Churchill Island

Churchill Island is a 50.7 hectares (125.3 acres) island in Western Port, Victoria, Australia. It is connected by a bridge to Phillip Island. It is the site of the first European garden in Victoria. It contains a working farm, cottages dating from the 1860s and a homestead dating from 1872, all fully restored and open to the public.^[1] The island adjoins the 670 hectares (1,656 acres) Churchill Island Marine National Park.^[2] The island is maintained by Phillip Island Nature Parks.

History

In 1801, during the course of a survey of Western Port, Lieutenant James Grant had some of his convict crew fell some trees and build a blockhouse on Churchill Island. They cultivated a patch of soil and Grant planted seeds of wheat, corn, potatoes, peas, coffee berries, apples, peaches and nectarines given to him for the purpose of creating a garden "for the future benefit of our fellow men be they Countrymen, Europeans or Savages" by John Churchill of Dawlish in Devon, England. This was the first European garden and crop of wheat grown in Victoria. Samuel Amess, a former mayor of Melbourne, purchased the island in 1872 and built the substantial home that still stands today.^[3]

The Boonwurrong people may have visited Churchill Island for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Remains of stone foundations from two unknown buildings are also preserved on the island. The Churchill Island Marine National Park adjoins the island's western shore, and Western Port bay, in which the island is located, is listed under the Ramsar Convention.

Churchill Island and the area around it served as the location for the 1977 Australian film Summerfield.

References

↑
↑ Parks Victoria: Churchill Island Marine National Park
↑ Amess Family Era- 1872 -1929, Friends of Churchill Island, retrieved 2012-01-25

Coordinates: 38°30′S 145°20′E / 38.500°S 145.333°E / -38.500; 145.333

Localities in the Bass Coast Shire

Mainland	Adams Estate Almurta Anderson Archies Creek Bass Cape Paterson Corinella Coronet Bay Dalyston Glen Alvie Glen Forbes Grantville Harmers Haven Inverloch Jam Jerrup Kernot Kilcunda Kongwak Krowera Lance Creek Lang Lang Loch North Wonthaggi Outtrim Pioneer Bay Pound Creek Queensferry Ryanston San Remo South Dudley St Clair Tenby Point The Gurdies Wattle Bank West Creek Woodleigh Woolamai Wonthaggi

Phillip Island	Cape Woolamai Churchill Island Cowes Newhaven Rhyll Silverleaves Smiths Beach Summerlands Sunderland Bay Sunset Strip Surf Beach Ventnor Wimbledon Heights

Islands of Victoria, Australia

Islands off Gippsland and the Wilsons Promontory	Anser Boundary Citadel Cleft Cliffy Dannevig Gabo Great Glennie Kanowna McHugh Norman Notch Rabbit Rabbit Rock Rag Seal Shellback Tullaberga Wattle Wilsons Promontory Islands Important Bird Area Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park

Islands within Corner Inlet	Bennison Bullock Calf Clonmel Corner Cyril Dog Doughboy Drum East Scrubby Granite Horn Hunter Little Dog Little Snake Long One Tree Pelican Rescue Roberts Saint Margaret Scrubby Shag Sheep Snake Spec Sunday Corner Inlet Marine National Park

Islands within Western Port	Barrallier Chinaman Churchill Elizabeth French Joe Long Middle Spit Pelican Phillip Quail Ram Reef Seal Rocks Sandstone Schnapper Rock Tortoise Head Bank Churchill Island Marine National Park French Island Marine National Park Phillip Island Important Bird Area Phillip Island Nature Park

Islands within Port Phillip	Duck Mud Pope's Eye South Channel Fort Swan Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park

Islands within Bass Strait and the Great Australian Bight	Griffiths Lady Julia Percy Lawrence Rocks Middle

River islands	Beveridge Coode Gateway Herring Pental Raymond Rotamah The Island Ulupna

Category Commons

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