Committee for Lorne page, Surf Coast Times
5 June 2026
Whales Again
As some readers may know, I submit articles for publication in both the Surf Coast Times and the Lorne Independent. The themes are almost always my own choosing, and—where possible—I avoid cross-pollination between the two journals. I also try to avoid repeating the same subject matter.
However, given that our coastal resident population changes over time, some topics warrant an occasional reprise, and our annual pastime of whale watching is one of them.
For those who remember my past dips into this subject … [1] ‘Whales are on their way’[Lorne Independent: 7/2022] and [2] ‘The Mighty Orca’ [The Surf Coast Times: January 2023], when an orca pod made a non-seasonal and unexpected appearance [admittedly, orcas are not whales at all, but the largest of the dolphin family] … please forgive the repetition. The following article is a revision of the Lorne Independent article from June 2022.
For those new to our whale season, or who are simply passing us by in our winter months, it is time to begin scanning the horizon. The whales are—or should be—coming! Astute GOR travellers may soon notice knots of hardy people, dressed warmly against the biting Antarctic wind, gazing out to sea in rapt expectation, with binoculars, cameras, and smartphones at the ready. They will likely be watching whales, dolphins, or diving gannets—and sometimes all three—and the show can be quite exhilarating.
If anyone is seeking additional information, try Googling some of the existing Bass Strait whale-watching sites:
- https://www.swifft.net.au/whaleface/
- https://www.facebook.com/GreatOceanRoadWhales/
- https://visitgreatoceanroad.org.au/whale-watching/
These sites are all worth checking and provide helpful information, though some rely on volunteer input and can thus lag behind [or occasionally be at the forefront] of current sightings. The One and Only Lorne Facebook page can generally be relied upon to post whale sightings in real time.
My favourite is the Swifftnet ‘WhaleFace’ website [note: Swifft has two ‘ff’s] because it takes a scientific approach and documents individual whales by their callosity patterns. As the site notes: ‘… we call this project WhaleFace because it is the unique patterns of white features (called callosities) on the Southern Right Whale’s head that help us identify and follow individual whales.’
A Canadian website https://baleinesendirect.org/ describes the appearance of callosities as follows:
‘… they are found at the end of the rostrum [the ‘beak’ or ‘snout’ of a whale], on the lower lips and chin, above the eyes and in front of and behind the blowhole. Callosities are peculiar to the ‘right whales’ … [NB: the Southern Right Whale is the most frequently seen whale around our coast]. Callosities are congenital ‘growths’, are already present in the foetus and at various prenatal stages, and are not caused by the external environment.
Again, quoting from the same website:
‘… callosities are irregular patches of thickened and keratinised tissues and are a habitat for three species of amphipod crustaceans that specialise in right whales. Two of these crustaceans, Cyamis ovalis and Cyamis gracilis, are white and are found on normal callosities in healthy individuals. The third, Cyamis erraticus, is orange and is only found in the wounds of sick or very young whales. These small crustaceans [also called whale lice or cyamids] feed on the whales’ skin and travel from one whale to another by direct contact. They appear to do the whale no harm.’
One bonus of these unique and distinctive markings is that, of all whales, they act as ideal ‘fingerprints’, allowing every whale to be identifiable. Individual Southern Right Whales are often allocated a name, are looked for, spotted, and welcomed back each season by that name.
Many coastal whale-ophiles have come to ‘adopt’ individual whales: ‘… look, there is ‘xxxxxx’ … my whale!’ as xxxxxx reappears, season after season. Conversely, if xxxxxx is not spotted, its absence can be emotionally disturbing with: ‘… I wonder if he/she is OK?’ — or: ‘… I hope something has not happened to him/her’.
WhaleFace, with help and encouragement from DELWP [the Department of the Environment, Land, Water and Planning], is chock-full of information about whales. If you want to learn more about the Southern Right Whale, you need to go no further than: https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/team_southern_right_whale_south_eastern_australia_monitoring.php.
Two questions are often asked about our two dominant whale species along the eastern seaboard of Australia—the Humpback Whale and the Southern Right Whale.
- Why is the Southern Right whale called a ‘right’ whale?
The Australian Museum states that: “… the Southern Right Whale was once abundant in the waters of southern Australia, but numbers were drastically reduced during intensive whaling in the 1800s. It was called the ‘right whale’ as it was regarded as the right whale to catch because of its meat and high oil content.”
- What is the difference between a ‘right’ whale and a humpback whale?
A Southern Right whale does not have a dorsal fin on its back and is unique in that it will always ‘wear’ a distinctive pattern of callosities. It is the only whale that does. On the other hand, a Humpback has a small dorsal fin and long pectoral flippers, and they just love to show off their tail flukes. Both are similar in size and weight, with adults of both species averaging 12-16m in length and weighing 40-50 tonnes. Both species are seasonally present in Australian waters from late April to November [Lorne: most commonly June to October] as they migrate north from their Southern Ocean feeding grounds to mate and calve in the warmer waters of Southern Queensland.
As for dolphins [and an occasional orca family], years ago we would commonly see pods numbering in the hundreds as they chased schools of Bass Strait couta across the horizon. Now that the couta have gone, large dolphin pods are rare, though lone animals or small families are quite commonly seen harmlessly enjoying the surf at our Lorne Point alongside and among our local surfers.
On the other hand, years ago we saw few, if any, whales, yet now they quite frequently meander past each winter. While I miss the dolphins, I do rejoice in the whales. Deep down, I harbour a hope that—one day—we may be regularly graced with both!
John Agar
Feature Writer
From the Chairman
The chilly blast of this past week is a sombre reminder that the warmer weather and sunny days we have been experiencing for most of the year will soon be just a memory of the summer of ’26.
So many of our community are already experiencing the warmer weather of the northern hemisphere. Although some of the despatches back to Lorne are referring to days of extreme heat and it’s not the height of European summer yet.
No doubt more Lorneites (this author amongst them) will make the pilgrimage to the Lorne of the North, Port Douglas, as the cold weather set in.
For those of us who spend most, or all, of winter in Lorne, remember to spare a thought for those local businesses who remain open to serve our community over the coming months. The heady days of the summer season are over. Although this past summer season wasn’t all that flash for reasons of floods and fires, and that’s all the more reason to “spend local”. The businesses in Lorne provide a terrific service to us and we are very fortunate to have such variety and diversity. Most of our hospitality businesses now offer meal specials for Locals. In fact, there a sufficient of them on offer at the moment that you could eat out well for a reasonable price on every night of the week! Might be a bit of overkill , but you know what I’m getting at – your support of our local businesses over these quieter times is just one more indication of the great community in which we live.
*****
The Lorne Market on the Foreshore, run by Lorne p-12 College is on this Saturday. It’s worth your while to stop by, taste some delicious feed and pick up some goodies from the wide array of stallholders.
Proceeds from the Market are used by the school to help fund projects at the school. Recent projects include the Avenue of Honour, new Adventure Playground equipment and exercise equipment. A walk along Smith St past the School will showcase all these projects. Out of school hours, the adventure playground and exercise equipment is available to the whole community. With no locked gates and fences, Lorne P-12 College truly is an integral part of our wider community. When you have a look at these features in Smith St, take a moment to consider that every project is carried out with deep involvement from the students. The result is outstanding. The students have a real sense of ownership.
There are now over 200 students at Lorne P-12 College and they come from as far away as Birregurra, Winchelsea and Anglesea. Lorne P-12 College is now regarded as the school of choice in the region. When you visit the market on Saturday, say hello to the staff and volunteers at the Lorne P-12 tent. Their enthusiasm and commitment to the task is incredible. Then go for a shop around the market knowing that by supporting this venture, you are helping Lorne P-12 to be such an amazing asset in our Community.
Pete Spring
Deputy Chair, Committee for Lorne
(STILL standing in for Chairman John Higgins who is STILL swanning around in Europe. Not even a Postcard!)
12 June 2026
Monsters, Myths, and a Monk
St. Columba converting the Picts to Christianity. [Scottish National Portrait Museum]
While historical dates of death are often uncertain and prefaced with a ‘c.’ indicating ‘circa’ [thereabouts, or approximately], this isn’t the case with St. Columba [in original Gaelic, St. Colmcille], a foundational figure for those with Gaelic, Western Islander [Hebridean], or other Norse/Scottish roots—think Clans MacDonald [Donald], MacLeod, Maclean, MacDougall, and MacNeil, among many others. St. Columba is known to have died precisely on 9th June, AD 597 [i.e., 1,429 years ago last Tuesday]!
St Columba’s Feast Day [https://tinyurl.com/4ve9rksu] is celebrated throughout the Western Isles of Scotland, where the saltires fly each year in his honour, even though his influence was neither military nor nationalist but entirely ecclesiastical. But … what an influence, what a man!
As Islander blood [albeit diluted] still whooshes through my veins, I couldn’t let the day pass unmarked … even here, on the other side of the world … hence, today’s tangential detour to our distant coastline.
The rest of this article is a heavily edited version of Angelo Stagnaro’s fascinating blog post about Saint Columba [see: https://tinyurl.com/mwcj988y].
Saint Columba was born into a noble Irish family in Tyrconnell [in County Kildare], where he received ecclesiastical training and founded several monasteries in Ireland before crossing in an open, skin-covered coracle to the Scottish peninsula of Kintyre in c.563 AD. Settling on the nearby Hebridean island of Iona [known now as the Holy Isle], he founded the sacred Abbey of Iona, from which he spread Christianity among the pagan tribes and clans of the north.
This, however, is only a small part of his résumé, for he was also a statesman, a diplomat, a historian, an author and a poet, revered by both the Scottish and the Irish, who remain eternally grateful to him for ‘civilising’ their pagan ancestors and for offering them the promise of salvation and an eternal reward.
Exact dates are a feature of St. Columba’s story, for it is also recorded that on August 22, AD 565, St. Columba performed the miracle that would secure his saintly aura down the ages, for it was on this fateful day that he made short shrift of the legendary Loch Ness Monster.
What, you may ask, could St. Columba and ‘Nessie’ have in common?
The story of Columba’s ‘monstrous encounter’ is told in graphic detail by St. Adamnan, Columba’s biographer and a later Abbott of Iona, in his ‘The Life of Saint Columba’—though it was written over a hundred years after the alleged events. Nevertheless, Adamnan’s account is the first written record of the Loch Ness Monster.
Adamnan tells us that: “… while standing on the bank of the River Ness, which flows out of Loch Ness in northern Scotland, Columba was contemplating the best way to cross to the other side. Nearby, a group of heathenish Picts were busy burying a friend who had been attacked by an enormous ‘water beast’ while swimming in the river. When Columba knelt beside the dead man and laid his staff across the dead man’s chest, the man miraculously stood up, hale, hearty and fully recovered.”
Next, against all common sense, Columba ordered one of his fellow monks to swim across the loch and bring back a small boat moored on the opposite shore. The monster, alerted by the monk’s splashes, surfaced, roared a mighty roar, and raced towards the hapless monk with its mouth wide open. When all on the shore cried out in warning, Columba stepped to the edge of the loch, made the sign of the cross, and, invoking the Name of the Lord, commanded the monster: ‘Go no further. Do not touch the man. Leave at once!’
The monster, by then no more than a spear’s length from the struggling monk, was terrified by the sound of the saint’s words, stopped, turned, and fled.
Adamnan further records: “… the monster moved ‘as quickly as if it had been pulled back with ropes’ and absconded to the depths of the loch behind him, allowing the monk to retrieve the boat and paddle it back unharmed. Everyone was astonished. The heathens were so impressed by how Columba had brought their friend back to life and had commanded the monster that they gave glory to the God of the Christians, converted on the spot, and were baptised in the waters of the River Ness.”
Columba was known for performing hot and cold miracles as easily as turning on a tap. He regularly cured the sick, the disabled and the lame, produced water from a rock, calmed storms at sea, subdued savage beasts such as boars and serpents, provided fishermen with a bounteous catch, multiplied herds of cattle, exorcised demons, and brought peace to warring factions … all of this, and more, without batting an eye.
As I marvel at the abilities of this Scottish Saint and thaumaturge
[https://tinyurl.com/b3u9ht43], I can’t help but think of the times when a reincarnated St. Columba could have been a useful card up our collective sleeve here in Victoria, especially along our coast, when a bevy of miracles might have been just what the doctor ordered.
I can just imagine how cool it would be if a modern-day Columba could magically emerge, lay his staff across our potholed roads, calm the factions warring over coastal improvements, summon back the couta, dispel all threats of wild beasts [esp. panthers] from our forests, and, as a special favour, balance the competing pleasures of coastal living against the ever-rising demands of tourism.
Who knows … maybe miracles do still happen.
John Agar
Feature Writer
From the Chairman
Hello
Coming home to Lorne after a holiday away is a special experience! Not only are we quickly reminded of the natural beauty of our hometown, but the warm greetings from so many friends reinforces the meaning of “home” and reminds us of what it means to live in a “community”.
And what a King’s Birthday long weekend it was to come home to! Even as winter proper sets in, the sun shone, the visitors came in numbers and our accommodation providers, cafes and restaurants were having their last major flourish before heading into hibernation for a few months. The Foreshore Market run by Lorne School morphed into the Carpark Market, as the lawn area was considered too wet after drenching rains last week. While the turnout of stallholders was reduced, there were plenty of opportunities to spend money and raise much needed funds to support our school.
The Aquatic Club is now securely settled into its temporary home at the Surf Club. There was a big turnout on Friday night for the monthly Snappers catchup, followed by the annual Sausage Roll competition on Sunday. Approximately 300 members and guests came to taste the artisan creations of our local amateur chefs, with Ric Addison taking the major prize for best sausage roll, a well-deserved winner! Ric had lots of practice as he once again produced 200 samples for the assembled crowd to taste.
Meanwhile down at Point Grey, things are proceeding apace with preparations for framing at the Aquatic Club and the pouring of the concrete slab for the new Co-op building imminent. We watch the progress with excitement!
I want to thank my friend and deputy, Pete Spring, for writing this column while we have been overseas, but I do need to correct some misstatements in his recent writings. There was no “swanning”, “cavorting” or “gallivanting” around Europe. This was no junket, but a fully self-funded, carefully curated study and exploratory tour, intended to bring back information and ideas to assist the business and social community of Lorne.
We marvelled at the engineering masterpiece that is the Swiss railway system, although obviously not as complex as the half-baked Cheltenham to Box Hill “suburban rail loop”.
We loved the practical approach to coastal dining in so many locations, with the policy, “Use and respect the environment and adapt as necessary”.
We were in awe of the amazing Sea Organ at Zadar in Croatia where 35 tubes of different diameters with whistles are implanted into the stone-paved waterfront so that the waves play seven chords of five different tones of music. The installation was the joint winner of the 2006 European Prize for Urban Public Space which described it as the “perfect place for watching the sunset over the sea”. Wouldn’t that be special for Point Grey or the pier. Look it up here – https://tinyurl.com/zadar-sea-organ.
We may have also sampled some local produce and beverages, and we have passed on our findings to our local restaurants.
Cheers (and it’s great to be back home)
John
John Higgins
Chairman
Committee for Lorne
19 June 2026
Lorne Historical Society – New Façade
Friday 12th June 2026 saw the mayor of the Surf Coast Shire, Libby Stapleton, officially open the new façade at the LHS room at the Lorne’s Community House, with the President of the LHS, Jan Spring.
The LHS room was felt to be dark and uninviting for visitors. The low-profile building greets Lorne visitors when they arrive in Lorne, after crossing the Erskine River Bridge, and looking up. Many people felt the building needed a facelift to become a striking piece of architecture.
A community-led project of design and construction of a new façade, with external cladding and a bay window, was recommended after completing an investigation in May 2017 and were granted funding in the Surf Coast Shire 2017/2018 budget.
The project kicked off in early 2019 with confirmation of the required matching cash and in-kind support from the Lorne Historical Society and Lorne Men’s Shed. The total project cost was $119,216 consisting of local community contributions $55,133 ($12,273 cash and $42,860 in-kind) and Council $64,083, including project management.
The result proved to be an extremely positive and successful collaboration project with the local Lorne community. The façade was designed by architects Bob Sinclair and Chris Wood, members of the Men’s Shed. The modern design is intended to showcase the Historical Society, make the most of the high-profile location and refresh the tired looking facility. The local community secured the timber material via a generous donation from Barwon Timber and members of the Men’s Shed worked together tirelessly to create the panels.
Located at the entry to Lorne, the facility is in an extremely prominent location, welcoming all locals and visitors to the township as they travel the Great Ocean Road. In 2020, president of the Lorne Historical Society, Gary Allen, described the project as “wonderful”, noting the large bay window as a feature and an architectural highlight within the landscape. The Historical Society received much positive feedback, contributing to raising their profile.
Congratulations and thanks to the Lorne Men’s Shed on a very successful partnership. Thanks to the hard-working community members Peter Spring, Gary Allen, Bob Sinclair, Chris Wood, Cr Clive Goldsworthy and the support of Surf Coast Shire.
The Lorne Historical Society has an interesting history as it has grown and developed over the last 126 years due to the work of many committed community members.
The Lorne Historical Society had its origins in the old Library Hall on the corner of Smith and William streets, the site of the current police station. Later the LHS reformed and held its first meeting at the Lorne School, on Tuesday 5th August 1968, with Mr Paul Birch president and secretary Mr Ian Gribble. The 16 members began the documentation of our current historical records, photographs and memorabilia. Photos from the early days were presented by Mrs Bannister and history information from Mr Cecil Clissold. Large photos from the early days were donated by Doug and Geoff Tune. Each member of the LHS were allocated various areas of interest.
The LHS held a successful display at the Wild Colonial Club in 1969. Over 1,000 people attended. The society took over the old Barber Shop and Billiards Hall in 1970, next to the old Cumberland guesthouse. The society wrote to Winchelsea Shire Council to outline the objective of the organisation and share the frustration with the lack of funding. It was pointed out it was the only historical society in the shire preserving records and relics at that time and it would be an important tourist asset. Fortunately, the Shire decided to help.
The Winchelsea Shire agreed to provide premises and set aside $60,000 to assist the LHS find suitable premises. After the Barber Shop and Billard Hall was demolished in 1985 to make way for the new Cumberland, the LHS then moved to the old Water Board building at 59 Mountjoy Parade, opposite the location of the currents Shell service station. Jean and Malcolm Graham worked hard to record important Lorne events and stories. This amazing volume of work was then scanned and converted to searchable text making is easily accessible. It is a lasting testimony to the dedication, hard work and love of Lorne and its history.
By 1992, the lease at 59 Mountjoy Parade ran out. For some years after this, the LHS was homeless with members storing paperwork and artefacts in their own private homes. Some exhibitions were staged in the RSL Hall. The society moved to its current location at the Fig Tree Community House, 16 Mountjoy Parade, with the support and assistance of the Surf Coast Shire in 1999.
It is marvellous what patience, persistence and partnership have achieved in honouring the history of the Lorne community. The LHS continues to collect and preserve the stories with lots more information and photos to be enjoyed on the website – www.lornehistoricalsociety.org.au
Linton Ferguson
Lorne Historical Society
From the Chairman
Hello
There was once a time when travelling overseas meant that you were cut off from the news of the day, both Australian and international. Australia was rarely mentioned in Europe (other than, “That’s a long way to come!”). Part of then coming home was catching up on what had happened while we were away. But today, with the pervasion of, and accessibility to, all forms of media, it is now an art to avoid the daily news while away. And even if you do, some fellow Aussie traveller will let you know, “Did you see…?”.
There have recently been some uplifting stories in the media, like the bravery of Neale Daniher to “play on” to the end, his moving funeral and the amazing generosity of so many in contributing to help find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease. And there is the euphoria around the Socceroos World Cup win. These events celebrated in the media bring our community together.
Meanwhile our daily media is largely obsessed with sport (mainly AFL) and the daily rollcall of stabbings, carjackings, fire bombings and home invasions. Not much to lift our spirits there!
And then there are our political leaders, locally and internationally. POTUS Supertrump has ended the Middle East war for the 38th time (at the time of writing) and celebrated his 80th birthday with cage-fighting on the hallowed White House lawn! In the UK far-right parties exploit the opportunities to gain in popularity provided by a government that won’t listen to the people and an alternative government which is incapable of holding them to account. This plays into the hands of professional agitators (and ordinary people) who take their frustration to the street.
In Australia we are seeing the same momentum. Who would have thought that Pauline Hanson would return to the political stage in the role of “Preferred Prime Minister” thirty years after her political debut! This has happened because our politicians of all shades don’t listen to the people they represent. They think they know what’s best. Our politicians fail to understand what it means to be a leader, to listen, to show and earn respect, to be honest and transparent. Instead of looking in the mirror and recognising their own blemishes, they denigrate and belittle those who have a different viewpoint. They do so at their peril, the seeds of revolution are sprouting!
Meanwhile, in the beautiful bubble of Lorne, the winter solstice is upon us. Yes, it is the shortest day but don’t be fooled, “As the days grow longer, the cold grows stronger”.
As we approach the midpoint of the 2026 season, our Lorne Dolphins netballers and footballers are playing well, and several teams are on track to play finals. Last week our players had some good wins playing away at Birregurra and this week we host Western Eagles at home at Stribling Reserve. Please come along, embrace the winter weather, enjoy good company and support our dedicated players. See you there!
Cheers
John
John Higgins
Chairman
Committee for Lorne
26 June 2026
Top Dog
Some look askance when they discover I let my dog inside, then are jaw-droppingly horrified to hear he sleeps on my bed each night. But if you own a dog, you will understand. The expression ‘top dog’ didn’t come from nowhere, and one thing dog owners instinctively know, or quickly learn, is that ‘top dog’ doesn’t refer to the human half of the relationship!
Since Susie, my wife and life partner of 50 years, died some four years ago, my feisty little border terrier, Blighty, has become my constant companion. He is my sounding board, my personal trainer who demands a beach walk every day—rain, hail, or shine, and tidal cycles notwithstanding—and, without peer, my best mate, too.
At times frustratingly disobedient, he always seems to sense the moment—just before I am ready to berate him—to become meek and compliant, fix me with his soft-eyed look that clearly says ‘… sorry, I was being a bit naughty, wasn’t I — but I just know you’ll forgive me’, thereby thwarting my exasperation.
Above all, he is playful. He can’t get enough of ‘play-time’—it’s his obsession during every waking hour. If I won’t play [spoiler alert: more pleading eyes], he simply invents a game for himself. The house and garden are literally littered with balls and cotton toys, shredded and tooth-marked from constant attack. Not content with capture, he seems to attempt a toy-kill as well, rolling endlessly over his favourite orange and blue balls—he has several—in an effort, presumably, to crush them into submission and absorb their scent. Then, after a moment’s rest, the ball is tossed in the air, pounced on for the umpteenth time, then rolled and crushed all over again.
But when it comes to ball games, Blighty has a blind spot! After I have thrown the first ball, he fetches it back with undisguised pleasure, then props it, wags frantically, but resolutely refuses to return it any further. The game suddenly becomes one of ‘keepings off’ as he ensures that he and his precious prize remain just beyond my arthritic reach, defying all my efforts to retrieve it. Talk about frustrating! As I jealously watch others on the beach, their dogs obediently returning their balls for another throw and fetch, Blighty flashes a toothy grin, wags his tail in triumph, and stays half a metre out of range.
After hip surgery a couple of years ago, I took my physiotherapist’s advice and bought a grabber [effectively a set of BBQ tongs on an extended stick], which I used only a few times before finding that bending and picking up by hand was both easier and a better exercise. Aha, I thought, I’ll use the grabber. That’ll flummox him! But no such luck. In a blink, he had added the grabber to his version of the game.
Now, the nifty device sits atop my bins, ready for use when the cockies defeat the latest in the council’s chain of failed devices to solve the cockie problem, and my garbage [or, more often, that of my neighbouring BnB] is strewn across the street on bin night. Though the Men’s Shed bin aprons have provided a brilliant and final answer, their roll-out is proving agonisingly slow—for reasons I find hard to fathom—and the grabbers will continue to serve their adapted purpose for a while yet.
Meanwhile, Blighty sits on his haunches at a safe distance, ball clamped firmly in his jaws. I can almost imagine him mentally replacing Margaret Thatcher’s famous line, ‘… this lady’s not for turning’, with a smugly reworded Blighty equivalent: ‘… this ball’s not for taking’.
Later each evening, when Masterchef is done for the night, another Netflix episode has concluded, the fire is dying to embers, and it’s time for bed, Blighty takes a last turn around the garden. With an adversarial goodnight bark at our resident bushytail possum, he sniffs the succulents, waters them, then comes back inside to leap onto the bed and imperiously take up residence in the best spot.
Adopting a now-familiar expression that brims with innocence yet carries a hint of bravado, he makes his message clear: ‘… It’s OK, Codger, you’ll manage — just fold yourself around me’. Then, with that thought clearly conveyed—or implied—he settles down for a good night’s rest, while I lie semi-suspended in the air over the side of the bed.
The latter decades of the 19th-century saw an explosion of interest in behavioural science, led by Wundt in Leipzig [widely regarded as ‘the father of experimental psychology’] and Freud in Vienna [whose ‘Interpretation of Dreams’ and theories of the subconscious mind established psychology and psychoanalysis as a specialty—and, incidentally, as a must-have accessory … especially for troubled Americans]. Another of these mind-expanding giants of psychology was Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist who conducted a set of ground-breaking experiments in the 1890s with dogs—work that opened the window onto the behavioural psychology of ‘conditioning’. By ringing a bell each day at feeding time, his dogs learned to associate the bell with food and would come running at its sound, whether or not food was present.
Blighty constantly reminds me of Pavlov. Whether at meal times [food], when I am about to go out and reach for my vest [walkies], or when we are walking on the beach and I hold my arm out at a recognised angle [signalling a ‘come to me’ treat]… all are examples of conditioned behaviour that every dog owner [and their dog] will recognise. Training, conditioning, and cueing—all are taught at puppy school and are central planks of an effective human + dog bond.
But it’s not just dogs that respond to conditioning. Farmers rely on similar behavioural traits to lead their cows, unbidden, to the milking shed, or to encourage them—or other domesticated animals—to do ‘smart stuff’ like pressing a lever to release food or access their drinking water. Moreover, we constantly condition ourselves and our children to respond to stimuli that reward or benefit us, such as the wakeful scent of coffee in the morning or familiar logos that make us crave particular foods.
I suspect I could interpret ‘B’s theft of the warm spot on the bed as a conditioned response, but no! While sheer bloody-mindedness briefly comes to mind, I think it is actually a simple and rather endearing extension of his desire to play, and one I commend him for. Long live my little mate, for all your playful idiosyncrasies.
John Agar
Feature Writer
From the Chairman
Hello
Last Sunday, representatives of many Lorne community groups attended a Community Emergency Relief Workshop. The workshop, prepared and facilitated by our own Carly Stafford and Karen Stribling, also included representatives of Surf Coast Shire (including our three ward councillors), VicPol, CFA and SES (31 people in all).
The purpose of the workshop was to gather what we had collectively learnt from the January floods and to work towards a framework for dealing with emergency events that may occur in the future. While Lorne was not as badly affected as some of our neighbouring towns in the floods, it quickly became a relief centre with many volunteers jumping into action even before the Shire could martial resources and get to Lorne. An underlying theme was that events may occur (such as bushfire or road closures) which may prevent outside resources from getting to Lorne in a timely manner. This means that Lorne needs to have a degree of self-sufficiency and a plan to deal with emergencies until help arrives.
It is understood that this is not a substitute for the role of the Emergency Services, and that any activities would be under the direction and control of the Emergency Services. The role of the community relief team is to provide shelter, food and comfort to the victims of natural disasters in our town and our vicinity. The workshop produced a bounty of good ideas which will form the basis of a Community Emergency Relief Plan, including identifying available resources such as people, facilities, equipment and supplies. Congratulations to all involved and especially to Carly and Karen for their commitment to this important initiative.
******
Driving the Great Ocean Road, and many other country roads, is a game of pothole-dodging! More than half of the serious road crashes in Victoria happen on regional roads and many occur on roads that have been identified by RACV as high-risk due to their design and crash history. RACV is conducting a survey to give you the opportunity to have your say about our roads. Your responses will help RACV better understand which roads are causing the greatest safety concerns and support advocacy for safer road design and investment in improvements. The survey at https://racv.research.net/r/My-Country-Road-2026 takes around five minutes to complete and your responses are anonymous.
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This is a final call for nominations for the 2026 Doug and Mary Stirling Cup. The Cup is a very important award in the Lorne community, named after two of our most esteemed and respected citizens (and the first recipients of the award). The award honours outstanding service to, and leadership in, the Lorne community and is awarded biennially. Nominations are confidential and forms can be obtained from the Visitor Information Centre, Lorne School, the Post Office or online here – https://tinyurl.com/stirlingcup. The award will be presented at a Committee for Lorne lunch to be held on 30 October 2026.
Please give this opportunity your serious and prompt consideration as nominations for the award close on 30 June 2026.
Cheers
John
John Higgins
Chairman
Committee for Lorne
