The Bellarine Peninsula
The Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria, Australia : bounded by Bass Strait to the south, The
Rip at Port Phillip Heads to the east, Swan Bay and Port Phillip Bay to the north, and the
Barwon River to the west.
The area was originally inhabited by the Bengalat balug (Clan) of the
Wathaurong Tribe. The first European in the area was the infamous William Buckley in 1803,
followed by members of the Port Phillip Association in 1835. By 1836 the peninsula was
occupied by squatters before becoming an agricultural area. Today small farms still exist
across the peninsula between the numerous towns and holiday resorts dotted around the
coast, with Geelong (to the north west of the peninsula) being the nearest city.
Bellarine History on the Internet Project
Members of the Bellarine Historical Society and residents of the towns of the Bellarine
Peninsula have commenced a major project to document the history of their local areas on
the Internet. These histories will includes towns, buildings, families, schools,
environment - in fact any subject which adds to the history of the Bellarine Peninsula.
These are not all encompassing histories and certainly will not replace the need for
researchers to visit or contact the Bellarine Historical Society and other local
repositories for more detailed information. The purpose of these histories is to increase
the awareness of the depth of history on the Peninsula and to encourage further research
into local archives.
Bellarine History Links
The Bellarine
Peninsula (& nearby) : societies, libraries, schools, information etc.
If you know of an Internet site which should be added to one of our categories, please
email the information to Susie Zada.
Links highlighted with 
signify
sites of particular interest to family and local history researchers.
