Australia's Biggest Children's Festival, the Fun4Kids Festival.
This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Weekly TopShot meme.
First settled in the 1840's Warrnambool is home to many shipwrecks, a historic boathouse, a state heritage listed Lighthouse and Maritime Village which was Victoria’s most active port in the 1880s.
Granny’s Grave is a lone monument in the dunes close to The Promenade, off Hickford Parade overlooking Lady Bay. The gravestone was erected in 1904 in recognition of the first white woman to be buried in Warrnambool. It marks the final resting place of Mrs. James Raddleston who died in 1848, when the Warrnambool settlement was less than a year old.
Here you can find a poem by Maureen Clifford about Granny's Grave. Excuse the poor quality of the photos, but they were taken in 2001 with one of my early digital cameras. It's amazing how in a decade the digital technology has advanced so amazingly. Also it does not help that the writing is painted green writing on the stone, which makes for very poor contrast. For easier reading, the inscription on the marker has been transcribed for you.
This post is part of Julie's Taphophile Tragics meme.
