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YANAKIE
Yanakie
is
located
on
the
Peninsula
of
Wilsons
Promontory,
South
Gippsland,
and
the
Southernmost
Landmass
on
the
Australian
Mainland.
Yanakie
is
approximately
a
two
hour
drive
from
Melbourne
via
the
South
Gippsland
Highway,
(just
follow
the
Wilsons
Promontory
signs
at
all
times),
and
the
last
(and
only)
town
on
the
peninsula
before
the
'Prom'
National
Park
gate.
The
village
is
situated
in
a
rural
location,
overlooking
rolling
farmland,
and
is
only
a
few
minutes
drive
to
beaches
(Corner
Inlet
&
Shallow
Inlet)
on
either
side
of
the
Peninsula.
This
is
a
great
destination
for
those
interested
in
discovering
the
majestic
beauty
of
the
Southern
Coastlines,
Inlets
and
bays;
access
to
the
giant
timbers,
the
ferny
valleys
and
water
falls
of
the
Strzelecki
Ranges.
-
Village
Services
-
The
Yanakie
Licensed
General
Store,
fuel
outlet
and
Yanakie
House
&
Gallery
Café.
Local
attractions
&
services
-
Milparinkis
Yabbie
farm
and
Tingara
View
Tea
Room
-
B&B
and
Self
Contained
accommodation
providers.
- Two
caravan
parks
on
either
side
of
the
peninsula
-
Boat
launching
facilities
·
Population
-
in
village
12
people
(increasing
in
season)
and
in
the
whole
peninsula
region
-
261
people
(varies
seasonally)
-
On
the
Meeniyan
-
Promontory
Road
in
South
Gippsland,
185
Kms
from
the
GPO
in
Melbourne.
·
8
Kms
from
the
National
Park
gate,
travelling
time
approx
5
mins,
and
30
minutes
to
Tidal
River.
- The
main
town
is
Foster,
28
Kms
to
the
north,
a
20
minutes
drive
-
Surrounded
on
two
sides
by
Inlets
(Corner
&
Shallow
Inlets),
5
minutes
drive
either
way.
-
Local
tennis
courts
&
children's
playground.
-
Fishing,
boating,
swimming,
windsurfing
and
bushwalking.
- A
great
base
for
the
artist,
photographer,
fisherman,
Prom
enthusiast,
or
weary
traveller.
 HISTORY
'YANAKIE
(yan-a-key)
-
a
Koori
name
from
the
Gunai
(Kurnai)
language
interpreted
generally
as
'between
waters'
-
More
than
12,000
years
ago,
when
the
sea
level
was
six
metres
higher
than
at
present,
'The
Prom'
was
a
group
of
islands
with
only
the
mountain
tips
showing
above
water
level.
When
the
sea
level
dropped,
(to
form
the
land
bridge
to
Tasmania),
a
series
of
sand
dunes
formed
over
a
basalt
base
creating
the
Yanakie
Peninsula.
This
constructed
a
link
between
the
previous
islands
and
the
mainland,
so
that
when
the
sea
level
rose
again,
it
thus
formed
what
is
now
the
present
day
Wilsons
Promontory.
Wilsons
Promontory
was
first
travelled
by
the
Koories
(as
south-eastern
Australian
Aboriginals
prefer
to
call
themselves).
These
people
were
the
Gunai
(Kurnai)
community
with
the
Brataualung
clan
occupying
the
surrounding
areas
of
South
Gippsland.
To
the
Koories,
Wilsons
Promontory
is
known
as
'Wamoon',
(also
known
as
Yirik
or
Woomom),
watched
over
by
their
spirit
ancestor,
'Loo-errn'.
These
people
had
been
spending
at
least
part
of
their
year
on
the
Yanakie
Peninsula
for
approximately
6500
years
prior
to
the
arrival
of
George
Bass
in
1798.
Originally,
in
the
shire
of
South
Gippsland,
Yanakie
was
one
of
the
parishes
in
the
County
of
Buln-Buln
on
Wilsons
Promontory,
along
with
the
other
parishes
-
Beek-Beek,
Warreen,
Kulk
and
Tallang.
The
northern
section
of
Yanakie
was
probably
exempted
from
the
National
Park
(declared
in
1905
-
internal
section
only,
1908
-
the
coastline,
and
in
the
1950's
-
the
Yanakie
southern
section)
on
the
grounds
of
revenue.
A
lease
had
been
granted
in
1852
for
the
Yanakie
Station
or
Run
(a
profitable
business),
which
originally
grazed
cattle
through
to
Darby
River.
Yanakie
has
only
been
developed
into
dairying
country
since
the
1950's...
Prior
to
development,
Yanakie
(also
called
the
Yanakie
Common)
was
open
heathy
plains
with
the
'Red
Swamp',
'White
Swamp
and
'Black
Swamps',
supporting
vast
birdlife
including
the
black
swans
and
brolgas.
It
is
interesting
to
note
that
very
few
of
these
original
Koori
(aboriginal)
parish
names
exist
on
the
National
Park
today…
 Since
the
time
of
European
discovery,
exploitation
has
vastly
changed
some
of
the
land
and
the
surrounding
sea.
One
record
of
the
extent
of
this
is
the
impact
on
seal
numbers
-
in
1804
the
American
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