{{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = other | name = Point Wilson | state = vic | image = Point-wilson-victoria.jpg | caption = Road towards Point Wilson | use_lga_map = yes | coordinates = {{coord|38|01|16|S|144|31|44|E|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_label_position = top | lga = City of Greater Geelong | postcode = 3212 | est = | pop = | elevation= 95 | elevation_footnotes = <ref name="climate">{{cite web |url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_087166_All.shtml |title = Point Wilson Climate Statistics (1990-2008) |publisher = Bureau of Meteorology |access-date = September 21, 2024}} </ref> | maxtemp = 18.2 | maxtemp_footnotes = <ref name="climate"/> | mintemp = 11.8 | mintemp_footnotes = <ref name="climate"/> | rainfall = | stategov = | fedgov = | dist1 = 19 | location1= Geelong | dist2 = 47 | location2= Melbourne | near-nw = Little River | near-n = Little River | near-ne = Cocoroc | near-w = Avalon | near-e = ''Port Phillip'' | near-sw = ''Port Phillip'' | near-s = ''Port Phillip'' | near-se = ''Port Phillip'' }}
'''Point Wilson''' is a locality located on the northern shores of Corio Bay, Victoria. It is approximately 60 kilometres by road from Melbourne, and 25 kilometres by road from Geelong.
The locality is bounded by Pousties Road to the west, the Princes Freeway to the north west, Little River to the north east, and Corio Bay to the south. Point Wilson is sparsely populated, and public access to the area is restricted due to the explosives facility located in the area. Other nearby land uses include the Murtcaim Wildlife Area and Melbourne Water's Western Treatment Plant.
==Environment== The Point Wilson area is environmentally sensitive. It forms part of the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site as a wetland of international importance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/commonwealth/vic.html#pointwilson|title=Commonwealth heritage places in Victoria|accessdate=2007-07-26 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070718114834/http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/commonwealth/vic.html#pointwilson <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-07-18}}</ref> It contains important habitat for the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot that uses the coastal salt marsh as a wintering site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/bareports.html|title=Birds Australia Report Series|accessdate=2007-07-26 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070607164612/http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/bareports.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-06-07}}</ref> The site is part of the Werribee and Avalon Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for wetland and waterbirds as well as orange-bellied parrots.<ref>BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Werribee and Avalon. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2011-11-23.</ref>
The area surrounding the jetty consists of salt marshes, a low basalt bluff, and shelly ridges. The environment is considered in good condition due to the lack of human disturbance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/portregn.nsf/pages/port_lf_sig_sites_wilson|title=DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES - Point Wilson - Prograding Shell Ridges|accessdate=2007-07-26}}</ref>
==Explosives== [[Image:Point-wilson-bunkers.jpg|thumb|Disused bunker near the shoreline of Corio Bay]] Point Wilson has been used as an explosives magazine since 1962, when the facility was relocated from the Altona explosives storage near Laverton.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railgeelong.com/locations.php?name=Laverton|title=Rail Geelong - Laverton Station|accessdate=2007-07-26}}</ref> Owned by the Commonwealth of Australia, the Point Wilson Explosives Area is 326 hectares in size.
A 2,700 metre long steel and concrete jetty and wharf structure was constructed in the late 1950s for the importation of explosives. Four explosives storage and handling buildings were constructed in 1981. Commercial ships are used to transport ordnance and explosives from Europe and the United States to Australia, where they are offloaded at facilities including Point Wilson.
1994 saw the East Coast Armaments Complex proposal made by the Commonwealth of Australia, which involved the upgrade of the facility to handle the loading of explosives to naval ships. The proposal was deferred,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/pwc/ecac/ecacRep.pdf|title=REPORT relating to the proposed EAST COAST ARMAMENT COMPLEX POINT WILSON, VIC|accessdate=2007-07-26|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610062913/http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/pwc/ecac/ecacRep.pdf|archivedate=10 June 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> although the facility continues to handle the import of explosives for the defence forces.
==Chemicals== ICI proposed a chloralkali-based petrochemical complex for Point Wilson in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chemlink.com.au/vicchem.htm|title=Chemical Industry - Victoria|accessdate=2007-07-26}}</ref> This proposal did not succeed.
The Victorian State Government in 1994 proposed that the Coode Island bulk liquid chemical storage facility be relocated to the adjacent Point Lillias.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/pressrel.nsf/066b640bb67634534a25620d002caa2b/ae11ea8e7b38cffa4a2561f10035f463!OpenDocument&Click= |title=TWO MAJOR PROJECTS - A BOOST FOR VICTORIA |accessdate=2007-07-26 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928001454/http://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/pressrel.nsf/066b640bb67634534a25620d002caa2b/ae11ea8e7b38cffa4a2561f10035f463%21OpenDocument%26Click%3D |archivedate=28 September 2007 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The proposal was dropped in June 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/pressrel.nsf/15d0b322f8a71e104a2564ac000d26f8/4d71aebb42a1e21e4a2564c0007f12a8!OpenDocument&Click=|title=NO CHEMICAL STORAGE PROPOSAL FOR POINT LILLIAS|accessdate=2007-07-26|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927011550/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/pressrel.nsf/15d0b322f8a71e104a2564ac000d26f8/4d71aebb42a1e21e4a2564c0007f12a8%21OpenDocument%26Click%3D|archivedate=27 September 2007|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==Climate== Point Wilson possesses an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), with tepid summers and mild winters. Average maxima vary from {{convert|23.3|C}} in January to {{convert|12.9|C}} in July while average minima fluctuate between {{convert|16.4|C}} in January and {{convert|7.7|C}} in July. Extreme temperatures have ranged from {{convert|40.7|C}} on 25 January 2003 to {{convert|-1.1|C}} on 26 February 1994.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.farmonlineweather.com.au/climate/station.jsp?lt=site&lc=87166 |title = Aireys Inlet Climate (1990-2008) |website = FarmOnline Weather |access-date = September 21, 2024}}</ref>
{{Weather box |location = Point Wilson ({{coord|38.10|S|144.54|E}}, 18 m AMSL) (1990-2008 normals & extremes) |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan record high C = 40.7 |Feb record high C = 39.3 |Mar record high C = 37.5 |Apr record high C = 32.4 |May record high C = 25.4 |Jun record high C = 21.3 |Jul record high C = 20.3 |Aug record high C = 23.9 |Sep record high C = 27.7 |Oct record high C = 34.9 |Nov record high C = 40.3 |Dec record high C = 40.3 |Jan high C = 23.3 |Feb high C = 23.2 |Mar high C = 21.6 |Apr high C = 18.6 |May high C = 16.0 |Jun high C = 13.8 |Jul high C = 12.9 |Aug high C = 13.9 |Sep high C = 15.9 |Oct high C = 17.5 |Nov high C = 19.4 |Dec high C = 21.7 |Jan low C = 16.4 |Feb low C = 15.9 |Mar low C = 14.8 |Apr low C = 12.4 |May low C = 10.5 |Jun low C = 8.9 |Jul low C = 7.7 |Aug low C = 8.0 |Sep low C = 9.3 |Oct low C = 10.6 |Nov low C = 12.7 |Dec low C = 14.4 |Jan record low C = 8.8 |Feb record low C = -1.1 |Mar record low C = 7.9 |Apr record low C = 6.2 |May record low C = 3.8 |Jun record low C = 2.5 |Jul record low C = 2.6 |Aug record low C = 3.6 |Sep record low C = 3.9 |Oct record low C = 3.5 |Nov record low C = 4.9 |Dec record low C = 6.6 |Jan afthumidity = 61 |Feb afthumidity = 62 |Mar afthumidity = 61 |Apr afthumidity = 65 |May afthumidity = 69 |Jun afthumidity = 72 |Jul afthumidity = 71 |Aug afthumidity = 67 |Sep afthumidity = 63 |Oct afthumidity = 60 |Nov afthumidity = 61 |Dec afthumidity = 57 |Jan dew point C = 12.5 |Feb dew point C = 13.1 |Mar dew point C = 11.8 |Apr dew point C = 10.1 |May dew point C = 9.1 |Jun dew point C = 7.7 |Jul dew point C = 6.9 |Aug dew point C = 6.7 |Sep dew point C = 7.0 |Oct dew point C = 7.7 |Nov dew point C = 9.8 |Dec dew point C = 10.4 |source 1 = Bureau of Meteorology (1990-2008 normals & extremes)<ref name="climate"/> }}
Point Wilson is the location of a Bureau of Meteorology weather station that opened in 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_087166_SiteMap.shtml|title=Bureau of Meteorology site summary|accessdate=2007-07-26}}</ref>
==Culture== Some of the shooting locations featured in the film ''Mad Max'' are on Point Wilson Road.<ref>{{cite web |author=Chris |title=Oh what a day…what a lovely day! (Mad Max Shooting Locations) |website=Via Corsa |language=en-US |date=2020-01-29 |url=https://www.viacorsa.com/2020/01/29/oh-what-a-day-what-a-lovely-day-mad-max-shooting-locations/ |access-date=2020-06-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610174624/https://www.viacorsa.com/2020/01/29/oh-what-a-day-what-a-lovely-day-mad-max-shooting-locations/ |archive-date=2020-06-10 |url-status=live}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070808062343/http://www.aius.org.au/oldsite/Brotherton1.htm Coode Island/Point Lillias: Case Study - Intergovernmental Resource (Miss)Management] ''Peter D Brotherton, B Sc(Hons), Ph D, Dip Ed'' * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070610062913/http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/pwc/ecac/ecacRep.pdf REPORT relating to the proposed EAST COAST ARMAMENT COMPLEX POINT WILSON, VIC]
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Category:Towns in Victoria (state) Category:Ramsar sites in Australia Wilson Category:Important Bird Areas of Victoria (state) Category:Suburbs of Geelong