Fascinating Princetown

The spectacular and awe-inspiring coastline.

SITUATED at the mouth of the Gellibrand River on the tumultuous Gibson Beach, the small township of Princetown offers many natural features worth exploring, a fascinating history and some attractive accommodation options.

It was way back in 1837 - well before most of the famous shipwrecks which dot the treacherous coast - that Joseph Tice Gellibrand staggered into an Aboriginal camp at the mouth of the river.

He and his fellow explorer George Brook Legrew Hesse had left Point Henry in Geelong on horseback to trace the Barwon and Leigh rivers, but like so many early explorers' adventures, this one also ended in tragedy, with Gellibrand dying on the beach after Hesse perished somewhere in the wilds of the Otways.

The famous Twelve Apostles rock formations are just six kilometres to the west of Princetown. Adjacent to the township itself, the river estuary and wetlands, particularly the reed beds on the western branch of the estuary, are significant for their rich bird and plant life.

Princetown is bounded on two sides by national parks, with the Port Campbell National Park extending north-westerly and the Otway National Park to the south-east.

For assistance with a smile, drop in to the Princetown store, post office and caravan park.