Cowes, Victoria

The area now known as Cowes lies on the traditional lands of the Bunurong (Boonwurrung) people of the Kulin Nation, who have lived on and around Phillip Island—known to them as Millowl—for thousands of years.^[6] The Bunurong harvested fish and shellfish from the bay, collected mutton-bird eggs, and maintained a deep spiritual connection to the land and sea. Early European explorers, including George Bass in 1798, navigated the area, naming Western Port and Phillip Island.

The first European settlers referred to the area as Mussel Rocks, due to the abundance of mussels along the rocky foreshore. In 1865, government surveyor Henry Cox returned from a holiday in England and named the surveyed township Cowes, after the seaport town on the Isle of Wight.^[7] A jetty was constructed and a ferry service was established in 1870, connecting Cowes to Stony Point.^[8] These developments marked the beginning of Cowes as a hub for shipping, tourism, and local trade.

By the late 19th century, Cowes had become a favoured destination for beachgoers, anglers, and game hunters. To accommodate increasing visitors, the Isle of Wight and Wood's Family Hotels were built in the 1870s, playing a central role in the town's social and tourism life.^[9] Cowes Post Office began operations on 1 August 1869, signifying the growing permanence of the settlement.^[10]

The main Street of Cowes is Thompson Avenue, named after William Eastwood Thompson, a long-time resident and community leader. Having first visited Phillip Island in 1889 as a child, Thompson later moved there permanently with his family and spearheaded the planting of the now-iconic Golden Cypress trees that line the street. This initiative, conducted from 1912 to 1935, involved schoolchildren and residents and has become a defining feature of the town.^[11][12]  

During the 1920s, Cowes flourished as a seaside resort, with numerous guesthouses catering to middle-class visitors from Melbourne. The Wood's Family Hotel burned down in 1920 and was replaced by the Phillip Island Hotel, which was destroyed by fire again in the 1960s. The Isle of Wight Hotel, a prominent beachfront establishment, was rebuilt in 1927 after a fire in 1925, only to be destroyed again in 2010.^[9] With the increasing popularity of cars in the post-war era, coupled with the construction of a permanent bridge to the mainland in 1940, Cowes saw a boom in motels, caravan parks, and camping grounds. These developments helped solidify its reputation as a leading Victorian holiday destination. The Cowes Magistrates' Court, which had served the community for decades, was officially closed on 1 January 1990, reflecting changes in local governance and judicial services.^[13]

Cowes possesses an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), with tepid, relatively dry summers and mild, wetter winters. Average maxima vary from 24.4 °C (75.9 °F) in February to 13.2 °C (55.8 °F) in July, while average minima fluctuate between 14.1 °C (57.4 °F) in February and 7.0 °C (44.6 °F) in July. Mean precipitation is moderately low (averaging 763.4 mm (30.06 in) per annum), but rainfall is frequent, as Cowes receives 151.8 precipitation days annually (with a maximum frequency of rain in winter).^[14]