- published: 02 Aug 2014
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Kilcunda is a seaside town in Victoria. It is located 117 km southeast from Melbourne on the Bass Highway in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Situated along the rugged coastline between Phillip Island and Wonthaggi, Kilcunda is well known for its popular fishing, surfing and swimming beaches. At the 2006 census, Kilcunda had a population of 264.
Originally a coal mining township, The Western Port Coal Mining Company extracted black coal from 1871. The Post Office opened on 5 August 1879.
Evidence of coal mining is scattered across Kilcunda, the most famous (pictured here) is the old Kilcunda Rail Bridge on the eastern side. Commissioned in 1910 and decommissioned in the 1970s, it now forms part of the Bass Coast Rail Trail stretching 16 kilometres (10 mi) from Wonthaggi to Anderson.
Activities around the area now centre on agriculture and tourism
Activities around the area include cycling, fishing, hangliding, surfing, swimming, tennis, and walking. The Bass Coast Rail Trail at Kilcunda is built on the coastal sand dunes and incorporates a landmark trestle bridge over Bourne Creek.[citation needed]