Families, nature lovers and history buffs will soon have more to enjoy at Point Nepean National Park, with a campground extension, new ‘story-telling’ interpretation project, and planning for fort conservation works underway.
After opening last year, the campground has proven popular with visitors, with its pre-pitched tents and onsite facilities offering an easy camping experience on the foreshore. The 2022-23 camping season saw over 1,000 people stay overnight in the national park.
The campground will now be expanded to include a new ‘Woodland’ area, with additional tent platforms carefully placed among the national park’s Moonah trees, nearby in the Quarantine Station precinct.
Works are expected to start over summer, with Parks Victoria appointing ACE Landscape Services Pty Ltd to construct the facilities.
Pictured above: The new camping facilities include pre-pitched tents that sit on top of low-impact timber platforms.
Point Nepean National Park is a significant place for the Bunurong people and provides important habitat for native plants and animals. Recognised as a place of national significance for heritage, the park’s heritage buildings, rich military, defence, immigration and quarantine history, and stunning natural landscapes make it an incredibly popular destination with locals and visitors.
A ‘story-telling’ interpretation project is also underway to improve the park’s visitor experience. The project will deliver new interpretive signage across the park, and an immersive experience in the Boiler House. This will provide visitors with more opportunities to gain a deeper understanding and connection to the park’s significant cultural heritage and environmental values.
The design and content of the story-telling and interpretation project is well underway, with a request for tender for the manufacture and install expected to be released in the coming months.
Pictured above: The Boiler House, within the Disinfecting Complex, was built at the Quarantine Station in 1900. It was used to disinfect the luggage and burn contaminated clothes of passengers arriving in Victoria by boat.
Nearby in the park, detailed engineering and conservation assessments are underway to help remedy structural issues at Fort Nepean. This will enable the safe reopening of several visitor areas and help to conserve this important part of Victoria’s history.
Heritage consultants are completing initial investigations of the site, including geotechnical assessments, to determine the repairs required and develop a proposed plan for the works.
The Victorian Government has provided $12.4 million to deliver the upgrades at Point Nepean National Park, including funding from the Victoria’s Great Outdoors program, the Regional Tourism Investment Fund, and the Heritage Icons program.
The works are being rolled out as part of the Point Nepean Master Plan, which aims to protect and celebrate the park’s unique natural and cultural values. To date, the master plan has delivered a major upgrade to Defence Road, and new visitor facilities including picnic tables, barbecues, shelters and drinking fountains.
