Cowes

History

The area now known as Cowes lies on the traditional lands of the Bunurong (Boonwurrung) people of the Kulin Nation, who have lived on and around Phillip Island—known to them as Millowl—for thousands of years. The Bunurong harvested fish and shellfish from the bay, collected mutton-bird eggs, and maintained a deep spiritual connection to the land and sea. Early European explorers, including George Bass in 1798, navigated the area, naming Western Port and Phillip Island. The first European settlers referred to the area as Mussel Rocks, due to the abundance of mussels along the rocky foreshore. In 1865, government surveyor Henry Cox returned from a holiday in England and named the surveyed township Cowes, after the seaport town on the Isle of Wight. A jetty was constructed and a ferry service was established in 1870, connecting Cowes to Stony Point. These developments marked the beginning of Cowes as a hub for shipping, tourism, and local trade. By the late 19th century, Cowes had become a favoured destination for beachgoers, anglers, and game hunters. To accommodate increasing visitors, the Isle of Wight and Wood's Family Hotels were built in the 1870s, playing a central role in the town's social and tourism life. Cowes Post Office began operations on 1 August 1869, signifying the growing permanence of the settlement. The main Street of Cowes is Thompson Avenue, named after William Eastwood Thompson, a long-time resident and community leader. Having first visited Phillip Island in 1889 as a child, Thompson later moved there permanently with his family and spearheaded the planting of the now-iconic Golden Cypress trees that line the street. This initiative, conducted from 1912 to 1935, involved schoolchildren and residents and has become a defining feature of the…

Most-observed species

• Silver Gull

  Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae (Stephens, 1826) · Aves
  9,016
• Masked Lapwing

  Vanellus miles (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  8,067
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  7,180
• Australian Ibis

  Threskiornis molucca (Cuvier, 1829) · Aves
  6,601
• Welcome Swallow

  Hirundo neoxena Gould, 1842 · Aves
  6,512
• Cape Barren Goose

  Cereopsis novaehollandiae Latham, 1801 · Aves
  6,383
• Pacific Gull

  Larus pacificus Latham, 1801 · Aves
  5,957
• Little Pied Cormorant

  Microcarbo melanoleucos (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  5,642

Most recent

• M 3.3 — 2026-05-09
  4 km ESE of Mirboo North, Australia
• M 4.3 — 2024-02-08
  3 km E of Leongatha, Australia
• M 2.9 — 2021-11-05
  4 km S of Rosebud, Australia
• M 2.8 — 2015-03-10
  3 km NNE of Pakenham, Australia
• M 3.6 — 2014-12-03
  4 km SW of Pakenham, Australia
• M 2.8 — 2014-01-13
  1 km SSE of Lilydale, Australia