Colac, city, southern Victoria, Australia, on the southern shore of shallow Lake Colac. It serves as a gateway to the Otway Ranges to the south and Great Otway National Park.
The city’s name is of uncertain Aboriginal origin, possibly tracing to a term meaning “sand” or “freshwater lake” or to the name of an Aboriginal group, the Kolijon or Coladjin, that inhabited the area at the time of European arrival. Settled by Europeans beginning in 1837 and proclaimed a town in 1859, Colac became a shire in 1864 and a city in 1960.
The city, at the centre of one of Australia’s premier dairy regions, serves as the market for a closely settled area that produces fruits and vegetables, grains, livestock, dairy products, and poultry. Its main industries include agriculture, food processing, and some forestry. Timber comes from the Otway Ranges. Connected to Melbourne, 85 miles (137 km) to the northeast, by rail and the Princes Highway, the city draws visitors to experience its natural environment, wineries, and music and arts festivals. Pop. (2006) Colac-Otway local government area, 20,295; (2011) Colac-Otway local government area, 20,345.