St Leonards and neighbouring Indented Head are two small seaside townships on the eastern end of the Bellarine Peninsula some 30 kilometres east of Geelong’s centre. In-between Portarlington to the north west and Queenscliff to the South.
Like most of the Bellarine Peninsula the townships are a haven for holiday makers over the summer months, with camping grounds stretching the shoreline. Hundreds of holiday makers with their caravans, tents and campers enjoy the laid back relaxing lifestyle and the calm waters of Port Phillip Bay.
Less than 20 years ago the The Esplanade shadowing the coastline is packed with holiday houses and retirement houses, The strip was a cheap place to build a getaway but but in recent years the many of the fibro and wooden houses have been replaces with stunning architectural designs with double stories and large outdoor areas to enjoy the fresh sea air and tranquil views and the property value has skyrocketed, and its not hard to see why.
Indented Head to the north of St Leonards doesn’t have much in the way of facilities but St Leonards has a good shopping strip with cafes, restaurants a supermarket and a few specialty stores with the St Leonards Pub and its expansive beer garden sitting proudly on the corner of the Esplanade and Murradoc Road overlooking the St Leonards Pier.
Part of the area’s recent popularity stems from the 1990’ s ABC television program SeaChange which was shot in several locations on the Bellarine including St Leonards. It really helped bring awareness of this part of the peninsula. The towns have a lot or retirees and many European migrants have moved to the area for its great lifestyle, beaches and fishing. The towns have good sporting amenities including a golf course, tennis club, bowling club and yacht club. The Bellarine Sharks AFL football club also play during the winter months alternating with the Cricket club in the summer.
Most of St Leonards is surrounded by a salt marsh which is a major wildlife reserve. The marsh is a very important habitat for a wealth of birdlife in the region including pelicans, ibis, waterfowl and the endangered orange bellied parrot. The Salt Lagoon which is a shallow hyper saline lake covers about 50 hectares to the north of the township and is a State Nature Reserve, while to the south of St Leonards is Swan Bay which is breeding ground for many species of fish and home to Duck Island which is an important barrier island and part of the Port Phillip Marine National Park. The Lower Bluff Wildlife Reserve on a narrow peninsular overlooking Swan Bay protects the water and is home to an array of birdlife and small mammals and reptiles.
