Point Nepean

Point Nepean – from NHS collection

Point Nepean was named by Lieut. Murray in January, 1802, after Sir Evan Nepean, Secretary to the Admiralty. (Evan Nepean (1752-1822) was born in Cornwall. He was appointed Under-Secretary of State in the Home Department in 1782. He was involved with the despatch of the First Fleet & subsequently with the administration of the newly established penal colony in N.S.W. He was appointed Secretary to the Admiralty in 1795 & was created a baronet in 1804. He retired from office in 1806. In 1812 he was appointed Governor of Bombay & served until 1819. He died on 2 October, 1822, at Loders, Dorset).1

Sir Evan Nepean 1751-1822
First Image of point Nepean 3 May 1803 by William Westall on Flinders’ HMS Investigator

Point Nepean would later come to describe the district as the ‘Parish of Point Nepean’ part of the County of Mornington.

The early settlers in the area were often said to be of ‘Point Nepean’ or ‘The Heads’ prior to the naming of the various towns of the Southern Peninsula.

  1. Peter Collins’ notes NHS VNEP A12426 p52 ↩︎