Phillip Island - Victoria - Islands of Australia

Phillip Island is well-settled, with somewhat more than 7000 year round residents upon land area roughly 26 kilometers long and 9 kilometers wide. A bridge connects the township of Newhaven to the mainland village of San Remo, and the island is about two hours by car from the city of Melbourne.

The island is a popular tourist destination for several reasons, most notably the nightly “Penguin Parade” at Summerland Beach, in which visitors can watch groups of “Fairy Penguins” returning from their sea hunting. Koalas, dolphins, seals, pelicans and many other types of wildlife can also be seen in the various parks. The island also has its own Grand Prix track in Cowes, which hosts races for V8 Supercars, Motorcycle Grand Prix, Superbike and many more types of racing almost year round. On New Years Eve each year, more than 10,000 music enthusiasts gather for the Pyramid Rock Festival.

The island was often visited by aboriginal Australians, but was given its modern name after its “discovery” by British explorer George Bass in 1798. It was named for Governor Arthur Phillip, founder of Sydney. No permanent settlement was made until 1826, after which the farming of the coffee additive chicory was its primary industry. Several ships have run aground in the sometimes tricky waters.

The most populous township on the island is Cowes. It was originally named Mussel Rocks, but renamed after the town on the Isle of Wight in 1865 by a homesick sea commander. The township’s jetty, built in 1870, was the docking point for the island ferry, which was the most common point of access for visitors for the next seventy years.

An access road and spectator platforms built in the 1920s allowed viewing of penguin colonies, which quickly became a major tourist draw, and car ferry service was instituted. A suspension bridge was built in 1940, and the first of the Grand Prix races soon followed, along with more nature tourists. A concrete bridge was built in 1969 to serve the ever-increasing traffic.

In the 1990s, several different parks and preserves were combined into the non-profit Phillips Island Nature Parks, which now oversees the Penguin Parade, the Koala Conservation Centre, Churchill Island, the Rhyll Inlet, The Nobbies headland and blowhole, Seal Rock, Swan Lake and more.

The island now serves more than 3.5 million visitors every year.