Queenscliff, Victoria

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Queenscliff is a town at the south-eastern end of the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia. It lies south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe. At the Template:CensusAU, Queenscliff had a population of 1,516.<ref name="ABS">Template:Cite web</ref>

Queenscliff is a seaside resort known for its Victorian era heritage and tourist industry and as one of the endpoints of the Searoad ferry to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula.

History

Prior to European settlement, it was inhabited by the Bengalat Bulag clan of the Wautharong tribe, members of the Kulin nation.

European explorers first arrived in 1802, Lieutenant John Murray in January and Captain Matthew Flinders in April. The first European settler in the area was convict escapee William Buckley between 1803 and 1835, who briefly lived in a cave with local Aborigines at Point Lonsdale, above which the lighthouse was later built.

Permanent European settlement began in 1836 when squatters arrived. Shortland's Bluff was named in honour of Lieutenant John Shortland, who assisted in the surveying of Port Phillip. Land sales began in 1853, the same year the name was changed to Queenscliff by Lieutenant Charles La Trobe, in honour of Queen Victoria.<ref>Borough of Queenscliffe Frequently asked questions Template:Webarchive</ref>

The Post Office opened on 1 May 1853 as Shortland's Bluff and was renamed Queenscliff in 1854.<ref name = "a">Template:Citation</ref>

Originally a fishing village, Queenscliff soon became an important cargo port, servicing steamships trading in Port Philip. A shipping pilot service was established in 1841 to lead boats through the treacherous Rip, and its two lighthouses, the High and Low Lights, were constructed in 1862–63. Queenscliff also played an important military role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Fort Queenscliff was built between 1879 and 1889, and operated as the command centre for a network of forts around the port.<ref>Fort Queenscliff tours Template:Webarchive</ref>

1880s seaside resort boom

Queenscliff became a tourist destination in the late 19th century, visitors arriving from Melbourne after a two-hour journey on the paddle steamer, Ozone.<ref>Ozone 1886-1925</ref>

The opening of a railway line to Geelong in 1879<ref>Bellarine Peninsula Railway history Template:Webarchive</ref> brought more tourists to the area, and numerous luxury hotels (or coffee palaces) were built to accommodate them. The Palace Hotel (later renamed Esplanade Hotel, now known as the Queenscliff Brewhouse) was built in 1879, the Baillieu Hotel was built in 1881 (and later renamed Ozone Hotel),<ref>News item on the closure of the Ozone hotel</ref> the Vue Grande Hotel in 1883, and the Queenscliff Hotel in 1887.

Decline

The advent of the car saw Queenscliff drop in popularity as a tourist destination, as tourists were no longer dependent on its role as a transport hub. The railway ceased weekly passenger services in 1950, and was closed in 1976. In 1979 the Queenscliff Railway reopened as a Heritage Train Service, running between Queenscliff and Drysdale stations with mid-point stops at Laker's Siding and Suma Park.

Revival

The 1980s saw a return in the town's tourist popularity.<ref>The Age Travel</ref>

In 2005, the area previously holding the Fort Barracks was subdivided into residential blocks and renamed Shortlands Beach in honour of the town's prior name. The proposed redevelopment drew fierce criticism from some sectors of the community, who feared loss of an important heritage site. The original fort remains on site.

Heritage listed sites

Queenscliff contains several Victorian Heritage Register listed sites, including:

1 Weeroona Parade and 2 Wharf Street, Fisherman's Shed<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
44 Gellibrand Street, Lathamstowe<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
42 Gellibrand Street, Ozone Hotel<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
60-62 Gellibrand Street, Pilots Cottages<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
16 Gellibrand Street, Queenscliff Hotel<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Symonds Street, Queenscliff Pier and Lifeboat Complex<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
20 Symonds Street, Queenscliff railway station<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
26 King Street, Rosenfeld<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
42 Mercer Street, Roseville Cottage<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
16-26 Hobson Street, St George the Martyr Church and Parish Hall<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
80 Mercer Street, Warringah<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Corner Wharf Street and Gellibrand Street, Wreck Bell<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
133-135 Hesse St, Shortlands Bluff<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Arts and culture

Festivals

The Queenscliff Seafood Feast,<ref>Queenscliff Seafood Feast Template:Webarchive</ref> a culinary festival using fresh seafood donated by local fishermen, is held annually on Good Friday to raise funds for the Royal Children's Hospital.

Queenscliff is also home to the Queenscliff Music Festival,<ref>Queenscliff Music Festival</ref> a popular annual music festival, held on the last weekend of November, which attracts both local and international acts and is an important part of the town's tourist industry.

The Queenscliffe Literary Festival is an annual literature festival in the town, first established in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Its 2025 edition took place in Queenscliff and the neighbouring town of Point Lonsdale.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Museums

Queenscliff has three museums; the Queenscliff Historical Museum, Queenscliff Maritime Museum, and the Fort Queenscliff Museum.

Sport

The Queenscliff Football Club is the town's Australian rules football club which participates in the Bellarine Football League.

Golfers play at the Queenscliff Golf Club at Swan Island.<ref name = "golf">Template:Citation</ref>

Media

The Queenscliff Herald was founded in 1999 by Greg Wane, who edited and managed the newspaper until 2004, when the Murphy family bought the masthead and continue to publish the newspaper.

The final elimination on the second season of The Mole took place here in late 2000.

Tourist attractions

As a popular tourist destination, Queenscliff has numerous tourist attractions including the Bellarine Railway, the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre and Queenscliff Harbour.

Transport

As it is located on a peninsula, the Bellarine Highway is the only road connecting it to Point Lonsdale and Geelong running west.

Searoad Ferries provides transport from Queenscliff to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula.

It was once connected by railway to Geelong; however, the Bellarine Railway now runs as a tourist railway only to Drysdale. The Bellarine Rail Trail is a 32 km walking and cycling track that follows the route of the former rail line.

Climate

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Notable people

Thomas Howard Fellows (1822-78), rower and politician (Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria)
Darcy Gardiner (born 1995), footballer (Brisbane Lions)
Les Jones (1907-82), footballer (North Melbourne)
Ron Shapter (1905-77), footballer (South Melbourne, Fitzroy & Essendon)
Harry Smith (1893-1960), footballer (Fitzroy & Geelong)
Peter Stephens (1879-1946), footballer (Geelong)
George Todd (1903-86), footballer (Geelong)
Jim Warren (1903-77), footballer (Geelong)

References

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External links

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Template:Towns in the Borough of Queenscliffe Template:Bellarine Peninsula

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Queenscliff, Victoria

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