Wye River, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Wye River is a small town in Victoria
, Australia
. It is also the name given to the waterway which flows through the town and into the sea at this point. Situated some 155 km west of Melbourne
, on the Otway Coast
part of the scenic Great Ocean Road
, the Wye River township is a popular tourist destination about 15 km west of the resort town of Lorne, Victoria
. It became a popular place for Melbournians to holiday after the Great Ocean Road was officially opened in 1932. The postcode of Wye River is 3221. At the 2006 census
, Wye River had a permanent population of 144 although its holiday population is ten times that number.
. Alex MacLennan settled a little further west at a site he named The Kennet (later the town of Kennett River
) after another UK river.
The rivers in question were probably the River Wye
in Buckinghamshire
and the River Kennet
, tributaries of the River Thames
in England
.
Wye River Post Office opened on 19 January 1914 though before 1945 it was reduced to just a Telegraph office for considerable periods of time, mail being delivered from Lorne
.
There are two caravan parks, the Foreshore, located close to the main beach, and the Wye Valley Caravan Park, which is privately owned.
There is one general store which contains a post office and takeaway, a cafe, and a pub.
The Wye River Surf Life Saving Club is affiliated with Surf Life Saving Australia and has 100+ active members who volunteer their time to patrol the beach from 28th November 2009 to 5th April 2010 on Weekends & Public Holidays.
The club regularly participates in carnivals and IRB racing
at regional, state and International levels, with the club recently competing at the Rescue 2010, World Lifesaving Championships Alexandria, Egypt.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 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 also the name given to the waterway which flows through the town and into the sea at this point. Situated some 155 km west of 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...
, on the Otway Coast
Otway Coast
The Otway Coast comprises a popular beach and national park section of the Great Ocean Road on the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Lorne and Apollo Bay...
part of the scenic Great Ocean Road
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is a stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. The road was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932, and is the world's largest war memorial; dedicated to casualties of World War I...
, the Wye River township is a popular tourist destination about 15 km west of the resort town of Lorne, Victoria
Lorne, Victoria
Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route...
. It became a popular place for Melbournians to holiday after the Great Ocean Road was officially opened in 1932. The postcode of Wye River is 3221. 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,...
, Wye River had a permanent population of 144 although its holiday population is ten times that number.
History
The site was occupied by white settlers in 1882. Brothers Alex and Donald MacRea and their cousin Alex MacLennan were looking for an area suited to farming and fishing and chose this site. The MacRaes settled near Separation Creek, establishing a farm which they named The Wye after a river 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...
. Alex MacLennan settled a little further west at a site he named The Kennet (later the town of Kennett River
Kennett River, Victoria
Kennett River is a small seaside town in Victoria, Australia.Situated west of Melbourne, on the Otway Coast part of the scenic Great Ocean Road, Kennett River is a popular tourist destination from the resort town of Lorne, Victoria.-History:...
) after another UK river.
The rivers in question were probably the River Wye
River Wye, Buckinghamshire
The River Wye in Buckinghamshire is a river in England that rises in the Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire. It flows for around , through High Wycombe on its way down to Bourne End, where it meets the River Thames on the reach above Cookham Lock....
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and the River Kennet
River Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
, tributaries of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in 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...
.
Wye River Post Office opened on 19 January 1914 though before 1945 it was reduced to just a Telegraph office for considerable periods of time, mail being delivered from Lorne
Lorne, Victoria
Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route...
.
Tourism
The area is known for scenic coastal views, the Great Otway National Park, and surfing.There are two caravan parks, the Foreshore, located close to the main beach, and the Wye Valley Caravan Park, which is privately owned.
There is one general store which contains a post office and takeaway, a cafe, and a pub.
Organisations
Wye River has a Fire Brigade and a Surf Lifesaving Club (Wye River SLSC).The Wye River Surf Life Saving Club is affiliated with Surf Life Saving Australia and has 100+ active members who volunteer their time to patrol the beach from 28th November 2009 to 5th April 2010 on Weekends & Public Holidays.
The club regularly participates in carnivals and IRB racing
IRB racing
Inflatable Rescue Boat Racing, is a surf sport where local surf lifesaving club teams race Inflatable Rescue Boats under competitive conditions...
at regional, state and International levels, with the club recently competing at the Rescue 2010, World Lifesaving Championships Alexandria, Egypt.