Hastings, Victoria

Hastings is also home to Western Port, a major shipping facility in Victoria. Hastings has multiple marinas and is home to many recreational boating activities.

1 Local culture
2 Industry
3 Military
4 Recreation and Tourism
5 Notes and references
6 External links

[edit] Local culture

Hastings is one of the 'gateways' to the lower Mornington Peninsula, and is located off the coast of Westernport Bay. Still surrounded by farmlands, it is still very much a country town, with a strong sense of local community.

It has a population of approximately 6,000, and several major franchises have set up there with good success. The opening of a K-Mart shopping centre on 19 October 2006 brings the town into a new age, and is the first large department store in the town. Many fear this will drive local boutiques out of business.^{[citation needed]}

Hastings was the seat of the Hastings shire, before this was merged into the Mornington Peninsula shire, and still has many buildings associated with federal, state and local governments. It has the headquarters of the regional traffic police. There is a modern library in the centre of town, outside of which is a statute of former resident and famous footballer, John Coleman. Other facilities include a public hall, and a modern aquatic centre.

Hastings has two public primary schools - Hastings Primary and West Park Primary. There is also a private Catholic school named St Marys, as well as Western Port Secondary College, a state high school (formerly known as Hastings High School).

In October 2003, the town was host to Princess Anne of the British Monarchy. During her short stay she inspected the decommissioned submarine HMAS Otama, a vessel she launched in the 1970s.

[edit] Industry

Hastings is home to the Esso and BlueScope Steel manufacturing plants, and it is not uncommon to see large oil tankers docked near Long Island in Westernport Bay. Many residents of Hastings work or have family members working at Esso or BlueScope Steel. Hastings also hosts many small businesses associated with the recreational boating industry.

[edit] Military

The naval port of HMAS Cerberus is 6 km south of Hastings and houses many of its navy personnel on base, however some live in Hastings or other nearby towns.

[edit] Recreation and Tourism

Hastings only has one small beach, most of the coast line being mudflats. The town also features several large coastline reserves, some of which allow pet dogs to roam leash-free.

Hastings is located on a crescent-shaped bay opening onto Western Port Bay. It is probably the safest small boat harbour on Western Port, as it is easily accessible, and protected from prevailing winds. Therefore much of the recreation centres around boating or fishing at the local marina and yacht club.

The mudflats support significant mangrove forests, these being the most southerly species of mangrove in the world. Jacks Beach Walk takes hikers through and over the mangroves via a series of boardwalks. The mangrove forests are natural fish hatcheries, important for the maintenance of good fish populations in the bay. A significant area of Western Port Bay north of Hastings has been declared a Marine National Park.

The area around the pier is popular with sight-seers, there being a waterfront cafe, and many yachts moored nearby. Pelicans can normally be seen in this area, and the pelicans are fed daily by local fishermen.

Other nearby attractions include the Tyabb antiques centre and Moonlit Sanctuary wildlife conservation park. Further tourist information can be found on the Western Port Tourism Association website.