Koroit

Koroit is a historic town in the Moyne Shire of south-west Victoria, Australia, located inland from Port Fairy and Warrnambool at the northern edge of the Tower Hill volcanic crater. Established in the 1850s as an Irish settlement, it retains a distinctive heritage streetscape with 19th-century commercial buildings, churches and botanic gardens. It is notable for its strong Irish-Australian heritage, well-preserved architecture and proximity to the Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve.

Visitors can expect a small, walkable country town with a well-preserved 19th-century commercial streetscape along Commercial Road, historic bluestone churches and hotels, and the Koroit Botanic Gardens. The town sits on the rim of the Tower Hill volcano, with views over the crater and surrounding farmland. Visitors can explore heritage buildings, cafes and shops, visit the Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve immediately south of town for wildlife viewing and volcanic landscape walks, and learn about Irish settlement history.

Koroit was surveyed and settled in the 1850s, developing as a centre for Irish immigrants in western Victoria. The town grew around potato and dairy farming on the rich volcanic soils of Tower Hill. Many commercial buildings, hotels and churches from the 1860s-1880s survive, reflecting its 19th-century prosperity. The adjacent Tower Hill volcano last erupted about 30,000 years ago and is significant in Aboriginal history.

Koroit is recognised as one of Australia's most distinctive Irish-Australian settlements, maintaining strong Irish cultural associations reflected in its churches, place names and annual Koroit Irish Festival. The town and Tower Hill area hold cultural significance for the Eastern Maar people as part of Country with volcanic landscape and traditional use.