Phillip Island, Victoria
Island Bay Ranch sits on Churchill Road at Newhaven, on the eastern end of Phillip Island, looking across Western Port Bay to Churchill Island.
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Wedding Venues · Phillip Island, Victoria · Visit in person
The Shearing Shed
- Capacity: Up to 160
- From $189 a head
About
Overview & Vibe
The Shearing Shed sits on twenty acres of farmland on the outskirts of Cowes, on Phillip Island about ninety minutes from Melbourne. It is a 1950s working shed kept by the same family for four generations and renovated rather than replaced, and it is still a private property and a family home — visits are by appointment only.
Setting & Style
Three named spaces carry the day. The Billabong is the outdoor ceremony site, gently sloping lawn beside a native waterhole with a treeline behind. The Barn is the indoor ceremony alternative — timber beams, soft lighting, and the venue is candid that Island weather makes it a plan A, B or C. The Courtyard sits between ceremony and reception for canapés and lawn games, and the shed itself takes the reception with a boutique bar and a dancefloor.
Ideal For
Couples who would rather book one thing than seven — venue, catering, drinks and staff arrive together — and who want a coastal-country wedding without a wine-region price.
The Need-to-Knows
- Receptions from $189 per person, and the venue is explicit about what that covers: five hours of venue hire, catering, drinks and an experienced team. It also states there are no hidden costs and no cakeage fee.
- Seated up to 110, cocktail up to 160.
- Ceremony, reception, food, drinks and staff are all in-house — there is no separate caterer or bar company to contract.
- Visits are by appointment only. It is a private property and a family home, so there are no drop-ins.
- Both an indoor and an outdoor ceremony space exist, which matters on an island the venue itself describes as prone to weather.
- Micro weddings and winter weddings are offered as separate products, and the venue runs a discounted date list.
Standout Feature
A 1950s shearing shed on twenty acres, with a ceremony lawn beside a billabong and everything from the bar to the waitstaff included in one per-head figure.
Amenities
- Twenty Acre Property
- Indoor Ceremony Space
- Outdoor Ceremony Lawn
- Native Waterhole
- Courtyard For Canapes
- Lawn Games
- Boutique Bar
- Dancefloor
- In-house Catering
- In-house Bar Staff
- In-house Wait Staff
- Furniture Included
- In-house Wedding Coordinator
- No Cakeage Fee
- Five Hour Venue Hire Included
- Timber Beams
- 1950s Shearing Shed
- Family Owned Four Generations
- Micro Wedding Option
- Winter Wedding Option
- Discounted Date List
- By Appointment Only
- Ninety Minutes From Melbourne
Ceremony Setting
- outdoor
- indoor
- barn
- garden
- lawn
- lakeside
Dietary Options Supported
No details available.
Nearby Landmarks
- Cowes – Phillip Island's main town, just down the road
- Phillip Island – The island the venue sits on
- Westernport Bay – The water between the island and the mainland
- The Nobbies – Clifftop lookout at the island's western tip
- Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit – The motorsport track nearby
- San Remo – Mainland town across the bridge
- Melbourne – About ninety minutes north
On Site Accommodation
No details available.
Price Notes
- Receptions start from $189 per person, and the venue states plainly what the figure covers: 5 hours of venue hire, catering, drinks and experienced staff, for a seated event up to 110 or a cocktail event up to 160. It also states 'No hidden costs (we're looking at you cakeage fees!)', so no cakeage is charged.
- The venue's pitch is that everything is in-house: 'At some venues, you'll need to coordinate: venue hire - caterers - bar staff - wait staff - furniture hire - timelines - coordination... At The Shearing Shed, it's all taken care of. Ceremony, reception, food, drinks, and experienced team - all in one place.'
- A separate pack shows trial pricing for April 2027 rather than current rates; the $189 figure above is the current published rate.
- Separate products are marketed for micro weddings and winter weddings, and the venue runs a discounted date list it calls 'the sale rack' / 'Dates with Perks'. Each of these is quoted on enquiry.
- Visiting is by appointment only. The venue states: 'The Shearing Shed is a private property and a family home, so visits are always by appointment. No surprise drop-ins.'
Price Per Head
- From $189 p/head
Venue Capacity
- Up to 160 guests, or 110 seated for a sit-down reception.
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Contact
- Website
- theshearingshed.com.au
- Phone
- 0447 449 223
- Address
- 116 Gap Road, Cowes VIC 3922, Australia
116 Gap Road, Cowes VIC 3922, Australia
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