We last visited Warrnambool in November 2018 and loved it so much we wanted to stay permanently. It was lovely to return and still have the same feeling for this rugged seaside town oozing with maritime history and a vibrant gourmet food and artistic scene, which reminds us very much of Albany in Western Australia. We met new local James, at the Grape and Barley, a craft beer aficionado now living in Warrnambool with his Mum after being priced out of the competitive rental market in Melbourne, and Simone and Richard also from Melbourne who had stopped over in Warrnambool on their way to see family near Robe in South Australia. Warrnambool Art Gallery (WAG)Exhibition: "There's no place like home" curated by Serena Wong "looks at both the good and the bad as equal threads in the story of this nation." Exhibition: Local artist Rachel Robb uses oil to create slow, small-scale paintings that merge the mundane with the sublime in a traditional still-life format Exhibition: "Structures of Feelings" aligns the work of two ground-breaking Australian artists from different generations, Paul Yore (1987-) and Albert Tucker (1914-1999) to interrogate the response by each artist to their socio-political surroundings. "By aligning the practices of Tucker and Yore, the exhibition draws attention to the incredible power that cultural regimes wield in shaping belief systems." Little East BeachKnown as Port Fairy's safest dog beach because it is a protected cove with little to no surf and it didn't disappoint. We left Cherry at the end of Griffiths Street and walked along the beach towards Battery Hill, then into town. Battery HillThe concrete fortifications at Battery Hill originally known as Flagstaff Hill, the Harbour Master’s signal point for shipping, were completed in 1887 in response to a perceived invasion threat by Russian after the Crimean War, which was won by a British and France alliance. Each year in January on Sunday morning the cannon is fired to celebrate the New Year and share the history of this quaint seaside town. Around town
Tower Hill and KoroitA wildlife reserve managed by the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperation is home to emus, koalas, echidnas, turtles, possums and kangaroos who can be seen around the crater lake and rugged bushland. The Natural History Centre, currently under renovation, was designed in 1962 by Australian architect Robin Boyd, cylindrical in shape echoes the form of this now inactive volcano. The reserve is a no dog zone so we could only drive around the circuit track but it was still very impressive, and the crater loop track would make for an exciting walk. Located near Tower Hill, with rich volcanic soil, Koroit is a historic Irish farming settlement dating back to the 1840s, which is said to boast Australia’s most “complete examples” of early Irish architecture.
Flagstaff Hill Maritime VillageAdmittedly this wasn't one of the most exciting tourists attractions we'd experienced, but we did learn many interesting maritime facts, including the Shipwreck Coast, that stretches 120 kilometres from Apollo Bay to Portland is aptly named as it has claimed over 100 ships, with many coming to grief at Lady Bay in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Cape Otway. Most famously the Loch Ard ran aground on Muttonbird Island, near what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge in 1878. Of the 54 passengers on board only two survived, Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael, Pearce saving Carmichael's life by dragging her from the wreckage to safety before leaving her in a cave whilst he went to raise the alarm. A peacock made by Minton Earthenware and sent from England to be displayed at the Great Exhibition at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne due to be held in 1880 also survived the wreck. Amazingly the peacock was pulled from the wreckage of the Loch Ard two days after the disaster, remaining for many years displayed in the hallway of a Geelong residence before being purchased by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in 1975. The peacock is currently valued at over $4million and was the highlight of museum, standing at 152 cms tall the detail and colours are stunning and worth paying the $18 entrance fee just to see.
Around TownShovel and I really enjoyed the relaxed slower pace of Warrnambool and had a wonderful four days exploring the area. The township of Warrnambool was first surveyed in 1846 with the name Warrnambool derived from local indigenous language meaning volcanic cone. But it was back in 1800 that the area now known as Warrnambool was first documented by Europeans when James Grant sailed past in the Lady Nelson. A replica of the ship is displayed at the Visitor's Centre in Mount Gambier. Warrnambool became an important shipping port, but due to the advent of the railway and the devastating coast line the port was closed in 1942.
Jimmi Buscombe a local artist created the "wombat" drawing out of chalk on a rail underpass near his home as a practice run for street art he was commissioned to complete for the local city council. A local graffiti removalist loved the image so much that instead of removing it painted over it with an automotive clear paint immortalising the art work and providing an accidental platform for future commissions for the artist. We were told of this story by a lady in a beautiful homewares store called, Ink and Feathers. |
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