[2] Their coastal territory with its sheltered bays meant that the Yalloc Bulluk, along with other Bunurong clans, were among the first Aboriginal people in Victoria to have contact with European mariners.

[9][10] Following reports of the 1798 exploration by George Bass and Matthew Flinders, the area was frequented by sealers from Van Diemen's Land, whose interaction with the Bunurong people was not without conflict.

[11][12] In 1826, the scientific voyage of Dumont d'Urville, in command of the corvette Astrolabe, led to British concerns of an attempt by the French to establish a colony in Western Port.

[15][16][17] Wetherall also erected a flag staff on "the flat-top'd rock off Point Grant" (commonly known today as The Nobbies) on the Island's Western extremity as a marker for the harbour entrance.

[16] Of his encounters with the Bunurong people, Wetherall told Darling: "The Natives appear numerous, but we have not been able to obtain an interview, as they desert their camp, and run into the woods on our approach, watching our movements until we depart.

[20] The McHaffies, and later settlers, assisted the Victorian Acclimatisation society (forerunner of the committee which established the Melbourne Zoo) by introducing animals such as pheasants, deer and wallabies to Phillip Island.

[21] Plans for the first bridge to the island, from San Remo to Newhaven commenced in 1938,[22] at a cost of £50,000, with the official opening by Premier Albert Dunstan taking place in November 1940.

After the foxes were mostly eradicated in 2017, the absence of predators led to a rise in the invasive rabbit population, which in turn exacerbated erosion and threatened native orchid species.

[31] Phillip Island's Grand Prix motorcycle race is traditionally held in October, often seeing unreliable and fickle weather conditions, such as very cold surface temperatures and extreme wind.

[38] In 2013, Victoria’s first National Surfing Reserve was established on the island, encompassing four key locations along the coast: Woolamai, Smiths Beach, Summerlands, and Cat Bay.

[40] As whales embark on their annual migration north along the Victorian coastline, these magnificent creatures can be seen navigating the coastal waters around Phillip Island.

In September 2023 authorities issued a safety reminder after a 22-year-old woman fell 50 metres down a cliff edge from the Pinnacles Lookout at Cape Woolamai while taking photos for social media.

In 1960, the inaugural Armstrong 500 was held, although, with the bridge to the mainland unable to support heavy hotmix bitumen equipment, the track broke up during the third running of the race in 1962.

For over 150 years, Phillip Island has captured the imagination of storytellers, and is featured in a wide range of media from fiction and non-fiction books to poetry, documentaries, and Hollywood films.

Known for its breathtaking coastal scenery and famous Penguin Parade, the island has served as a backdrop in Australian literature, television, and nature documentaries.

It has also appeared in international productions, with its dramatic landscapes lending themselves to film and TV, solidifying its place in both Australian culture and global media.

The most famous example is On the Beach, which brought Hollywood royalty Fred Astere, Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Anthony Perkins to Phillip Island, whilst filming scenes at the Grand Prix Circuit.