A plaque on a large granite rock on the side of Cooinda Road marks the spot of the Shipwatchers’ lookout hut of the 1840’s.
The plaque has the words:
“Site of the Shipwatchers’ lookout hut, 1840 erected by Historical society of Berwick Shire 30.6.72”
The history of the Shipwatchers is sketchy, however it appears that their role was extremely important in the early days of the colony. The charts mapping the coastline were not always accurate, so ships bringing supplies to Melbourne entered Western Port Bay by mistake thinking it was Port Phillip Bay. This must have been a regular occurrence for the government of the day to provide a hut and a telescope for the men to watch for ships coming into the bay. When the ships did enter Western Port, a smoke signal would be lit on the mountain and another stockman would ride off to raise the alarm. The last remnant of the hut remained until just a few years before the unveiling of the plaque.
