Wye River, Victoria
| Wye River Victoria | |
|---|---|
 Looking South over Wye River Township | |
  Wye River | |
| Coordinates | 38°38′S 143°53′E / 38.633°S 143.883°E |
| Population | 144(2006)[1] |
| Postcode(s) | 3221 |
| Location | |
| LGA(s) | Colac Otway Shire |
| State electorate(s) | Polwarth |
| Federal division(s) | Corangamite |
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.[1]
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 England. 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[citation needed].
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.[2]
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 at regional, state and International levels, with the club recently competing at the Rescue 2010, World Lifesaving Championships Alexandria, Egypt.
References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Wye River (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
- ^ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, retrieved 2008-04-11
External links
- Otway Coast Tourism information
- Wye Falls
- Colac Otway Shire
- Colac Otway Web - Great Ocean Road - *Wye River
- Wye River Surf Life Saving Club
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