Balnarring is a small village a couple of kilometres inland on the Western Port side of the Mornington Peninsula. It features a supermarket
and a large number of gourmet food stores and quality restaurants. The Balbirooroo Community Wetlands border the commercial centre and include a
lagoon and walking trails.
Originally Balnarring was on the Ballanrong (an early rendering of Balnarring) or Coolort pastoral run. A pioneering settler, Paul Van
Suylen, acquired a large pastoral holding and in about 1860 built the historic Warrawee homestead that still stands today one kilometre
west of Balnarring. In 1863 local landholders laid out the Emu Plains (Balnarring Racecourse), northeast of Balnarring, which is still in
operation. The formation of the Balnarring village at the crossroads came with the opening of the post office (1866), a school (1871) and
a church (1881). The Van Suylens also had a general store at Warrawee, and it was the Junction General Store, c1900, that confirmed the
future position of Balnarring village. In 1921 a railway line through Balnarring to Red Hill placed the station near the junction.
On the coast, Balnarring Beach, also known as Tulum Beach, lies at the mouth of Merricks Creek and overlooks Phillip Island. The shallow creek
forms a narrow peninsula of land which is traversed by walking paths and footbridges. The beach features sweeping crescents of coastline, a yacht
club, and a foreshore reserve that offers safe swimming along sandy stretches of the coast. Camping is also available. Racehorses are trained on
the beach early in the morning six days a week. Balnarring Beach holds the award for the "Cleanest Beach in Victoria" from the Keep Australia
Beautiful committee. One of the most scenic parts of Balnarring Beach is around Cliff Road which is situated on a bushy headland. A walking
track winds its way down the cliff face to the sandy beach below, offering spectacular views along the coast. A selection of wineries are
located in the rural inland areas of Balnarring.
Balnarring is approximately a 1 hour 15-minute drive (86 kilometres) south of Melbourne.