Type locality of Galaxias ornatus, Cardinia Creek, Victoria. It is widely distributed south of the Great Dividing Range in coastal, central Victoria between Wilsons Promontory and Cape Otway at an elevation of between 35-800 m asl, but probably up to 1000 m asl. It is recorded from the upper reaches of the west Tarwin River in South Gippsland and throughout the catchments westward from the Tarago River system (Bunyip River catchment) to the Gellibrand River system (Otway Ranges), excluding the endorheic Corangamite Lakes catchment. It is not found from French and Phillip islands in Western Port, including the Lang Lang and Bass river systems draining the eastern shore of Western Port, and the streams on the Mornington Peninsula. Also reported to be absent from the Little River system draining the Brisbane Ranges near Geelong, and from the short coastal streams along the Otway Ranges between the Barwon and the Parker river systems. Apparently absent as well from the lower elevations in larger river

systems (e.g. Yarra, Barwon, Werribee rivers), though historically may have been found much closer to the coast (Ref. 98815).