Mortlake

History

Various groups of Aboriginal Victorians lived in the area before European colonisation and settlement. The area was inhabited by Kirrae, Djab wurrung and Gunditjmara people, who built homes in small villages, sometimes using stones in their construction, and lived a settled life. The Mortlake area was probably first surveyed by Major Thomas Livingston Mitchell when he passed through the area in 1836–37. The town is based at the foot of a mount, as are many towns across the volcanic plains. The mount, Mount Shadwell, was named after his friend Major Thomas Henry Shadwell Clerke, and the nearby Hopkins River was named after Major John Paul Hopkins. The first white settlers to arrive in Mortlake were probably David Fisher and his party in 1839, who set up a station which was left under the charge of Thomas Anderson. An influx of settlers initially attracted to the 1850s Victorian gold rush but after their lack of success, they headed for the rich volcanic soil around Mt Shadwell. Establishment of Mortlake as a settlement occurred in the 1850s and 1860s. The town was formally surveyed in 1853. The Post Office opened 2 February 1859. Many of the original bluestone buildings include those in the Shaw Street Bluestone Precinct, such as the former Mortlake courthouse and the former shire offices. The historic Mill (now privately owned) is located in Mill Street. In the late 1870s, an area of swamp was drained and established as the Mortlake Botanical Gardens, which at its height covered nearly . As a present to the township in 1988 (Australia's Bicentennial) a new lake was constructed by the State Government. This lake is now known as Tea Tree Lake. Soldiers returning from The Great War were also offered the chance to become farmers. Under the Discharged Soldiers'…

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  481
• Little Raven

  Corvus mellori Mathews, 1912 · Aves
  387
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  261
• Red Wattlebird

  Anthochaera carunculata (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  226
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  223
• Welcome Swallow

  Hirundo neoxena Gould, 1842 · Aves
  211
• Eurasian Skylark

  Alauda arvensis Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  208
• Pacific Black Duck

  Anas superciliosa J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  202

Most recent

• M 4.1 — 2026-07-05
  28 km WNW of Apollo Bay, Australia
• M 3.5 — 2023-10-21
  10 km NW of Apollo Bay, Australia
• M 4.8 — 2023-10-21
  16 km WNW of Apollo Bay, Australia
• M 3.8 — 2011-06-01
  45 km NE of Hamilton, Australia