Raymond Island

Raymond Island is a small residential island in the Gippsland Lakes, separated from Paynesville on the mainland by McMillan Strait in East Gippsland, Victoria. Accessible only by ferry, it is best known for its large free-ranging koala population introduced in 1953 and the 1.2 km Raymond Island Koala Trail. The island offers quiet streets, foreshore reserves and lake views, providing a low-key nature-based day visit within the Gippsland Lakes system.

Visitors reach Raymond Island via the short vehicular and pedestrian ferry from Paynesville. The island is largely residential with no shops, featuring flat, quiet roads, foreshore reserves and the marked Koala Trail through low coastal forest where koalas are often seen in eucalypts. Expect walking and cycling, birdwatching, lake views across McMillan Strait and the Gippsland Lakes, picnic areas and interpretive signs. The experience is self-guided and nature-focused.

Raymond Island was named after William Odell Raymond, a pastoralist and magistrate who established a pastoral run in the area in the 1840s. The island remained largely undeveloped until the 20th century. In 1953, koalas were introduced to the island from Phillip Island to establish a secure population, which has since grown to a large, well-known colony that is now the island's main visitor attraction.

Raymond Island lies within Gunaikurnai Country on the Gippsland Lakes, a culturally significant lake and coastal system for the Gunaikurnai people. The island and surrounding lakes are valued for their natural environment and community lifestyle, with conservation of koalas and native habitat forming a key part of its contemporary identity.