Aireys Inlet, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Aireys Inlet
state = vic

---

caption = The main bus stop in Aireys Inlet
lga = Surf Coast Shire
postcode = 3231
est =
pop = 1,148 (2006 census)
elevation= 95
maxtemp = 18.0
mintemp = 10.5
rainfall =
stategov = Polwarth
fedgov = Corangamite
dist1 = 119
dir1 =
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 46
dir2 =
location2= Geelong
dist3 = 28
dir3 =
location3= Torquay

Aireys Inlet is a small coastal inlet and town located on the Great Ocean Road, southwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Aireys Inlet is located between Anglesea and Lorne, and joined with Fairhaven to the west. At the 2006 census, Aireys Inlet had a population of 1,148.Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL200200|name=Aireys Inlet-Fairhaven (Urban Centre/Locality)|accessdate=2007-12-19|quick=on]

Many surfers holiday in Aireys Inlet to take advantage of the popular Fairhaven beach. As the inclination of the beach can change dramatically between years, the surf is regarded as unpredictable. Swimmers should take note there is a strong rip current.

Painkalac Creek, which separates Aireys Inlet from Fairhaven, forms a salt lake or inlet behind the sand dunes before it cuts through to the ocean. Due to low water levels in the inlet it is not often that the inlet breaks through.

There is also a horseshoe-shaped reef at Step Beach which forms an excellent swimming hole at low tide. The towns main attraction, the Split Point Lighthouse overlooks the inlet. The lighthouse has made Aireys Inlet an icon along the Great Ocean Road.

History

In the early 19th century, before European settlement, the escaped convict William Buckley lived here in a primitive hut eating fish, shellfish, wild raspberries and sugar ants. Aireys Inlet was known to the Aboriginals of the time as "Managwhawz". The town takes its current name from J. M. C. Airey, who settled in the area in 1842. [Kennedy, B: "Australian Place Names", page 2. ABC Books, 2006]

The Post Office opened on 1 April 1893. Citation
last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | accessdate = 2008-04-11 ]

Airey's Inlet in literature and media

During the early 1950s the Australian crime author Arthur Upfield lived at Aireys Inlet. His novel "The New Shoe" (1951) is based on the township and the lighthouse. Some of the novel's characters drew on local identities.

Many scenes from the children's television series "Round the Twist" were filmed at or around the area of the Split Point Lighthouse.

In 2005 the Bollywood movie Salaam Namaste was produced in Melbourne with many scenes being shot around Aireys Inlet, Fairhaven and Anglesea.

Beaches and Coastline

While the coastline at adjacent Fairhaven is a long uninterrupted sand beach, the coast at Aireys Inlet is a series of rock shelves, interrupted by sandy swimming beaches, most of which are relatively secluded. Each beach has its own character, a result of differing lengths, orientation and nearby rock formations. Beaches include Sandy Gully, Steppy Beach and Sunnymeade.

At low tide it is possible to walk (or scramble) around all these rocks and beaches, making it possible to walk along the beach, all the way from Eastern View - the historical start of the Great Ocean Road, all the way to Anglesea.

1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires

Aireys Inlet was devastated by the infamous 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires in which nearly every house was burnt down. However, after a brief lull, interest in the area resumed and has been steadily climbing since. Properties, especially those with an ocean view, are becoming increasingly sought after, some going for greater than AUD$1 million.

References

*cite book | last = Morgan | first = John | year = 1980 | origyear = 1852 | title = The Life and Adventures of William Buckley: Thirty-two Years a Wanderer amongst the Aborigines of the Unexplored Country round Port Phillip | publisher = Australian National University Press | location = Canberra | id = ISBN 0-7081-1595-0

External links

*http://www.aireysinlet.org.au
* [http://www.coastalwatch.com.au/camera/cameras_large.aspx?cam=6000&mode=&state=VIC Fairhaven SurfCam]
* [http://users.pipeline.com.au/angair/mainpage.htm ANGAIR: local environment group]
* [http://au.geocities.com/aust_lighthouses2/split_point/split_point_aireys_inlet.htm Split Point Lighthouse History]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20041015165848/www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/aireysinlet.html Australian Places - Aireys Inlet]