Victor Harbor was established as a whaling station in 1837 and was at times the main port in South Australia. Until the middle of the 19th century, the export of whale oil was the main industry. The last whale was landed there in 1872. Until 1921 the city was called Port Victoria.
Although the word harbor is spelled with ou in Australian English , Victor Harbor , like some other ports in South Australia, is spelled with only o , probably due to a typographical error on the part of one of the first Surveyor Generals of South Australia.
Touristic
Encounter Bay and Victor Harbor as seen from Granite Island
Today, the place is primarily a destination for excursions and tourism within reach of the metropolis of Adelaide and accommodates up to 40,000 holidaymakers during the holiday season.
One attraction is a horse-drawn tram that takes you over a several hundred meter long walkway to the offshore Granite Island ( Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram ). This jetty is also accessible on foot. A natural history trail with some viewpoints leads over the cliff edge of this island, which is protected as a nature park. After dark you can watch the penguins at the penguin sanctuary on the island on a guided tour.
In the southern winter months from June to September you can watch whales from the island or on special boat tours.
Another tourist attraction is the historic steam train to Goolwa .
The fine sandy beach slopes very gently towards the bay and is a popular beach for families. In normal weather conditions, the offshore island ensures calm water in the bay, so that the beach is also quite popular with surfing beginners who want to learn this sport.
climate
Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Victor Harbor
