Towns in Australia

Exploring Australia, town by town

Mortlake VIC

Mortlake

Postcode: 3272

Mortlake is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia on the Hamilton Highway, 50km north-east of Warrnambool. It is in the Moyne Shire local government area and the federal Division of Wannon.

Self-proclaimed as the Olivine Capital of Australia, it is a moderately small town with a population of 941. It is also known for its bluestone buildings, with several fine examples dating back to the 1850s visible from the Hamilton Highway.

The word Mortlake means ‘dead water’. The Mortlake area was probably first surveyed by Major Thomas Livingston Mitchell when he passed through the area in 1836-37. The town is based at the foot of a mount, as are many towns across the volcanic plains.

There are two schools in Mortlake, both co-educational. The largest school is the government school Mortlake P-12 College, with approximately 300 students ranging from Prep to Year 12. There is also a Catholic primary school, St. Colmans, with around 50 students.

Mortlake has both football and cricket facilities at the D.C. Farren Oval, which also contains 10 courts for netball and tennis.