Vast and seemingly impenetrable, Point Wilson sits silently eroding. Here on the fringes of metropolitan consciousness it occupies a unique space. We’re about 60 kilometers by road from Melbourne. Geelong is a mere 25 kilometers away.
Point Wilson’s history involves both ecological importance and industrial presence. It is a place of contrasts. The area around Point Wilson is environmentally sensitive. It forms part of the Port Phillip Bay. The Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site is a wetland of international importance.
Point Wilson provides important habitat. The critically endangered orange-bellied parrot uses the coastal salt marsh as a wintering site. The Werribee and Avalon Important Bird Area recognizes the location’s significance. BirdLife International has identified it as such because of its importance for wetland and waterbirds.
Imagine the scene before us. Salt marshes stretch out. A low basalt bluff rises gently. Shelly ridges mark the landscape. This environment remains in good condition, largely untouched by human disturbance.
Since 1962 Point Wilson has been used as an explosives magazine. The facility was relocated from Altona near Laverton. The Commonwealth of Australia owns the Point Wilson Explosives Area. It covers 326 hectares.
A 2700-meter-long steel and concrete jetty extends into the bay. It was constructed in the late 1950s. It was built for the importation of explosives. Four explosives storage and handling buildings were erected in 1981. Commercial ships still transport ordnance. Explosives arrive from Europe and the United States. They are offloaded at Point Wilson.
A proposal was made in 1994. The East Coast Armaments Complex proposal was made by the Commonwealth of Australia. It suggested upgrading the facility to handle the loading of explosives to naval ships. The proposal was deferred. The facility continues to import explosives for the defence forces.
ICI once proposed a chloralkali-based petrochemical complex for Point Wilson in the 1970s. This proposal never came to fruition. The Victorian State Government considered relocating the Coode Island bulk liquid chemical storage facility to Point Lillias in 1994. This proposal was dropped in June 1997.
Point Wilson experiences an oceanic climate. Summers are tepid. Winters are mild. The average high in January is 23.3 degrees Celsius. The average low in July is 7.7 degrees Celsius. The weather station at Point Wilson opened in 1990.
But Point Wilson offers more than just industry and environment. It has made its mark on popular culture. Some scenes from the film Mad Max were shot on Point Wilson Road.
Consider the layers of Point Wilson. It is a place where nature and industry meet. Explosives are stored near vital habitats for endangered species. Proposals come and go. Point Wilson perseveres adapting to different purposes. It remains a unique part of Victoria’s landscape. The area is sparsely populated. Public access remains restricted. Point Wilson holds its secrets close.