San Remo, Victoria

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San Remo ( 38°31′S, 145°22′E) is a town in southern Victoria, Australia in the Gippsland region. Formed as a fishing village, and settled primarily by Italian immigrants, its economy is now more largely based around tourism. It is also notable as the town on the mainland side of the bridge to Phillip Island. The local postcode is 3925.

It is located at the western tip of the Anderson Peninsula, 122 km south-east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland Highway, opposite Newhaven on Phillip Island.

[edit] History

The area around what is now San Remo was occupied for many hundreds of years by the Bunurong people, before the Europeans settled the area. In 1797 George Bass, a naval surgeon and explorer, took a voyage in an open whaleboat to explore the coastline. It was later explored on foot in 1826 by William Hovell.

Around 1840 a deepwater port was established at Griffiths Point in order to provide exports of wattle bark, farm produce and cattle, and then later coal starting in the 1870s. A township grew around this port, and brought in tourists. In 1888 the township was named San Remo after the resort town in Italy.

Early in the 20th Century, commercial fishing of the King George Whiting came to the area, the produce being sent to Melbourne markets via railway.

Today there is a fishing co-operative near the bridge that supplies good fresh fish, particularly the King George whiting for which the area is known.

[edit] Festivals and events

The San Remo Challenge is held in February and the San Remo Festival in March.

[edit] See also

• Sanremo in Italy