Lorne, Victoria

Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route. Lorne is in the Surf Coast Shire and at the 2016 census had a population of 1,114 but this figure grows during the holiday season.[1]

Lorne
Victoria
Lorne viewed from the west beach along Louttit Bay
Lorne is located in Surf Coast Shire
Lorne
Lorne
Coordinates38°32′S 143°58′E
Population1,114 (2016 census)[1]
Established1869
Postcode(s)3232
Elevation15 m (49 ft)
Location
LGA(s)Surf Coast Shire
State electorate(s)Polwarth
Federal division(s)Corangamite
Localities around Lorne:
Benwerrin Benwerrin Big Hill
Barwon Downs Lorne Bass Strait
Barwon Downs Separation Creek Bass Strait

History

Prior to British settlement, Lorne was part of the traditional lands of the Gadubanud or King Parrot people of the Cape Otway coast according to Ian Clark,[2]

Lorne is situated on a bay named after Captain Louttit, who sought shelter there in 1841 while supervising the retrieval of cargo from a nearby shipwreck. The coast was surveyed five years later in 1846. The first European settler was William Lindsay, a timber-cutter who began felling the area in 1849. The first telegraph arrived in 1859. Subdivision began in 1869 and in 1871 the town was named after the Marquess of Lorne from Argyleshire in Scotland on the occasion of his marriage to Princess Louise, one of Queen Victoria's daughters. The Post Office opened on 29 April 1874.[3]

In 1891, the area was visited by Rudyard Kipling, who was inspired to write the poem Flowers, which includes the lines:

Buy my hot-wood clematis,
Buy a frond of fern,
Gathered where the Erskine leaps
Down the road to Lorne.

By 1922, the Great Ocean Road was extended to Lorne, making the town much more accessible. The first passenger road service to Geelong was established in 1924 and guesthouses began to appear after 1930. The local fishing industry expanded significantly in the 1930s and 1940s. The Ash Wednesday bushfires swept through the area in 1983, destroying 76 houses.

Lorne Magistrates' Court closed on 1 October 1984.[4]

Tourism
Mountjoy Parade, part of the Great Ocean Road and the main street of Lorne. The Lorne Theatre can be seen on the right hand side of the street.

Popular local activities include traditional beach pursuits such as family bathing and surfing, as well as pier fishing for barracuda, whiting, and trevally. Teddy's Lookout lies at the end of George Street on the town's southern outskirts and offers fine views over the town, coastline, and Great Ocean Road. The Great Otway National Park is nearby; the Erskine River, which rises in the park and contains the Erskine Falls, has its mouth at Lorne.[5]

The town's population swells to around 13,000 each New Year's Eve when the Falls Festival takes place. During the first weekend of January over 20,000 spectators visit Lorne when the town hosts the 1.2 km Pier to Pub swim (described in the Guinness Book of Records as "the largest organised ocean swim in the world" and currently capped at 4,000 competitors[6]), the 8 km Mountain to Surf run, and the Lorne Surf Boat Race. Terminating in Lorne on the Queen's Birthday was the Great Otway Classic Foot Race (no longer held). Fair on the Foreshore occurs on the first weekend in November.

St Georges River, just outside Lorne along the Great Ocean Road. March 2019.


The town has two pubs (The Grand Pacific Hotel and Lorne Hotel) and a number of cafes, restaurants, and bakeries, mostly located along Mountjoy Parade. As usual in a tourist town, there is a large number of boutiques and clothing stores, as well as a book store, art galleries, and craft shops. Lorne has the Great Ocean Road Museum, which describes the history of the road. Things to do in Lorne include strolling along the Great Ocean Road, visiting the Lorne Pier, surfing or exploring the Otway Ranges National Park. There are also many art galleries and cultural events to enjoy.[7]

Sport

The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Colac & District Football League.[8]

Golf and tennis are played at the Lorne Country Club on Holliday Road.[9]

Mobile communications

Mobile coverage and speeds may be affected during summertime as Lorne is an extremely popular tourist destination.

Education

Lorne has one school, Lorne P-12 College, that facilitates both primary and secondary education.

Climate

Lorne has an oceanic climate (Cfb) with mild summers and cool, damp winters.

Climate data for Lorne Pier Head
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 42.5
(108.5)		 42.6
(108.7)		 39.6
(103.3)		 33.4
(92.1)		 25.7
(78.3)		 19.7
(67.5)		 21.6
(70.9)		 26.0
(78.8)		 29.0
(84.2)		 33.8
(92.8)		 36.3
(97.3)		 42.2
(108.0)		 42.6
(108.7)
Average high °C (°F) 23.2
(73.8)		 24.0
(75.2)		 22.3
(72.1)		 19.9
(67.8)		 17.2
(63.0)		 14.6
(58.3)		 14.1
(57.4)		 15.0
(59.0)		 16.5
(61.7)		 18.3
(64.9)		 19.9
(67.8)		 21.8
(71.2)		 18.9
(66.0)
Average low °C (°F) 14.1
(57.4)		 14.8
(58.6)		 14.0
(57.2)		 12.1
(53.8)		 10.4
(50.7)		 8.6
(47.5)		 7.5
(45.5)		 7.9
(46.2)		 8.7
(47.7)		 9.8
(49.6)		 11.2
(52.2)		 12.6
(54.7)		 11.0
(51.8)
Record low °C (°F) 7.2
(45.0)		 8.1
(46.6)		 7.3
(45.1)		 5.2
(41.4)		 3.4
(38.1)		 3.0
(37.4)		 2.2
(36.0)		 3.0
(37.4)		 3.8
(38.8)		 4.2
(39.6)		 4.7
(40.5)		 6.1
(43.0)		 2.2
(36.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 41.9
(1.65)		 33.1
(1.30)		 61.6
(2.43)		 69.7
(2.74)		 72.4
(2.85)		 77.4
(3.05)		 87.3
(3.44)		 96.9
(3.81)		 92.2
(3.63)		 80.7
(3.18)		 69.9
(2.75)		 49.6
(1.95)		 839.4
(33.05)
Average precipitation days 9.7 7.1 11.7 13.4 16.2 17.7 19.5 20.8 17.8 16.1 14.0 11.9 175.9
Average relative humidity (%) 64 63 68 68 73 74 73 69 70 68 67 65 69
Source: [10]

Heritage listed sites

Lorne contains a number of heritage listed sites, including:

  • 35 Mountjoy Parade, Erskine House[11]
  • Great Ocean Road[12]
  • 242-244 Mountjoy Parade, Jura[13]
  • 222 Mountjoy Parade, Leighwood[14]
  • 76-80 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne Cinema[15]
  • 18 Smith Street and 15 Grove Road, Lorne Primary School[16]

Annual events

Notable people
  • Another view of Lorne
    Another view of Lorne
  • The Cumberland Lorne Resort on Mountjoy Parade
    The Cumberland Lorne Resort on Mountjoy Parade
  • Erskine River in Lorne
    Erskine River in Lorne
  • Main pier at Lorne, opened in 2007 to replace the previous one
    Main pier at Lorne, opened in 2007 to replace the previous one
  • Lorne Pier from Teddys Lookout
    Lorne Pier from Teddys Lookout

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Lorne (Vic.) (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  2. Ian D. Clark, pp119-123, Scars on the Landscape. A Register of Massacre sites in Western Victoria 1803-1859, Aboriginal Studies Press, 1995 ISBN 0-85575-281-5
  3. Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 23 February 2021
  4. "Review of Legal Services in Rural and Regional Victoria" (PDF). Parliament of Victoria Law Reform Committee. May 2001. pp. 291–292. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  5. Lorne - Tourism Victoria, retrieved 10 July 2013
  6. Lorne Surf Life Saving Club
  7. Craig (30 April 2023). "Best Things to Do in Lorne | Your Ultimate Guide". Finder Hub. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  8. Full Points Footy, Lorne, archived from the original on 24 April 2008, retrieved 25 July 2008
  9. Tourism Victoria, Lorne Country Club, retrieved 10 July 2013
  10. "Climate statistics for Lorne PIer Head". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  11. "Erskine House (H1812)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  12. "Great Ocean Road (H2261)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  13. "Jura (H0822)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  14. "Leighwood (H0604)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  15. "Lorne Cinema (H2230)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  16. "Primary School No. 2161 (H1716)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  17. "'The most feared man in Australian business'". Australian Financial Review. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lorne, Victoria.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.