Cape Paterson () is a cape and seaside village located near the town of Wonthaggi, south-east of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...

via the South Gippsland and Bass Highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Known originally for the discovery of coal by William Hovell in 1826, it is now extremely popular for its beaches and rockpool and at the 2011 census, it had a population of 718. Cape Paterson has six beaches. Cape Paterson was named by Lieut. James Grant in 1801 to honour explorer Lieut. Col. William Paterson, second in command of the Botany Bay (Sydney) battalion.

Today

Cape Paterson is a small town near the larger town of Wonthaggi. It is a popular tourist destination and has a large influx of campers during the summer months. Fishing is very popular there. Cape Paterson has 2 local lifesaving clubs. The Wonthaggi Royal Life Saving Club and is located at the Bay Beach, and the Cape Paterson Surf Life Saving Club is located at First Surf Beach.

Rockpool

The Bay Beach near Cape Paterson caravan park on Surf Beach Road is popular as it has a modified rockpool for swimming. The rockpool was built by miners in the 1960s, at a time when the environment was less of a priority in Australia Miners building rockpool, 1960's, Cape Paterson

Coast

Cape Paterson has six beaches, namely "F" Break, 2nd Surf, 1st Surf, Safety Beach-Browns Bay, Undertow Bay and The Oaks.

Fishing

Cape Paterson is popular for surf and rock fishing. Undertow Bay is popular for catching Mullet and Salmon. Brown's Bay is good for Whiting and juvenile Snapper (Pinky). In the whole of the Bunurong Marine Park it is prohibited to take or kill reef fish such as Parrot Fish, Bluenose Wrasse and Leather Jackets. In the Bunurong Marine National Park all fishing is prohibited. Cape Paterson Beach Shimmer

Museum

Australia’s first dinosaur bone, the Cape Paterson Claw, was discovered here in 1903 by William Ferguson nearby in what is now Eagles Nest, Bunurong Marine National Park, Inverloch. Today, the

Dinosaur Dreaming Dinosaur Dreaming is a paleontological site situated near Inverloch, Victoria, Australia. Remains of primitive mammals from the Cretaceous Age were first uncovered there in 1997 by researchers from Museum Victoria and the Monash University Science ...

fossil excavation at the Flat Rocks coastal site by

Anderson Inlet Anderson Inlet ( Boonwurrung: ''Toluncan''), sometimes incorrectly referred to as Andersons Inlet, is a shallow and dynamic estuary in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia where the Tarwin River enters Bass Strait. It forms a almost enclose ...

attracts both Australian and international visitors. More than 6000 bones and teeth of small dinosaurs, mammals, birds, turtles and fish have been excavated. There is a Dinosaur exhibibition at the Inverloch Shell Museum

Bunurong Marine Parks

Bunurong Marine Park is a 17 km marine and coastal park along the

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

of Harmers Haven, Cape Paterson and Inverloch namely Coal Point to Wreck Creek. Bunurong Marine National Park is an outstretching middle section of Bunurong Marine Park. The National Park part is about 21 km² or about 5 km in length along the coast and stretching from 2.5 km east of Cape Paterson eastwards to a point 6 km south-west of Inverloch, extending seawards for 3 nm to the limit of

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

waters. The restricted zone/ state park (Bunurong Marine National Park inside Bunurong Marine Park), on foot begins after Undertow Bay heading towards Inverloch from Cape Paterson. It is an area past Safety Beach and rockpool and past Undertow Bay beach namely The Oaks, Twin Reefs, Shack Bay and Eagles Nest. It ends at Wreck Creek and Inverloch. It is prohibited to kill or take any matter (i.e., catch fish, collect seashells or kill or take any sea or land

creature Creature often refers to: * An animal, monster, or alien Creature or creatures may also refer to: Film and television * ''Creature'' (1985 film), a 1985 science fiction film by William Malone * ''Creature'' (miniseries), a 1998 TV movie abou ...

, living or dead) from the smaller of the two parks; Bunurong Marine National Park. Both parks are named after the

Bunurong The Boonwurrung people are an Aboriginal people of the Kulin nation, who are the traditional owners of the land from the Werribee River to Wilsons Promontory in the Australian state of Victoria. Their territory includes part of what is now ...

Aboriginal people. Bunurong Marine Park is considered special due to the unusual set of environmental conditions. It supports many marine animals including seastars, featherstars, crabs, snails, 87 species of fish, Whales and Seals. It has the highest recorded diversity of intertidal and subtidal

invertebrates Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

in eastern Victoria. The range of

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of ''Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ke ...

species is large. Flat Rocks is a beach which has large rockpools for rockpooling/rambling and direct access from Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road. Bunurong Marine Park is seen and accessed at many different points along this coast, a popular one being near Cape Paterson caravan park on Surf Beach Road as it has a modified rockpool for swimming. The National Park is around to the left. Direct and more difficult access to the National Park is via car parks off Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road. Exploring,

snorkelling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...

and

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chri ...

are popular. There are boat launching facilities at Inverloch on

. Eagles Nest is a large rock structure adjacent to the coastline that resembles the top half of a map of Australia. Cape Paterson Reef

Climate

Cape Paterson's location on the north shore of Bass Strait gives it an oceanic climate, with the moderating effect of the ocean allowing a narrower temperature range throughout the year compared to other regions in Victoria. Average daily maximum temperatures range from 23.5 °C in summer to 13.5 in winter. Frost is rare, occurring on average 6 mornings a year.

History

The Bunurong

Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

people used this stretch of coast for thousands of years prior to

white White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

occupation. The Boakoolawal clan lived in the Kilcunda area south of the Bass River, and the Yowenjerre were west of the Tarwin River along what is now the Bunurong Marine and Coastal Park. Middens containing charcoal and

shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater env ...

mark the location of their campsites along the coast. Explorer William Hovell first discovered black coal in the cliffs at Cape Paterson in 1826.This and other sites were rediscovered 10 years later by Samuel Anderson who settled at Bass in 1835. In 1858, 2,000 tons of coal were hauled to the coast at Cape Paterson and taken by whaleboat to ships for transportation to Melbourne. Tram rails on the beach are reminders of further attempts to remove coal from the area later in the century, which still remain on the beach to the west of No 2 surf beach. Cape Paterson had a Post Office from 1969 to (probably) 1975 which was open only during summer.

Tourist Information

An in depth tourist information guide is available on th
Visit Cape Paterson Website

Education

There is one primary school in nearby Inverloch and three

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

s and one secondary college in nearby Wonthaggi. Also in Wonthaggi Chisholm TAFE, Bass Coast

Specialist School Specialist schools, also known as specialised schools or specialized schools, are schools which specialise in a certain area or field of curriculum. In some countries, for example New Zealand, the term is used exclusively for schools specialis ...

, Bass Coast

Adult Education Centre Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...

, University of the Third Age (

U3A The University of the Third Age (U3A) is an international movement whose aims are the education and stimulation of mainly retired members of the community—those in their third 'age' of life. There is no universally accepted model for the U3A. It ...

) retirees education centre, and Connecting Skills Australia (CSA) specialist developmental school, support and employment services/training. Plans are underway for a new tertiary education facility.

Facilities

* Safety Beach and rockpool, Browns Bay, Surf Beach Road *

Playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...

- picnic areas, table, barbecue, near the caravan park, Surf Beach Road *

Coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

; "F" Break, 2nd Surf, 1st Surf, Safety Beach Browns Bay, Undertow Bay, The Oaks, Twin Reefs, Shack Bay, Eagles Nest, The Caves and Flat Rocks * Old foreshore public hall * Wonthaggi Market - every 2nd Sunday in the centre of Wonthaggi * Historic mine

whistle A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a lar ...

sounds 12 noon every day in the centre of Wonthaggi - mine shaft tower, Apex Park, Murray Street, Wonthaggi * Seashell/driftwood

Collecting The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining items that are of interest to an individual ''collector''. Collections differ in a wide variety of respects, most obvio ...

is NOT permitted on Cape Paterson coast from; ‘The Oaks’ to ‘Eagles Nest’ as this is the Bunurong Marine National Park. Access near Cape Paterson caravan park on Surf Beach Road. Left down the coast is Browns Bay, Undertow Bay, The Oaks, Twin Reefs, Shack Bay, Eagles Nest, Wreck Creek, The Caves, Flat Rocks * Bunurong Marine Park - explore/snorkel, Surf Beach Road * Bunurong Marine National Park - protected state park, explore/snorkel, Inverloch-Cape Paterson Road * Wonthaggi

Golf Course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The ...

- 18 hole, par 72, ACR 70, easy walk, McKenzie Street, Wonthaggi *

Wonthaggi railway station Wonthaggi was a railway station located in the town of Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia. Built to serve the town, as well as the State Coal Mine, the station was the official terminus station of the Wonthaggi line, but two short branch lines con ...

museum - open Saturday mornings, Murray Street, Wonthaggi *

State Coal Mine The State Coal Mine, also known as State Coal Mine Heritage Area, is a former 20th-century state-owned black coal mine located in Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia. The mine was operational from 1910 until 1968 and is now a state park and tourist a ...

- museum and tours, Garden Street, Wonthaggi * Coal mine

ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

- Number 5 Brace & the McBride tunnel entry, off West Area Road Wonthaggi and scattered around this and neighbouring towns * Wonthaggi has many large

chain store A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many ...

s; RACV Inverloch Resort (accommodation choices & restaurant/Sunday buffet), four major supermarkets; Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, IGA. Four

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more genera ...

agencies; Stockdale & Leggo,

LJ Hooker LJ Hooker is one of Australia's largest real estate groups, with 600 franchise offices and 6,000 people engaged in residential and commercial property sales and property management. The company was founded in 1928 by Sir Leslie Joseph ...

, Alex Scott and PBE. Clothing and homewares; Target, Big W, Best & Less, Harvey Norman. Bunnings Warehouse ( hardware) and Mitre 10 (hardware).

Take-out A take-out or takeout (U.S., Canada, and the Philippines); carry-out or to-go (Scotland and some dialects in the U.S. and Canada); takeaway (England, Wales, Australia, Lebanon, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and occasionally in Nort ...

; McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Subway, Domino's (pizza), cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs, hotels and markets. * Wonthaggi Hospital -

Smoking ban Smoking bans, or smoke-free laws, are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, that prohibit tobacco smoking in certain spaces. The spaces most commonly affected by smoking bans are indoor workp ...

, Graham Street, Wonthaggi

References

External links

Cape Paterson
an
Cape Paterson
at the

Gazetteer of Australia The Gazetteer of Australia is an index or dictionary of the location and spelling of geographical names across Australia. Geographic names include towns, suburbs and roads, plus geographical features such as hills, rivers, and lakes. The index i ...

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{{authority control Coastal towns in Victoria (Australia)

Paterson Paterson may refer to: People * Paterson (surname) * Paterson (given name) Places Australia *Paterson, New South Wales *Paterson River, New South Wales * Division of Paterson, an electoral district in New South Wales *Paterson, Queensland, a lo ...

Towns in Victoria (Australia) Towns in South Gippsland Bass Coast Shire