Flinders - Fast Facts

Flinders
Charming seaside town on the Mornington Peninsula
Flinders, once known as Mendi-Moke, is a small, tranquil and attractive village of some 900 people located in a very beautiful coastal setting on the southern side of the Mornington Peninsula, 88 km south of Melbourne. The general store, seemingly frozen in time, the post office, the small whitewashed jetty, the antique stores, galleries and restaurants and the backdrop of rolling green hills help to generate a pleasant and slightly antiquated ambience amidst contrasting environs: on the northern side are the calm waters of Westernport while 400 m from the village centre, on the southern side, are rugged cliffs and windswept ocean beaches. Flinders is also near extensive national parkland, the wineries of Red Hill, Merricks (see entry on Shoreham) and Dromana) and the scenic values of Cape Schanck. The climate is mild, being warmer than Melbourne in winter and cooler in summer.

Despite the scenic nature of the area and its capacity to draw holiday-making Melburnians, wholesale development and commercialisation have not proceeded. One reason for this remarkable lack of restraint may be the kinds of people who own land in the area, including businessmen such as John Elliot and Sir John Holland, prominent figures of the artistic community (such as the former head of the Australian ballet) and, until recently, former prime minister Malcolm Fraser. At any rate the local councils appear to have set ideas about preserving the area's beauty, its estates and fine coastal views.

Flinders is located at the western end of a small promontory known as West Head which extends out into the turbulent ocean waters of Bass Strait, forming the western gateway to Westernport. Most of this headland is not open to the public as it is utilised by the defence forces as an artillery range.