Cowes, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Cowes is the main township on Phillip Island in the Gippsland
region of Victoria, Australia
. It is less than 2 hours drive from Melbourne
and can also be reached by 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 2006 census
, Cowes had a population of 3678.
and named the town he surveyed after the seaport town of Cowes
on the Isle of Wight
, England
. The Post Office opened on 1 August 1869.
The main road of the island (Phillip Island Road) leads into Cowes and becomes the main road of Cowes, 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. 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 they were cancelled. 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 of 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.
Many of the roads in Cowes (and Ventnor), Phillip Island are named after other towns and villages on the Isle of Wight
, the Island that inspired both town's names.
The hotel was destroyed by fire in July 2010
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
region of Victoria, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is less than 2 hours drive from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and can also be reached by ferry from Stony Point on the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in 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 the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
. Cowes is located on the northern side of Phillip Island and faces towards French Island and the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in 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 the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Cowes had a population of 3678.
History
The area was originally known as Mussel Rocks. In 1865, a government surveyor Henry Cox returned from a holiday retreat in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and named the town he surveyed after the seaport town of Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The Post Office opened on 1 August 1869.
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 main road of Cowes, 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. 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
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
event was held at 9pm on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
until in 2010 they were cancelled. Occasionally a container ship
Container ship
Container ships are cargo ships that carry all of their load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport.-History:...
can be seen from the waterfront heading to or from the port at Hastings
Hastings, Victoria
Hastings is a suburb on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, as a part of the urban enclave on Westernport comprising Hastings, Bittern, Crib Point, Tyabb, and Somerville. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula...
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
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.-Road 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 of 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
Alberton Football League
The Alberton Football League is an Australian rules football league covering the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia.-History:The Alberton Football League was formed in 1946, replacing the earlier Alberton Football Association, and comprised eight clubs—Carrajung, Devon, Foster, Ramblers,...
.
Golfers play at the course of Phillip Island Golf on Settlement Road.
Many of the roads in Cowes (and Ventnor), Phillip Island are named after other towns and villages on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, the Island that inspired both town's names.
The hotel was destroyed by fire in July 2010