St Leonards, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = St Leonards
state = vic

---

caption = Pier at St Leonards
lga = City of Greater Geelong
postcode = 3223
pop = 1621 (2006)Census 2006 AUS | id = SSC26661 | name = St Leonards (State Suburb) | accessdate = 2007-10-01 | quick = on]
est = 1855
stategov = Bellarine
fedgov = Corangamite
dist1 = 107
dir1 = SW
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 33
dir2 = E
location2= Geelong

St Leonards is a coastal township near Geelong, Victoria, Australia, at the eastern end of the Bellarine Peninsula and the northern end of Swan Bay. Situated convert|33|km|mi|0|lk=on east of Geelong, St Leonards was a filming location for the Australian television series "SeaChange".

The town is surrounded by salt marsh wildlife reserves which provide habitat for hundreds of birds, including the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot of which there are less than 200 in the wild. Salt marshes are one of the most biologically productive habitats on the planet, rivalling tropical rainforests.

History

The Post Office opened on 19 March 1860. 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 ]

Features

St Leonards is home to good sailing waters, an Esplanade memorial recording the landfalls of Matthew Flinders in 1802 and John Batman in 1835, Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve, and bay and pier fishing.cite web
url=http://www.zades.com.au/bellhs/stleonar.html
author=Bellarine Historical Society
title=The History of St Leonards
date=17 July 2004|accessdate=2008-01-02]

At the 2006 census, St Leonards had a population of 1621.

It also maintains consistent calm waters as the town's location on the Bellarine Peninsula helps protect it from the bay's typical year round south west winds. Thus whilst large waves may be pounding on the east side of Port Phillip Bay due to strong south west winds, the water could be rather calm at St Leonards. [cite web
url=http://home.vicnet.net.au/~sbea/html/aboutswanbay.html
author=Swan Bay Environmental Association Inc.
title=About Swan Bay
year=2006|accessdate=2008-01-02]

Parks

* Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park (Swan Bay section)
* Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve
* Duck Island
* Salt Lagoon State Nature Reserve
* St Leonards Lake Reserve

Sport

* St Leonards Golf Course
* St Leonards Tennis Club
* St Leonards Bowling Club
* St Leonards Yacht Club
* Bellarine Sharks AFC (2008 GRFA Division 3 League Champions)

References

* [http://www.zades.com.au/bellhs/stleonar.html] St Leonards History Page Bellarine Historical Society
* [http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=235] Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve Parks Victoria
* [http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=268] Swan Bay - Port Phillip Heads National Park (Marine)
* [http://home.vicnet.net.au/~sbea/html/aboutswanbay.html] Swan Bay (Birds)