Eagle Point, Victoria Explained

Type:town
Eagle Point
State:vic
Pop:1,094
Pop Footnotes:[1]
Established:late 1840s
Postcode:3878
Elevation:11
Coordinates:-37.8958°N 147.6611°W
Dist1:12
Dir1:S
Location1:Bairnsdale
Dist2:80
Dir2:NE
Location2:Sale
Dist3:291
Dir3:E
Lga:Shire of East Gippsland
Use Lga Map:yes
Maxtemp:20.7
Mintemp:8.7
Rainfall:694.8

Eagle Point is a small town in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of East Gippsland, by Lake King.[2] The area encompasses the red limestone cliffs by the Mitchell River and Mitchell River silt jetties. It is a popular tourist destination.

History

The Gunai name for Eagle Point is Nurrung, which translates to moon.[3]

Eagle Point is associated with conflict between the local Gunai Aboriginal people and settlers. In 1840-41, Angus McMillan and his men killed an unknown number of Gunai people in skirmishes during "the defense of Bushy Park".[4] In the mid to late 1840s, Eagle Point was the headquarters for the Border Police under Commissioner Tyers. In conjunction with the Native Police force based at nearby Boisdale, this force conducted regular raids upon Gunai camps across the region.[5]

Demographics

The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census reported the town had a ratio of 51 males to 49 females.[1] The median age was 56 years of age, 18 years above the Australian average.[1]

Nationalities and Languages

At 79.2%, the majority of people living in Eagle Point were born in Australia. The other most common countries of birth were England, Germany, New Zealand, Netherlands and Scotland. In Eagle Point, 90.1% of people only spoke English at home. The percentage of Italian speakers was 0.8%, 0.7% spoke German, while Afrikaans, Finnish and Malay speakers each were 0.3%.

Religion

The town of Eagle Point is 63.1% religious, with 19.4% identifying as Anglican, 15.8% as Catholic and 4.8% as belonging to the Uniting Church. 36.9% of the population were reported as having no religion.

Relationship Status

59.1% of the population is married in Eagle Point, 19.4% have never married, 11.9% are divorced, 6.0% are widowed and 3.6% are separated.

Employment Status

51.0% of people living in Eagle Point are employed full-time, and 35.3% are working part-time.[1] Eagle Point has an unemployment rate of 4.0%.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2016 Census QuickStats Eagle Point. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 12 May 2018.
  2. Web site: Eagle Point Victorian Places . 2022-09-11 . www.victorianplaces.com.au.
  3. Book: Clark . Ian D. . Dictionary of Aboriginal placenames of Victoria . 2002 . Victorian Aboriginal Corp. for Languages . Melbourne . 9780957936065 . 80.
  4. Web site: Subscribe to The Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps. www.theaustralian.com.au.
  5. Book: Fels. M.H.. Good Men and True. PhD Thesis.. 1986. University of Melbourne. Melbourne.