Warneet

Situated on the foreshore of Western Port Bay near Tooradin, 56 km south-east of central Melbourne, this small township is a popular spot for fishing and boating. Warneet (formerly known as Crouch's Beach) is an Aboriginal name meaning 'river'. Les Crouch, owner of the Motor Spares parts business in Melbourne, cut a track through to the foreshore in the 1920s after sighting a patch of white sand whilst fishing in Western Port Bay. He established a campsite to the north of the current yacht club, then built a boat shed which he and his family used as a holiday house, prior to building the first house in Warneet.

Until the 1940s-50s the track went through private property, Bushy Park, which Crouch bought soon after establishing his campsite. The first auction of Crown Land took place in the early 1930s. Crouch became the major landholder in the area. A regular visitor to the area was the cartoonist Alec Gurney, and his Bluey and Curley cartoons in The Herald sometimes featured material gained from fishing trips with Les Crouch.

The tracks made by owners to their blocks of land were not named until 1961. A harbour and jetty were constructed in 1956 and replaced in 1986.

By 1975, Warneet, along with adjacent townships such as Blind Bight, was established as a holiday centre. Its population has a mix of retirees and younger families.

The Warneet Progress Association (now the Warneet Association) was formed in 1945. A telephone service was installed in 1951, followed by electricity in 1956 and mains water in 1969. A store opened in the early 1950s and the Warneet Motor Yacht club in 1952.

Facilities include yacht club, several boat launch facilities, general store, tennis court, oval and recreation area.

Warneet's census populations have been: