Corinella is a town in Victoria, Australia, located 114 km south-east of Melbourne via the M1 and the Bass Highway, on the eastern shore of Western Port.
The town serves as a holiday destination, with a focus on recreational fishing, and has a pier and one of the best coastal boat ramps around. Limited vehicular access is also provided to French Island from Corinella, via a privately operated barge.
The town has a general store and a couple of cafes. Harold Hughes Reserve, located right in the town centre, is a major park that includes a town hall, tennis courts, skate park, playground, BBQ and picnic facilities.
Corinella is surrounded on almost three sides by water, with a coastal reserve protecting the coastline. The focal point on the coast is the area at the end of Peters Street where there is a jetty, a boat ramp and an elevated park that provides fine views over the bay towards French Island.
The coastal reserve surrounds the township of Corinella. It includes parkland that overlooks the bay, a jetty, boat ramp, geological formations at Settlement Point, mangroves and sites of cultural heritage.
West of the jetty is Settlement Point where there is a monument to early explorers and a walking track through the headland to a lookout at its western point. From there is a walking track that heads in a south-easterly direction and extends for several kilometres along the coastline.
Only two kilometres of open farmland separates Corinella from its small neighbouring town of Coronet Bay to the south. Named after the bay which it overlooks, Coronet Bay has a general store, recreation reserve, a sandy beach and boat ramp.
Origin
There is some debate about the meaning of Corinella. It is suggested that the earliest settlers heard the local Boonwurrung refer to the area as ‘Coreen’ or ‘Koorinella’ possibly meaning either ‘running water’ or ‘the place where the kangaroo drinks’. Another version is simply ‘the home of the kangaroo’.
History
Check out Corinella’s history in the History Page
History Trail
The Corinella History Trail begins at Harold Hughes reserve in the town centre. A collection of storyboards provide details of historical sites in Corinella which can be visited, including monuments, old buildings and points of interest. Check out the map and storyboards here