Point Cook Coastal Park

Things to Do

• Enjoy a barbecue or picnic by the beach.
• Explore the area via the many tracks located in the park.
• Watch birds from the tranquil Spectacle lakes birdhide, or from the Cheetham Wetlands Tower.
• A favorite activity at Point Cook is watching vintage airplanes operating from the nearby Point Cook RAAF base.

Heritage

The series of ponds that now make up the migratory bird habitat and conservation area called Cheetham Wetlands were constructed in the 1920s by Cheetham Salt Pty Ltd. Sea water was fed into the shallow ponds and allowed to evaporate. Dried salt was then harvested form the floor of the lagoons. This operation continued until the early 1990's, when the site was purchased by the Victorian Government. The more environmentally important bayside part of the original saltworks now comprises Cheetham Wetlands and the higher, western section is being developed privately.

Point Cook was once part of the huge pastoral estate belonging to the Chirnside family, who built Werribee Park Mansion. The Homestead, stables, and outbuildings were the original Chirnside family home from 1857, before Werribee mansion was built, and are classified by the National Trust and included on the Government buildings Register of Historic Buildings. Restoration of the grounds and buildings was begun by the former Board of Works in 1978.