What's in a name

Safety Beach

It’s hard to believe that Safety Beach, so popular with families, stand-up paddleboarders and canoeists, was once known as Shark Bay.

The earlier name was apparently a reference to the sharks that were attracted to the refuse dumped by an abattoir into a waterway that flowed into the bay. Even after the abattoir had closed and the water was clear – resulting in a dramatic decrease in shark sightings – the name kept swimmers away for obvious reasons.

The decision was made by the Mornington Peninsula Shire to change the name to Safety Beach in a bid to attract swimmers back to the 2.7km of foreshore. It worked. The calm, shallow water of Safety Beach is ideal for families with small children, and there’s also a playground on the foreshore adding to the appeal.

The beach is lined with iconic, brightly painted beach boxes, and while sitting on the sand you can take in the sweeping views to Mount Martha. Safe and scenic, this is a beach where you can sit back, relax and catch the summer breeze.

McCrae

This charming coastal village and popular swimming spot between Rosebud and Dromana takes its name from early settler Georgiana McCrae. Georgiana was born in London and later moved to Scotland, where she met her future husband, Andrew McCrae. Georgiana and her children arrived in Victoria from Scotland in 1840 to be reunited with Andrew, a lawyer, who had come out to Australia ahead of the family.

Before her marriage and move to Australia, Georgiana had already shown her pioneering spirit through her work as a professional portraitist, which was unconventional for a woman of her time. When Georgiana was just 17, she was awarded a silver medal for her portrait of her grandfather, the fourth Duke of Gordon, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London. Once she settled in Victoria, however, Georgiana’s painting became something she did for enjoyment only.

In 1844, the McCraes built a homestead called McCrae Cottage on pastoral land. Georgiana made friends with the traditional owners of the area, the Bunurong. One of Georgiana’s noted portraits during her time at McCrae Cottage is of her friend Eliza, a Bunurong woman.

Dromana

The story behind the name of the seaside town of Dromana goes along the lines that in the late 1830s, Irish gold prospectors flooded into the township in search of their fortune, and the name Dromana is a reference to the Irish seaside town of the same name.

Not known for its gold-prospecting opportunities these days – unless you count coastal real estate as gold –Dromana has become a thriving shopping, beach-going and boating area. With Arthurs Seat as its backdrop, it is a picturesque township nestled between Safety Beach and McCrae. The Dromana Pier offers a perfect vantage point to take in the views of the bay and then to look back at Arthurs Seat, the highest point on the Peninsula.

The gold rush days may be over, but Dromana continues to be a favourite for those who love the bay and the beauty of the bushland nearby.