San Remo

History

The area around what is now San Remo was used for many centuries by the Bunurong people who occupied an area of the Mornington Peninsula, of the Kulin nation. George Bass explored the coast and discovered the strait separating the mainland and Van Diemen's land, together with the bay he named Western Port. Sealers frequented the coast and Islands in the 1820s before Europeans settled the coast. Samuel Anderson, a Scottish immigrant, in 1835 established the third permanent settlement in Victoria at Bass. Anderson had arrived in Hobart aboard the "Lang" in September 1830 and was employed as bookkeeper for Van Diemens Land Co at Circular Head Tasmania. In 1835 he left the company and sailed to Westernport, it has been suggested that the sloop "Rebecca" was purchased by Samuel and his partner/s.In 1837 his soon to be partner Robert Massie also left VDL Co and joined Samuel at Westernport. The partnership of Massie and Anderson floundered in the credit squeeze of 1842 and the partnership sold by auction all their assets to repay creditors. This appears to be the end of the partnership with Massie probably relocating to Melbourne by 1844 then meeting and marrying Eliza Armstrong in 1845 then departing to Taraville.Samuels brothers Hugh and Thomas followed him to Bass and when land was released they bought over 2000 acres centred on the Anderson area today with their homestead "Netherwood" being built on the shores of Westernport.The Anderson brothers and their descendants featured prominently in the local municipal area. Anderson Inlet at Inverloch was named after Samuel Anderson. Descendants of the Anderson family remain around San Remo to this day. In 1797 George Bass, a naval surgeon and explorer, took a voyage in an open whaleboat to explore the coastline. It was…