Yeowarra Hill

Overview & Vibe

Yeowarra Hill is a family-owned vineyard and function centre on 80 acres above Colac, at the northern edge of the Otways. Bronwyn and Keith Thomas have hosted events here since 2004, and the operation is unusually self-contained: the venue grows the wine, cooks the food with its own catering team, and owns the marquees, tables and chairs it sets up for you.

Setting & Style

The function room sits alongside vines of chardonnay and pinot noir, with views north over the vineyard to Lake Colac and the Warrion hills and, from the front garden, south to the Otway Ranges. The room itself is intimate; scale comes from annexing it to a fully enclosed marquee, which can be silk-lined and takes long or round tables. Ceremonies happen in the garden — there is a fountain and hedged walks — or among the vines themselves.

Ideal For

Couples who want one supplier rather than five. Yeowarra Hill is simultaneously the venue, the caterer, the winery and the party-hire company, so tables, chairs, linen, crockery, cutlery, glassware, bar and wait staff all come from the same place. It suits weddings anywhere from an intimate 30 in the room to a full 180 seated or 200 for cocktails under the extended marquee. It also suits couples marrying elsewhere in the Otways who want this team to cater for them — off-site catering runs to 350.

The Need-to-Knows

Nothing is priced on the site: the venue quotes against your own requirements and menu, and its published wedding and function documents are dated April 2024 with a pricing policy stating figures held only as at 1 January 2024 — so treat every number in them as expired and ask. Evening functions conclude at 11pm; an extension needs a liquor licence variation at an additional cost. The venue is a fully licensed restaurant and does not allow BYO. A venue hire fee generally applies to weddings even though most other function types escape it. December weddings carry a 70-guest minimum. Cakes must come from a registered food business, and confetti and rice are not permitted. There is no accommodation on site.

Standout Feature

The marquee that grows. It starts as three to five bays annexed to the function room, seating 70 to 110, and extends to seven bays — 210 square metres — for 180 at round tables. Because the venue owns the marquee rather than hiring it in, the room and the tent are one continuous space instead of two bookings that have to be made to agree.