Eagle Point, Victoria

Eagle Point
Victoria
Eagle Point is located in Shire of East Gippsland
Eagle Point
Eagle Point
Coordinates37°53′45″S 147°39′40″E / 37.8957697°S 147.661128°E / -37.8957697; 147.661128
Population1,094 (2016 census)[1]
Establishedlate 1840s
Postcode(s)3878
Elevation11 m (36 ft)
Location
LGA(s)Shire of East Gippsland
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
20.7 °C
69 °F		 8.7 °C
48 °F		 694.8 mm
27.4 in

Eagle Point is a small town in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of East Gippsland, by Lake King.[2] The area encompasses the red limestone cliffs by the Mitchell River and Mitchell River silt jetties. It is a popular tourist destination.

History

The Gunai name for Eagle Point is Nurrung, which translates to moon.[3]

Eagle Point is associated with conflict between the local Gunai Aboriginal people and settlers. In 1840-41, Angus McMillan and his men killed an unknown number of Gunai people in skirmishes during "the defense of Bushy Park".[4] In the mid to late 1840s, Eagle Point was the headquarters for the Border Police under Commissioner Tyers. In conjunction with the Native Police force based at nearby Boisdale, this force conducted regular raids upon Gunai camps across the region.[5]

Demographics

The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census reported the town had a ratio of 51 males to 49 females.[1] The median age was 56 years of age, 18 years above the Australian average.[1]

Nationalities and Languages

At 79.2%, the majority of people living in Eagle Point were born in Australia.[1] The other most common countries of birth were England, Germany, New Zealand, Netherlands and Scotland.[1] In Eagle Point, 90.1% of people only spoke English at home.[1] The percentage of Italian speakers was 0.8%, 0.7% spoke German, while Afrikaans, Finnish and Malay speakers each were 0.3%.[1]

Religion

The town of Eagle Point is 63.1% religious, with 19.4% identifying as Anglican, 15.8% as Catholic and 4.8% as belonging to the Uniting Church.[1] 36.9% of the population were reported as having no religion.[1]

Relationship Status

59.1% of the population is married in Eagle Point,[1] 19.4% have never married, 11.9% are divorced, 6.0% are widowed and 3.6% are separated.[1]

Employment Status

51.0% of people living in Eagle Point are employed full-time, and 35.3% are working part-time.[1] Eagle Point has an unemployment rate of 4.0%.[1]

Education

Eagle Point, Bairnsdale (Mitchell River and Lake King), Daniel Long, between 1856 and 1883 [State Library Victoria]

Eagle Point is served by a primary school, Eagle Point Primary School, founded in 1894. It is situated on School Road and Eagle Point Rd. In 2010, it completed a redevelopment project which included two new buildings.[6]

Tourism

Eagle Point is known for its tourism.[7] It has two caravan parks: Eagle Point Caravan Park[8] and the Lake King Caravan Park. Eagle Point's main attraction is the reserve. Kangaroos can regularly be seen on silt jetties. The other attraction is Lake King or The Mitchell River; Lake King is sometimes closed off to the public due to algal blooms.[9] Bairnsdale Riviera Triathlon Club hosts an annual event in Eagle Point each summer.[10]

Arts & Culture

Although there are no art galleries in Eagle Point, the town has a small number of professional artists living and working in the area.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "2016 Census QuickStats Eagle Point". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  2. ^ "Eagle Point | Victorian Places". www.victorianplaces.com.au. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  3. ^ Clark, Ian D. (2002). Dictionary of Aboriginal placenames of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Aboriginal Corp. for Languages. p. 80. ISBN 9780957936065.
  4. ^ "Subscribe to The Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps". www.theaustralian.com.au.
  5. ^ Fels, M.H. (1986). Good Men and True. PhD Thesis. Melbourne: University of Melbourne.
  6. ^ "School Profile | Eagle Point Primary School". Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  7. ^ Doherty, Ben (4 July 2007). "Come back, the worst is over, urge Gippsland tourism operators". The Age. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  8. ^ "Eagle Point Caravan Park". East Gippsland Shire Council. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  9. ^ "Blue-green algae warning for Gippsland Lakes". ABC News. 1 December 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  10. ^ "Bairnsdale Riviera Triathlon Club".
  11. ^ "East Gippsland Community Directory".