Human remains have been found in the backyard of a holiday home during plumbing works at a popular Victorian tourist destination.

Bones believed to be human were unearthed at a property on Hazelwood Court in Silverleaves on Phillip Island about 8.35am on Thursday.

The plumbers were digging a trench to replace a sewer pipe when one of the workers made the shocking discovery about 50cm below the surface.

“He just pulled a bit of sand out and emptied his bucket, and that’s when he saw the human head,” witness Riley Weinzierl told 7NEWS.

“The rest of them stopped excavating at that point and had a look around in the sand, and there were a few more bones and things.”

Weinzierl said there was no clothing found at the site.

“Obviously, the more they dug they probably would have found more, but we stopped,” he said.

The workers immediately contacted police, with detectives from the Homicide Squad attending the property soon after.

A crime scene has been established, and the Missing Persons Squad has also been notified.

Forensic specialists will now carefully remove the remains for testing — a process police say could take several days before results are known.

Investigators believe the bones are from some time ago.

It’s understood the house was built in the mid-1980s, with the original owners living there for about 20 years before it was later used largely as holiday rental, which means potentially hundreds of people may have stayed at the property over the years.

The discovery has sparked speculation among island residents about a possible link to Vivienne Cameron, a local woman who has been missing and presumed dead since 1986.

However, police say it’s too soon to confirm any connection to that case.

Anyone with information about the matter is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.