The name "Mordialloc" is derived from the indigenous description of the creek water running into Port Phillip Bay.
The first Australians who lived in the Mordialloc district were the Boon wurrung people who formed part of what was the Kulin nation, a group of five tribes that occupied Vistoria’s central district surrounding the bay and its hinterland. Mordialloc Creek carried excess water from the swamp into the bay, providing a rich source of fish for the semi-nomadic indigenous population.
When the first Europeans came to Port Phillip Bay just after 1800, the Boon wurrung tribe were small in number, with estimates putting their total population at about 300.
Game and farming opportunities attracted European squatters in the early 1840s and the safe mooring in Mordialloc Creek led to the establishment of a small fishing village.
The opening of the railway to Mordialloc in 1881 encouraged a housing and commercial boom and the village developed rapidly. The township flourished as a holiday destination from the early 1900s, with beach picnics, recreational fishing, horse racing and summer carnivals.
We hope you enjoy exploring Mordialloc’s parks and reserves, beaches, historic buildings and village atmosphere.