Nelson

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Population: 350

Distances:
Adelaide - 469kms
Melbourne - 433kms

Nelson is a small, picturesque fishing and holiday township of about 350 people located at the mouth of the Glenelg River in the south-western corner of Victoria. It is 433 km west of Melbourne and a couple of kilometres from the South Australian border. There is a pub, a general store, and a couple of motels, guesthouses and caravan parks.

Nelson is surrounded by scenic countryside, the value of which has been recognised through the declaration of Lower Glenelg National Park, which extends eastwards along the Glenelg River, and Discovery Bay National Park which stretches south-east along the coastline to Cape Bridgewater. Despite the beauty of the area, its relative remoteness means that it has undergone little commercialisation.

The estuary, river, rock ledges and beaches are noted for the fishing opportunities they afford and the tidal estuary has become a haven for waterbirds. River cruising and swimming are other obvious attractions.

Major Mitchell explored the area during his Australia Felix expedition of 1836. His party were the first Europeans to investigate the Glenelg River. A punt service carried people across the river at the townsite from 1849.

Nelson was named after the survey ship, the Lady Nelson, which was used by Lieutenant Grant to explore the southern coastline at the very start of the 19th century. It was later affected by border disputes between NSW and South Australia which caused delays in the final settlement of the surveys in 1913.