Moyne History Trail
Port Fairy's vibrant community was centuries in the making. Go beyond the surface and discover the people, places and events that made the region what it is today.
Follow walking trails around Port Fairy and explore surrounding towns and villages to discover pioneering architecture, maritime heritage, inspiring stories and heartfelt memories preserved in museums, archives and interpretive spaces.
Trace the footsteps of early residents through colonial streetscapes and across rural countryside dotted with historic pastoral buildings. Discover the tenacity, humour and passion of the people who shaped the region and those who continue to bring its history to life.
The Moyne History Trail is a regional driving trail rather than one continuous walking route. Individual town trails can be explored on foot.
Moyne History Trail Map
1. Port Fairy Historic Walks
Step back to when whaling ships ruled the ocean and early settlers built a seaside township. Discover more than 70 historically significant buildings and two centuries of ocean-going heritage on Port Fairy's self-guided History Town Building Walk and Shipwreck and Maritime History Walk.
Trail maps are available from the Port Fairy Visitor Information Centre. Guided tours may also be available.
Port Fairy Visitor Information Centre, Railway Place, Bank Street, Port Fairy VIC 3284
2. Port Fairy Museum and Archives
Piece together Port Fairy's past through changing exhibitions, historic photographs, story-filled artefacts and an archive containing authentic records of early life and death in the town.
The museum occupies the original Port Fairy Court House, which was constructed around 1859. Its displays offer fascinating and sometimes surprising insights into the district's history, with opportunities for visitors to interact and learn. Guided tours and larger group visits are available by appointment.
30 Gipps Street, Port Fairy VIC 3284
3. Koroit Heritage Trail
From early Irish settlers drawn to grow potatoes, onions and wheat in the district's rich volcanic soil through to today's vibrant community, there is a palpable Celtic spirit in Koroit.
Discover this history on a walkable or drivable heritage trail featuring more than 30 significant sites. Highlights include one of Victoria's oldest surviving National Schools, small workers' cottages, verandah-fronted shops, churches, civic buildings and the grand Koroit Botanic Gardens.
The trail begins at the former Tower Hill Common School in Victoria Park.
Victoria Park, High Street, Koroit VIC 3282
4. Mortlake History Trail
Bluestone buildings dating from the 1850s, a six-storey stone chimney and the 1873 Temperance Hall are among the historic places found around Mortlake.
Wander through the town's early history and explore more than 20 historic buildings, each with a story to tell. Do not miss the former Mortlake Butter Factory, constructed around 1894, where locally produced milk was once churned into Butterfly brand products.
The trail can be followed on foot or by car.
Mortlake Visitor Information Centre, 125 Dunlop Street, Mortlake VIC 3272
5. Macarthur Heritage Trail
How different was life on the land and in a country township during the late nineteenth century? Find out on the Macarthur Heritage Trail, which explores the town's historic places and stories.
Highlights include the former courthouse and its extensive archive, a replica 1850s barber shop, early hotels, churches, shops, homes, the butter factory and an original police lock-up.
The Macarthur Court House Museum provides a useful starting point for the trail. The museum is open by appointment, and a donation is appreciated.
Macarthur Court House Museum, 31 High Street, Macarthur VIC 3286
6. Yambuk Inn
The historic Yambuk Inn was built during 1870 and 1871 and became an important stopping place for travellers journeying between Port Fairy and Portland.
Its heritage-listed architecture is significant, while the building's stories reflect changing periods of prosperity and hardship. At one time, local doctors regularly offered consultations at the pub.
The inn has not operated regularly as a pub in recent years. Check its current status before planning a meal or drink, but its historic exterior can still be viewed from public areas.
4218 Princes Highway, Yambuk VIC 3285
7. Ellerslie Bridge
Pack a picnic and visit the old Ellerslie Bridge over the Hopkins River. Constructed in 1867 at a crossing formerly known as Letts Ford, it is Victoria's second-oldest positively dated timber-beam road bridge.
The heritage-listed bridge was designed by noted architect Andrew Kerr. Its surviving features include eight timber spans, squared beams, tapered corbels, round-ended walers and distinctive moulded handrails.
The historic bridge stands beside the modern Hopkins Highway crossing. View it only from safe public areas and observe all barriers and signs.
Hopkins Highway, Ellerslie VIC 3265
8. Woodbine Homestead
Woodbine Homestead is a privately owned property dating from the 1840s. The National Trust-noted building can be seen from Woodbine Road.
Admire its strong simplicity of form, limestone construction and isolated setting on the windswept coast east of Port Fairy. The homestead evokes the pioneering life of its original owner, Charles Mills, a whaler, farmer and one of Victoria's earliest European settlers.
The homestead is private property. Remain on the public road and do not enter the property.
Woodbine Road, Port Fairy VIC 3284
9. Peterborough Maritime History
Peterborough's history is firmly anchored in the nineteenth-century shipwrecks scattered along its rugged coastline. The limestone cliffs provide excellent vantage points from which to contemplate the area's maritime heritage.
Nearby wrecks include the Young Australia, which was carrying sugar and rum when it was wrecked in 1877; the magnificent sailing ship Schomberg, wrecked in 1855; and the Newfield, which came to grief on the region's dangerous reefs in 1892.
Coastal lookouts and walking tracks around Peterborough provide views across this historic section of the Shipwreck Coast.
Great Ocean Road, Peterborough VIC 3270
10. Robin Boyd Architecture at Tower Hill
The Tower Hill Natural History Centre was designed by renowned Australian architect Robin Boyd in 1962 and completed in 1969.
The distinctive circular building uses local materials and has a form inspired by a volcanic cone. Its innovative design includes a hollow central stone column supporting the roof and panoramic views over the surrounding volcanic landscape.
The visitor centre has displayed information about Tower Hill's geology, wildlife, wetlands and history, including a reproduction of Eugene von Guérard's important 1855 painting of the landscape.
The building is currently closed while Parks Victoria plans for its future operation following major conservation work. The surrounding picnic area and Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve remain accessible, subject to park conditions.
Tower Hill Visitor Centre, Entrance Road, Tower Hill VIC 3283
Tower Hill Visitor Centre - current information
11. Quamby Bridge - Youls Creek
The 1856 Youls Creek Bridge is regarded as Victoria's oldest surviving stone bridge and is a rare example of an early single-span stone road bridge.
The small bridge was constructed from locally quarried bluestone. It consists of a single segmental arch with a bluestone parapet and wing walls.
An inscribed stone set into the parapet at the centre of the bridge reads: "Belfast District Roads Board 1856 / D.J. Howes Engineer."
The bridge stands beside the Warrnambool-Caramut Road near Woolsthorpe. Pull over only where it is legal and safe to do so.
Warrnambool-Caramut Road, Woolsthorpe VIC 3276
Approximate Driving Times from Port Fairy:
- Yambuk - 15 minutes
- Macarthur - 45 minutes
- Mortlake - 50 minutes
- Peterborough - 60 minutes
Access for Dogs:
Dogs may accompany visitors in public streets and outdoor areas where permitted but should be kept on a lead and under effective control.
Dogs are not permitted inside museums, on private properties or within Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve. Assistance animals may be permitted subject to applicable entry requirements.
