Metung, Victoria

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Metung Wharf on Bancroft Bay

Metung is a small town in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, 315 km east of the state capital Melbourne. It is situated between the larger towns of Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance, 30km south-east of Bairnsdale, on a small peninsula separating Lake King and Bancroft Bay on the Gippsland Lakes.

Metung has a primary school, tennis, lawn bowls, and a yacht club, and limited shopping facilities. Metung is a popular holiday spot, near to larger towns, but off any main routes itself. Many of the permanent inhabitants are retired people, or commute to work at Bairnsdale or Lakes Entrance.

[edit] Legend Rock

The remaining Legend Rock in the marina

The original inhabitants of the area, people of the Aboriginal Gunai or Kurnai tribe, told a story about this unusual rock now found alongside the boardwalk in the Metung Marina on Bancroft Bay. This legend or fable indicates how greed will be punished.

The legend goes that some fishermen made a good catch and ate the fish around their campfire. The fishermen however did not share their catch with their dogs, despite having more than enough to eat. As a punishment, the women, who were guardians of social law, turned the greedy men to stone.

Originally there were three rocks found at this location that related to the legend, but two of them were destroyed during road works. The remaining Legend Rock, is now protected.