The remote and protected location, a culturally significant place for the Bunurong people for more than 35,000 years, played a pivotal role in early European settlement, with remnant buildings dating back over 150 years. With a rich history from lime burning and pastoral grazing to quarantine and military defence, Point Nepean provides an insight into the events that helped shape Victoria.
Opened to the public in 1988, with the Point Nepean Quarantine Station area joining the park in 2009, Point Nepean is home to one of the earliest limestone buildings in Victoria, the cellar of Shepherd’s Hut dating back to 1845. Interpretive installations throughout the park offer a window into the lives of early settlers and their experiences.
Take a walk through history while exploring the series of forts, tunnels and gun emplacements at Fort Nepean and Fort Pearce, a critical part of Victoria’s defences from the 1880s until 1945.
Whether you hike, bike or catch the shuttle bus that runs the length of the rugged coastal landscape, be delighted with panoramic views from the wild Bass Strait to calmer waters of Port Phillip, the two meeting in a turbulent channel to create the ‘rip’ at the westernmost point. The vast network of trails invites exploration of moonah woodlands, coastal dune scrub and grasslands, home to native animals such as the white-footed dunnart, long-nosed bandicoot, black wallaby, hooded plover, and echidnas.
Adjoining Point Nepean is Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park, protected for its diversity and abundance of marine flora and fauna. From Burrunan dolphins in the bay to migrating whales along the wild coastal fringes, there are delights to be found by exploring this magnificent national park. Enhance your experience with an overnight stay at the pre-pitched tents of the quarantine station, providing a perfect base for reconnecting with nature.
Discover more at https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/point-nepean-national-park
