Cape Paterson, Victoria — interactive Google street map, satellite and terrain views, Street View, live local weather conditions and 7-day forecasts, real-time local and world news, and an editorial description of Cape Paterson, in the Bass Coast Shire local government area.
| Locality | Cape Paterson |
| State | Victoria (VIC) |
| Local Government Area | Bass Coast Shire |
| Country | Australia |
| Timezone | Australian Eastern Time (AEST/AEDT) |
| Remoteness | Inner Regional Australia |
| Latitude | -38.65696 |
| Longitude | 145.61804 |
| Population | 846 |
| Density | 52.4 /km² |
| Area | 16.1 km² |
| Elevation | 24 m |
| Postcode | 3995 |
| Area Code | 03 |
| Distance to Melbourne | 110 km south-southeast |
Cape Paterson is a locality in the Bass Coast Shire local government area of Victoria, Australia. It is a small community with a population of 846. The locality covers an area of 16.1 km², giving a population density of about 52.4 people per km². It sits at an elevation of around 24 m above sea level. It lies approximately 110 km south-southeast of Melbourne. Cape Paterson is located at 38.6570°S, 145.6180°E. It observes Australian Eastern Time (AEST/AEDT). Postcode: 3995. The Australian Bureau of Statistics classifies the area as Inner Regional Australia.
Cape Paterson unfurls along a wilder stretch of Bass Coast, where rugged headlands meet the restless Southern Ocean. It lies 66.4 km south of Pakenham, VIC (from Pakenham, VIC: bearing 169°T), and is situated 9.2 km west-south-west of Inverloch. The air here carries the sharp, clean tang of salt, a constant companion that blows in from the south, rustling through the hardy coastal scrub and whispering across the wide, often windswept beaches. The land itself is a study in subtle contours, a gentle rise and fall that suggests ancient geological forces rather than dramatic peaks, giving a sense of groundedness to the expansive sky that stretches overhead. The colour palette is often muted, dominated by the grey-greens of coastal vegetation, the pale gold of tussock grass, and the deep, shifting blues of the sea, especially striking as the sun begins its slow descent, painting the horizon in hues of apricot and rose.
The story of Cape Paterson is one of resilience and adaptation, its past interwoven with the ebb and flow of coastal industries. For generations, the sea has dictated the rhythm of life here, first for Indigenous custodians and later for European settlers drawn to the promise of fishing and, for a time, coal mining. Remnants of this past are subtle, a whisper in the landscape rather than a loud declaration, but they speak of a hardy spirit. Today, tourism plays a significant role, drawing visitors to the dramatic surf breaks and the pristine coastline, yet Cape Paterson retains a quiet character, a place where the days still move at a pace dictated by the tides and the changing weather, a far cry from the clamour of larger centres.
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This page provides an interactive Google map of Cape Paterson, Victoria with street, satellite and terrain views and integrated Street View imagery. Live weather conditions with current observations and a 7-day forecast are powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while an editorially written description provides background on Cape Paterson, in the Bass Coast Shire local government area.
Detailed location data for Cape Paterson includes the postcode (3995), telephone area code (03), and local government area (Bass Coast Shire), with an ABS remoteness classification of Inner Regional Australia. These are among the most commonly searched location details for any Australian city, town or locality.
Location data is drawn from Geoscape Administrative Boundaries (GDA2020) and enriched with GeoNames and Australian Bureau of Statistics data, matched by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Cape Paterson is identified even where the name is shared across multiple localities.
| Page generated | June 2026 |
| Location data | Geoscape Administrative Boundaries (GDA2020); enriched with GeoNames and ABS 2021 Census data, matched by coordinate proximity |
| Description | Editorial description generated with AI assistance from verified Geoscape, ABS and GeoNames location data. |