San Remo, Victoria

San Remo is a town in southern Victoria, Australia in the Gippsland region. Formed as a fishing village, its economy is now largely based on tourism. It is also notable as the town on the mainland end of the bridge to Phillip Island. At the, San Remo had a population of 1017.It is located at the western tip of the Anderson Peninsula, 122 km south-east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland Highway, near Kilcunda and opposite Newhaven on Phillip Island.HistoryThe area around what is now San Remo was occupied for many centuries by the Bunurong people of the Kulin nation. George Bass explored the coast and discovered the strait separating the mainland and Van Diemen's land, together with the bay he named Western Port.Sealers frequented the coast and Islands in the 1820s before Europeans settled the coast.Samuel Anderson a Scottish immigrant who in 1835 established the third permanent settlement in Victoria at Bass. Samuel had arrived in Hobart aboard the "Lang" in September 1830 and was employed as bookkeeper for Van Diemens Land Co at Circular Head Tasmania. In 1835 he left the company and sailed to Westernport, it has been suggested that the sloop "Rebecca" was purchased by Samuel and his partner/s.In 1837 his partner Robert Massie also left VDL Co and joined Samuel at Westernport where his skills as an engineer produced a tidal powered mill.Samuels Brothers Hugh and Thomas followed him to Bass and when land was released they bought over 2000 acres centred on the Anderson area today with their homestead "Netherwood" being built on the shores of Westernport.The Anderson brothers and their descendants featured prominently in the local municipal area. An early pioneer and explorer, Anderson Inlet at Inverloch was named after Samuel Anderson. Descendents of the Anderson family remain around San Remo to this day.