Town snapshot – Winchelsea

THE size of Winchelsea is about 247.5sqkm and has multiple parks covering nearly 3.6 per cent of total area.

The population of Winchelsea in 2016 was 1,944 and by the 2021 Census the population was recoded at 2,456 showing a population increase of 26 per cent in the area during that time.

Winch was slow to get going but now people are catching on as this rural community has more to offer than most.

With a train station in town, top notch healthcare, education and sporting facilities along with a revamped swimming pool, bowls and golf clubs, it’s no wonder this regional hamlet has taken off.

New residential housing estates are attracting new arrivals and investors with more estates in the pipeline making Winch a town to watch.

Situated where the Barwon River crosses the highway, the area originally attracted pastoralists in the 1830’s, some of whom later became prominent landholders.

Two years after the settlement of Melbourne, the Austin brothers took up their Barwon Park pastoral run, Thomas Armytage took up his Ingleby run, and Henry Hopkins took up his Wormbete run in the Winchelsea area.

A town was surveyed in the 1850s, and named Winchelsea, probably after the seaside port in Sussex, England.

CoreLogic data indicates that the predominant age group in Winchelsea is 50 – 59 years with households in Winchelsea being primarily young couples and retirees and are likely to be repaying on average $1,560 per month on mortgage repayments, and in general, people in Winchelsea work in a trades occupation.

AGENT PERSPECTIVE:

“2024 saw some great results with over 40 residential homes, plus vacant blocks selling in and around the town.

“The services, facilities and infrastructure that Winchelsea has to offer are continuing to attract a wide variety of buyers from across the state and beyond.

“With the exponential growth in the new land Estates, Winchelsea now has an even wider variety of residential homes to offer, from large modern homes on half acre blocks to older homes on big blocks in town and to new homes on low maintenance ‘smart blocks’ close into the town centre.

“The affordability of serviced allotments is also seeing a return in confidence to build, with a variety of new homes currently under construction across the town.

“2025 got off to a slower than usual start to a year, though recent activity is showing signs of increased buyer activity with several properties selling or going under contract in the last month or so.

“Listing numbers are up somewhat, which is providing a multitude of options for ready buyers across all price ranges. Ergo, now is a good time to buy in Winch !

“We look forward to another great year and once again thank the people of Winchelsea for their support of, and confidence in our local Agency in town.”

Geoff Bennett – McCartney Real Estate Winchelsea