The town is located in the foothills of the Otway Ranges, 151 kilometres (94 mi) south west of the state capital, Melbourne.

[1] The main industries in the area are agriculture, forestry and tourism.

The town has a church, tennis courts and public hall.

Since the 1990s an aquifer in the Barwon Downs area have been used as a supply of water for Geelong in periods of drought.

[3] Media related to Barwon Downs at Wikimedia Commons