History of Venus Bay - The name Venus Bay was given to the bay by a French expedition under Nicholas Baudin. This was apparently after George Bass’s trading ship the Venus. (The expedition traded with Bass in Sydney in around 1801.) - The town of Venus Bay is situated on a narrow peninsula of land located 180km south-east of Melbourne. Originally named Evergreen the town takes its name from the body of water on its western shore. -On the eastern side of the peninsula is Anderson's Inlet, named after the settler Samuel Anderson. The Town Today - Venus Bay has become a popular holiday retreat for people from Melbourne and is close to other popular South Gippsland tourist spots such as Phillip Island and Wilsons Promontory. - The permanent population hovers around the 500 mark, however this can swell into the thousands during holiday periods. - The town is split into three 'estates'. The First Estate is home to the only shopping strip in Venus Bay, consisting of a general store, fishing and surfing store, take-away shops, real estate agents, caravan park and a restaurant. - Three of Venus Bay's five surf beaches (Nos. 1, 2 and 3 beaches) are in the First Estate, with the Venus Bay Surf Livesaving Club located at the No. 1 Beach. This is the only patrolled beach, although during the busy summer period surf patrols regularly make their way up and down the beaches to just beyond No. 5 beach. - The First Estate also has the Venus Bay Community Centre, which houses twighlight markets during the summer holidays and other community activities. - The Second Estate is home to Nos. 4 and 5 beaches as well as the popular fishing jetty on Anderson's Inlet. At the edge of the Second Estate is an elevated viewing platform that allows visitors to look out across Anderson's Inlet and view the many kangaroos that call the quiet eastern shores home. - The Third Estate is a sparsely populated and underdeveloped area leading to the tip of the peninsula (Point Smythe). This estate has the Doyle's Road foreshore reserve and the Point Smythe reservation, home to many wandering tracks that lead to secluded beaches on both shores of the peninsula and to the tip at the mouth of Anderson's Inlet. *Information on history and the town today was gathered from Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia website. Town Facilities * Supermarket/General Store * * Venus Bay General Store - 139 Jupiter Boulevard Quick facts - Population approximately 500 - 160 kilometres southeast of Melbourne Activities and attractions - Venus Bay Surf Life Saving Club patrols No. 1 beach during summer months. - Explore the beautiful coastline with a coastal walk - Enjoy river, surf and estuary fishing - See kangaroos grazing near mangrove flats along tranquil Anderson Inlet - Point Smythe Nature Trail How to get there Venus Bay is around 2 hours drive from Melbourne, along the South Gippsland Highway.