Flinders, Victoria

The town was named by George Bass after his friend, the explorer and British naval officer Matthew Flinders. Settlement commenced in 1854 and many pioneers and settlers are buried at the Flinders cemetery. Flinders Post Office opened on 7 March 1863 as the population grew.[2]

Flinders was once believed to have previously been known as Mendi-Moke, but this has subsequently been denied.[3]

The sheltered beach and 250 m pier

Flinders Boats

Flinders Hotel

Features of the town include the Flinders Golf Club, a picturesque golf course built on a cliff top,[4] a recreation reserve, a small yacht club, and a 250 metres (820 ft) long pier out from the protected beach, sheltered from the waters of Bass Strait by West Head. This area is popular for sailing, fishing, and other watersports.

On the southern side of West Head, the ocean breaks over the basalt rocks of Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary at Flinders ocean beach. Mushroom Reef hosts one of Victoria's best intertidal and subtidal rock platform reefs, popular for beachcombing, recreational diving, snorkelling, and surfing.[5] Several accommodation options exist, including B&Bs and hotel-motel style accommodation. Shopping and a mobile library are also available to tourists and residents.[6][7]

Flinders was the original home of Flinders Bread, available throughout Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.[8] The company's operations are now based in Dandenong, but the bread is still available locally.

Flinders Pier

The Royal Australian Navy operate a weapons training facility and gunnery on West Head, with public access to this area being restricted.

Flinders is served by bus route 782 from Frankston, operated by Ventura Bus Lines.[9]

Flinders Pier is popular for recreational scuba diving activities. It is home to the spectacular weedy sea dragon, as well as many other fish species including cuttlefish, large smooth rays and eagle rays, crabs and plenty of other little fish and critters.

Save Flinders Pier Campaign

In July 2020, The Victorian Government announced a proposal to demolish the inner section of the Flinders Pier in a media announcement entitled Major Pier Upgrades to Create Jobs and Boost Economy. In May 2021, a public meeting was organised by the Flinders Community Association and subsequently attended by 300 people. At this meeting, the proposed demolition of the historic pier and its impact on the habitat of the Weedy Sea Dragon at Flinders Pier were discussed, and the Save Flinders Pier campaign was formed. An online petition quickly built a strong following that eventually reached 41,000 signatories. In July 2021, Sir David Attenborough wrote a letter expressing his concern for the pier habitat of the Weedy Sea Dragon, which was published in The Age newspaper and reported on ABC News. In August 2021, the community through the Flinders District Historical Society nominated the pier precinct to the Victorian Heritage Register. On 7 September 2021, the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council voted unanimously to Save Flinders Pier, observing in Council Meeting Minutes that "the Flinders Pier holds significant historical, social, aesthetic, and environmental values and attracts beneficial tourism to the Western Port region." Meanwhile, campaign organisers continued to build public awareness by undertaking its own Condition Report of the Flinders Pier. The group established a social media presence featuring its events such as the Flinders Pier beach-clean up supported by Sea Shepherd, Dive for the Pier, Jump for the Pier, School Art Project and towing a 'Weedy Trailer' up and down the Mornington Peninsula during the summer of 2021/22. In March 2022, Heritage Victoria completed an assessment of the cultural heritage significance of the Flinders Telegraph Cable Complex and Pier, and recommended that Flinders Pier and the nearby cable station precinct be included on the Victorian Heritage Register as a place of State-level cultural significance with objects integral. The recommendation specifically cited the pier's historic connection to (i) the cable station precinct; (ii) scientists and enthusiasts with an interest in the marine life beneath Flinders Pier; and the "resonance of social value" demonstrated by the public response to the proposed demolition. It further noted that the integrity of the pier remains in its general form, materials and orientation, notwithstanding frequent repairs and replacement of components. The Heritage Council of Victoria will consider the recommendation at its June 2022 Meeting.

In the 2016 Census, there were 905 people in Flinders. 82.1% of people were born in Australia and 91.4% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 41.0%, Anglican 23.5% and Catholic 12.6%.[1]

• Mornington Peninsula National Park
• Visit Flinders – a visitors guide to Flinders Village on the Mornington Peninsula