Historic Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. The village is modelled on an early Australian coastal port of the early 1800's.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village

Top choice


The world-class Flagstaff Hill precinct is of equal interest for its shipwreck museum, heritage-listed lighthouses and garrison as for its reproduction of an 1870s port town. It also has the nightly Tales of the Shipwreck Coast (adult/child/family $31/17/79), an engaging 70-minute sound-and-light show telling the story of the Loch Ard’s plunge. The village has ye olde shoppes such as blacksmiths, candle makers and shipbuilders. If you're lucky the Maremma dogs will be around for you to meet.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Warrnambool Art Gallery

0.26 MILES

One of Australia's oldest art galleries (established 1886), WAG has a stellar collection of works by prominent Australian painters. Its most famous piece…

2. F Project Gallery

0.51 MILES

Set up in a former funeral home by local art collective the F Project, this contemporary gallery always has something interesting showing at its monthly…

3. Outlaw Gallery

0.72 MILES

Inside the old Fletcher Jones clothing factory is this contemporary art gallery with attached studios and workshops. The space is small, but it's always…

4. Warrnambool Botanic Gardens

1.07 MILES

These gardens were laid out in 1877 by William Guilfoyle, the same curator who designed Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens. There's a good variety of plant…

5. Logan's Beach Whale-Watching Platform

2.18 MILES

Southern right whales come to mate and nurse their young in the waters near Logan's Beach from July to September, breaching and fluking off the platform…

6. Allansford Cheese World

7.83 MILES

On the outskirts of Warrnambool – 12km east, in the dairy township of Allansford – is the slightly tacky Cheese World. It's run by the Warrnambool Cheese …

7. Tower Hill Natural History Centre

8.26 MILES

Managed by the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperative, this centre runs daily bushwalks led by Indigenous guides that include boomerang throwing and bush…

8. Basalt Wines

9.07 MILES

Just outside Port Fairy is this family-run biodynamic winery that does free tastings in its tin shed, with a glass atrium so you can enjoy the views…