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Yeowarra Hill

Name: Yeowarra Hill
Address: 152 Drapers Road, Colac VIC 3250, Australia, Great Ocean Road / Lorne, Victoria, 3250, AU
Telephone: 0413 529 896

Great Ocean Road / Lorne, Victoria Capacity: 30–200

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About

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. The tone is country hospitality rather than styling — the site's own phrase is “traditional dining with a modern twist”.

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.

Contact

Visit website

Call

Website

yeowarrahill.com.au

Phone

0413 529 896

Address

152 Drapers Road, Colac VIC 3250, Australia

Amenities

In-house Catering
Licensed Bar
Working Vineyard
Vineyard Views
Cellar Door
Estate Grown Wines
Enclosed Marquee
Dance Floor
Tables and Chairs Included
Wait Staff Included
Photo Locations
Manicured Gardens

Ceremony Setting

garden
vineyard
outdoor

Dietary Options Supported

Vegetarian
Special Dietary Requirements Catered

Nearby Landmarks

Lake Colac – The weddings page describes "expansive views over the vineyard towards Lake Colac"
Warrion Hills – Named alongside Lake Colac as the northern view from the reception centre
Otway Ranges – "the front garden enjoys a southerly aspect with views towards the Otway Ranges"
Colac – The venue is at 152 Drapers Road, Colac, and titles its home page "Colac Function and Wedding Reception Venue"

On Site Accommodation

No details available.

Price Notes

NOTHING IS PRICED ON THE LIVE SITE and the venue's published documents are out of date, so everything below is structure rather than cost. WHAT VENUE HIRE COVERS (April 2024 wedding document, figures deliberately omitted as expired): the marquee set at 3-5 bays, tables whether round or trestle, white stackable chairs, tablecloths, crockery, cutlery, glassware, and both bar and wait staff. Chair covers must be sourced through Yeowarra Hill because they are specific to its chairs; silk ceiling lining, coloured sashes and padded folding chairs are upgrades. THE ONE LIVE FIGURE ON THE SITE is in the FAQ and concerns time, not catering: evening functions conclude at 11pm and "extensions of function times are available however a license extension must be applied for at an additional cost of $300 (plus staffing costs)". Standard durations are four hours at lunch and five in the evening, 6pm-11pm; an afternoon function should end by 5pm. VENUE HIRE APPLIES TO WEDDINGS SPECIFICALLY: "Generally there is no venue hire charge, except in certain circumstances such as weddings and 21st parties." BEVERAGES are tailored to an all-inclusive price or charged on consumption, which the venue says it prefers; it is a fully licensed restaurant and does not allow BYO, and alcohol may not be consumed in the car park. BOOKING SHAPE: tentative bookings held 14 days (7 days per the FAQ), a deposit confirms, half the projected food cost and expected numbers are due 28 days out and become the minimum you are charged for, the food balance 14 days out, and beverages at the end of the night. Deposits are non-refundable within 9 months of the date. RULES: cakes only from a registered food business, delivered two hours ahead; confetti and rice are not permitted; children are welcome but must be supervised and stay within the hedges, with no ball games in the front garden; bands must contact the venue to arrange set-up and may need feeding. Round tables seat 10, trestles 8-10; place cards and seating plans are the couple's responsibility, and floral arrangements are arranged and paid for separately.
THE SITE IS OLD AND SHOWS IT. Its own photographs carry filenames dating from 2005 to 2016 with one recent set from 2022; the winery page says the vines were "planted in 1988" while the About page says the vineyard was "established in 1998", a contradiction between two pages of the same site. Confirm current arrangements directly.