Point Wilson, Victoria

Last updated

Point Wilson
Victoria
Point-wilson-victoria.jpg
Road towards Point Wilson
Australia Victoria Greater Geelong City location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Point Wilson
Coordinates 38°01′16″S144°31′44″E / 38.02111°S 144.52889°E / -38.02111; 144.52889
Population0 (SAL 2016) [1] [2]
Postcode(s) 3212
Elevation95 m (312 ft) [3]
Location
LGA(s) City of Greater Geelong
Mean max temp [3] Mean min temp [3] Annual rainfall
18.2 °C
65 °F		11.8 °C
53 °F		?
Localities around Point Wilson:
Little River Little River Cocoroc
Avalon Point Wilson Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip

Point Wilson is a locality located on the northern shores of Corio Bay, Victoria. it is approximately 60 kilometres by road from Melbourne, and 25 kilometres by road from Geelong.

Contents

The locality is bounded by Pousties Road to the west, the Princes Freeway to the north west, Little River to the north east, and Corio Bay to the south. Point Wilson is sparsely populated, and public access to the area is restricted due to the explosives facility located in the area. Other nearby land uses include the Murtcaim Wildlife Area and Melbourne Water's Western Treatment Plant.

Environment

The Point Wilson area is environmentally sensitive. It forms part of the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site as a wetland of international importance. [4] It contains important habitat for the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot that uses the coastal salt marsh as a wintering site. [5] The site is part of the Werribee and Avalon Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for wetland and waterbirds as well as orange-bellied parrots. [6]

The area surrounding the jetty consists of salt marshes, a low basalt bluff, and shelly ridges. The environment is considered in good condition due to the lack of human disturbance. [7]

Explosives

Disused bunker near the shoreline of Corio Bay Point-wilson-bunkers.jpg
Disused bunker near the shoreline of Corio Bay

Point Wilson has been used as an explosives magazine since 1962, when the facility was relocated from the Altona explosives storage near Laverton. [8] Owned by the Commonwealth of Australia, the Point Wilson Explosives Area is 326 hectares in size.

A 2,700 metre long steel and concrete jetty and wharf structure was constructed in the late 1950s for the importation of explosives. Four explosives storage and handling buildings were constructed in 1981. Commercial ships are used to transport ordnance and explosives from Europe and the United States to Australia, where they are offloaded at facilities including Point Wilson.

1994 saw the East Coast Armaments Complex proposal made by the Commonwealth of Australia, which involved the upgrade of the facility to handle the loading of explosives to naval ships. The proposal was deferred, [9] although the facility continues to handle the import of explosives for the defence forces.

Chemicals

ICI proposed a chloralkali-based petrochemical complex for Point Wilson in the 1970s. [10] This proposal did not succeed.

The Victorian State Government in 1994 proposed that the Coode Island bulk liquid chemical storage facility be relocated to the adjacent Point Lillias. [11] The proposal was dropped in June 1997. [12]

Climate

Point Wilson possesses an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), with tepid summers and mild winters. Average maxima vary from 23.3 °C (73.9 °F) in January to 12.9 °C (55.2 °F) in July while average minima fluctuate between 16.4 °C (61.5 °F) in January to 7.7 °C (45.9 °F) in July. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) on 25 January 2003 to −1.1 °C (30.0 °F) on 26 February 1994. [13]

Climate data for Point Wilson ( 38°06′S144°32′E / 38.10°S 144.54°E / -38.10; 144.54 , 18 m AMSL) (1990-2008 normals & extremes)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)40.7
(105.3)		39.3
(102.7)		37.5
(99.5)		32.4
(90.3)		25.4
(77.7)		21.3
(70.3)		20.3
(68.5)		23.9
(75.0)		27.7
(81.9)		34.9
(94.8)		40.3
(104.5)		40.3
(104.5)		40.7
(105.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)23.3
(73.9)		23.2
(73.8)		21.6
(70.9)		18.6
(65.5)		16.0
(60.8)		13.8
(56.8)		12.9
(55.2)		13.9
(57.0)		15.9
(60.6)		17.5
(63.5)		19.4
(66.9)		21.7
(71.1)		18.2
(64.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)16.4
(61.5)		15.9
(60.6)		14.8
(58.6)		12.4
(54.3)		10.5
(50.9)		8.9
(48.0)		7.7
(45.9)		8.0
(46.4)		9.3
(48.7)		10.6
(51.1)		12.7
(54.9)		14.4
(57.9)		11.8
(53.2)
Record low °C (°F)8.8
(47.8)		−1.1
(30.0)		7.9
(46.2)		6.2
(43.2)		3.8
(38.8)		2.5
(36.5)		2.6
(36.7)		3.6
(38.5)		3.9
(39.0)		3.5
(38.3)		4.9
(40.8)		6.6
(43.9)		−1.1
(30.0)
Average afternoon relative humidity (%)61626165697271676360615764
Average dew point °C (°F)12.5
(54.5)		13.1
(55.6)		11.8
(53.2)		10.1
(50.2)		9.1
(48.4)		7.7
(45.9)		6.9
(44.4)		6.7
(44.1)		7.0
(44.6)		7.7
(45.9)		9.8
(49.6)		10.4
(50.7)		9.4
(48.9)
Source: Bureau of Meteorology (1990-2008 normals & extremes) [3]

Point Wilson is the location of a Bureau of Meteorology weather station that opened in 1990. [14]

Culture

Some of the shooting locations featured in the film Mad Max are on Point Wilson Road. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avalon, Victoria</span> Suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia

Avalon is a locality situated north east of Geelong, Victoria. Its local government area is the City of Greater Geelong and its Ward is Windermere. It is located on the northern shore of Corio Bay to the southwest of the state's capital city of Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Cook, Victoria</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Point Cook is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 22 km (14 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Point Cook recorded a population of 66,781 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altona, Victoria</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Altona is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km (8.1 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hobsons Bay local government area. Altona recorded a population of 11,490 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laverton, Victoria</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Laverton established in 1886, is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km (11 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Hobsons Bay and Wyndham local government areas. Laverton recorded a population of 4,760 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoppers Crossing railway station</span> Railway station in Melbourne, Australia

Hoppers Crossing railway station is a commuter railway station on the Werribee line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the western suburb of Hoppers Crossing, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Hoppers Crossing station is a ground level unstaffed station, featuring an island platform, it opened on 16 November 1970, with the current platforms provided in 1983 and the footbridge in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princes Freeway</span> Freeway in Victoria, Australia

Princes Freeway is a 159-kilometre (99 mi) Australian freeway, divided into two sections, both located in Victoria, Australia. The freeway links Melbourne to Geelong in the west, and to Morwell in the east. It continues beyond these extremities as the Princes Highway towards Adelaide to the west and Sydney to the northeast. The freeway bears the designation M1.

Laverton, originally known as British Flag, is a town in the Goldfields region of Western Australia, and the centre of administration for the Shire of Laverton. The town of Laverton is located at the western edge of the Great Victoria Desert, 957 kilometres (595 mi) north-northeast of the state capital, Perth, and 124 kilometres (77 mi) east-northeast of the town of Leonora, with an elevation of 461 metres (1,512 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altona Meadows, Victoria</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Altona Meadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km (11 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hobsons Bay local government area. Altona Meadows recorded a population of 18,479 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port of Melbourne</span> Port

The Port of Melbourne is the largest port for containerised and general cargo in Australia. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria, and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself. Since 1 July 2003, the Port of Melbourne has been managed by the Port of Melbourne Corporation, a statutory corporation created by the State of Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Melbourne, Victoria</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

West Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km (1.2 mi) north-west of the Melbourne central business district, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. West Melbourne recorded a population of 8,025 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geelong V/Line rail service</span> Passenger rail service in Victoria, Australia

The Geelong V/Line rail service is a regional passenger rail service operated by V/Line in Victoria, Australia. It serves 15 stations towards its terminus in Waurn Ponds, a southern suburb of Geelong, via the Regional Rail Link. It is the most used regional rail service in Victoria, carrying 8.15 million people in the 2022-23 financial year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coode Island</span> Former island in Victoria, Australia

Coode Island is a former island at the convergence of the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers, 4 km west of central Melbourne, Australia. The island was formed by the excavation of the Coode Canal in 1887, and became connected to the mainland in the 1930s. Today the low-lying land is part of the Port of Melbourne, and is used as the site of Swanson and Appleton Docks and their associated container storage and rail yards, as well as a number of chemical storage facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaholme</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Seaholme is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km (7.5 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hobsons Bay local government area. Seaholme recorded a population of 2,067 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colleen Hartland</span> Australian politician (born 1959)

Colleen Mildred Hartland is a former Australian politician, and a Greens member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 2006 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port of Geelong</span> Port in Victoria, Australia

The Port of Geelong is located on the shores of Corio Bay at Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The port is the sixth-largest in Australia by tonnage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Altona</span> Local government area in Victoria, Australia

The City of Altona was a local government area about 13 kilometres (8 mi) west of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of 40.18 square kilometres (15.51 sq mi), and existed from 1957 until 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Port Phillip</span>

Port Phillip, sometimes referred to as Port Phillip Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia, 1,930 km2 in area, with a coastline length of 264 km (164 mi). The bay is extremely shallow for its size, but mostly navigable. The deepest portion is only 24 m (80 ft), and half the region is shallower than 8 m. Its volume is around 25 km3. The city of Melbourne is located at its northern end, near the mouth of the Yarra River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truganina Explosives Reserve</span> Former government magazine in City of Hobsons Bay, Australia

The Truganina Explosives Reserve was a secure storage facility near Altona in the Australian state of Victoria. It was in operation from 1901 to 1962 to store mainly civilian explosives for mining and construction. The camp included several storage sheds and a jetty, which were connected by a narrow-gauge horse-drawn tramway. Like the Dry Creek explosives depot at Port Adelaide, the site is a testimony to history and transportation in Australia.

The Port Phillip Bay and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site is one of the Australian sites listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. It was designated on 15 December 1982, and is listed as Ramsar Site No.266. Much of the site is also part of either the Swan Bay and Port Phillip Bay Islands Important Bird Area or the Werribee and Avalon Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of their importance for wetland and waterbirds as well as for orange-bellied parrots. It comprises some six disjunct, largely coastal, areas of land, totalling 229 km2, along the western shore of Port Phillip and on the Bellarine Peninsula, in the state of Victoria. Wetland types protected include shallow marine waters, estuaries, freshwater lakes, seasonal swamps, intertidal mudflats and seagrass beds.

Point Lillias is a narrow peninsula jutting southwards from the northern coast of Corio Bay, north of the city of Geelong, in Victoria, Australia. It was formed by a southward-trending tongue of lava from the volcanic flows of the Werribee Plains. The seaward end of the peninsula forms a low cliff fringed by shelly beach ridges. Forming the end of the same lava tongue, 500 metres to the south, is a small basalt island known as Bird Rock, connected by a submerged shoal to the peninsula. Point Lillias adjoins the evaporation ponds of the Cheetham saltworks at Avalon. It is listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention as part of the Port Phillip Bay and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site.

References

  1. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Point Wilson (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2016.  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Point Wilson (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2016 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Point Wilson Climate Statistics (1990-2008)". Bureau of Meteorology . Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  4. ↑ "Commonwealth heritage places in Victoria". Archived from the original on 18 July 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.
  5. ↑ "Birds Australia Report Series". Archived from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.
  6. ↑ BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Werribee and Avalon. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2011-11-23.
  7. ↑ "DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES - Point Wilson - Prograding Shell Ridges" . Retrieved 26 July 2007.
  8. ↑ "Rail Geelong - Laverton Station" . Retrieved 26 July 2007.
  9. ↑ "REPORT relating to the proposed EAST COAST ARMAMENT COMPLEX POINT WILSON, VIC" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.
  10. ↑ "Chemical Industry - Victoria" . Retrieved 26 July 2007.
  11. ↑ "TWO MAJOR PROJECTS - A BOOST FOR VICTORIA". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.
  12. ↑ "NO CHEMICAL STORAGE PROPOSAL FOR POINT LILLIAS". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.
  13. ↑ "Aireys Inlet Climate (1990-2008)". FarmOnline Weather. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  14. ↑ "Bureau of Meteorology site summary" . Retrieved 26 July 2007.
  15. ↑ Chris (29 January 2020). "Oh what a day…what a lovely day! (Mad Max Shooting Locations)". Via Corsa. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.