Caramut
Caramut is a small town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia, located on the Hamilton Highway. It sits in the Shire of Moyne and is part of the federal Division of Wannon. The name Caramut is thought to come from the Aboriginal word cooramook, meaning “plenty of possums.”
In 2016, the population of Caramut and the surrounding area was 246 (there were 392 people in 2006).
Caramut is about 55 km north of Warrnambool, 24 km southeast of Penshurst, and 33 km northwest of Mortlake.
History and land now known as Caramut:
- Aboriginal people had a village of domed huts near Caramut before white settlement. The Protector of Aborigines, George Augustus Robinson, drew pictures of structures there around 1840.
- The area was first settled by Europeans in 1839 when John Muston established a pastoral run.
- In 1842, the Lubra Creek massacre of six Dhauwurd wurrung people occurred on the Caramut run.
- The Post Office opened on 1 March 1848 as Muston’s Creek and was renamed Caramut in 1854.
Traditional owners: The land is traditionally associated with groups within the Eastern Maar peoples, represented by the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (EMAC).
Today: Caramut has an Australian Rules football team that competes in the Mininera & District Football League.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:48 (CET).