Lorne Victoria Australia

6th March 2026

Flailing About

Have you ever watched the desperate struggle of an upended Christmas beetle as it tries to gain traction against something—anything—in its fight for survival?  Its ‘flailing about’ is a fitting parody of me getting out of bed, onto and off a sun lounge, or getting into and out of a car seat that’s the wrong height… I sense many of my contemporary boomers nodding in sympathy.

It is disheartening to watch how the vigour and invincibility of youth shift from the prime of life and, in the blink of an eye, become the where-did-it-all-go reminiscences of the elderly.

I fear that if the MasterChef judging panel were to be critiquing my nimbleness, I would score three one-out-of-tens and wouldn’t make the cook-off.

I am reminded of a scene witnessed during my now annual week-long pilgrimage to Palm Cove in Far North Queensland, where one thing struck me above all others … the preponderance of elderly, mobility-challenged retirees attempting to navigate an increasingly hostile environment designed for the young and mobile, but which still depends on the patronage of the gradually ageing.

Picture this: a stunningly inviting pool surrounded by designer sun lounges—and very nice they look, too—that were utterly impossible to get onto or off.  Low and slinky, they skim the ground by a mere foot.

I recall watching an elderly lady, book, towel, and bifocals in hand, a sensible sunhat providing welcome shade, as she walked a circuit of the pool.  She paused at every sun-lounge to eye it off with a longing look … hoping that this one might be different from the last.  It wasn’t.  Then, after an almost imperceptible ‘practice’ flex of the knees—like Jakara Anthony at the moguls starting gate—a sag of disillusionment curling the corner of her mouth, she moved on to the next, and the next, down the faultless line of white, impossible-to-board-with-dignity lounges to the last of the line.

Finding none gracefully accessible, and the body language of failure writ large in the droop of her shoulders, I watched her resign to her age and make her inevitable decision, “… no, I cannot get down onto those lounges in a fit”, succumbing to the reality that, even should she manage to lower herself down, she would never be able to rise again.

Defeated, she left the pool area to return to a nearly as challenging chair on her balcony.

I know exactly how she felt … and you well may ask me how.

My answer? … it’s the timeless lament of the hip-and-knee challenged.  Indeed, the previous day I had done exactly the same, and, like her, had repeated the very same ritual that day after day … hoping that somehow it might be different.

It never was.

It seems that the option of a higher-heighted lounge at these ‘rest and relaxation’ resorts never occurs to management.  Just a few chairs and tables of sensible height would suffice, but no … everything is always so low to the ground and hard to reach.

It made me think that these often-retiree-dependent resorts are getting it wrong.  They are succumbing to a 20-something’s designer/wedding planner ideal of ‘beauty and conformity’ while ignoring the comfort and practicality required by their not-inconsequential ageing market.  They are failing to cater for—indeed, even consider—the very people who, to borrow from the current power debate, pay their “base-load” bills.

“This has to change,” I thought to myself, while gloomily recognising that it probably never will.

Another example that comes to mind—a practical one that truly matters and will fundamentally influence my choice of a new car—is access!

To set the scene, my first car was a 1956 Fiat 500—‘Ferdie’.  It had suicide doors that opened forward and was a mite underpowered by today’s standards … it could only climb John Street in reverse, reverse gear being the only one with a low enough ratio to give me traction.

As my beloved Subie is now aging and is slowly being weighed down by dog hair and grunge, I’ve been wondering about buying one more new car to see me through to my dotage.  With my heart ruling my head, I found myself briefly flirting with a return to my roots … a Fiat 500 Abarth, a new ‘Ferdie’ … after all, Sandy at ‘Taste’ has one, and she loves hers.

Blithely and full of hope, I visited the Fiat showroom in Geelong where, with some difficulty and more than a little trepidation, I climbed in—or should I say I lowered myself down into the driver’s seat.  There I stayed, for quite some time, until I could catch the attention of a young, suited salesman and awkwardly explain that I couldn’t get out again.

I remember how he looked at me in disbelief.

I also suspect he might have later been the subject of some workplace ribbing after his colleagues watched in amusement as he struggled to free a plump elderly gentleman to a soundtrack of grunts, groans, and heavy breathing.

Nevertheless, I remain ever-grateful to that young salesman—for without his help, I may still be there doing my best impression of Tony Perkins’ skeletal mother in her rocking chair in Hitchcock’s Psycho!

Furthermore, I now realise that, more than horsepower, interior décor, slinky external lines, or a sense of nostalgia, getting into and out of a car with ease is likely the key criterion for an elderly purchaser.

Too low? … no!  Too high? … also no!  Just right, and like Goldilocks’ porridge, the deal is done.  So, when [or if] the time is right … Subaru, I’ll be back again!

Modern furniture, with seating cushions too low to the ground and backs that offer no support for the head or neck, is also on my ‘caution’ list.  Too often, visual aesthetics now take precedence over functional design, and users’ differing physical capabilities are ignored.

So … as Lorne’s accommodation options shift toward Airbnb and Stayz rentals, absent landlords should take note.  You should consider these factors when furnishing your rentals, because if the Gen X, Y, and Z markets falter and the Boomers are the only remaining source, this may matter.  Just saying ….

John Agar
Feature Writer

A Word from the Chair

Hello

As we slide into autumn and the world once again slides into conflict and uncertainty, we are reminded how blessed we are to live in a community where “conflict” is mostly limited to our support of opposing football teams, and getting together and having fun is a higher priority.

With the summer sports seasons coming to conclusion, there were some significant contests last weekend.  Congratulations to the Lorne Bowls Club Division 2 team who defeated Camperdown Magpies 2 in Saturday’s grand final.  It was an emphatic win, Lorne 106 points to Camperdown 80.  The game was close until the last 45 minutes, with all Lorne rinks outscoring their opponents 28 points to 2 points.  The team entered the grand final with another decisive victory in the semi-final, defeating Cobden 1 by twenty points.  Lorne will now be promoted into Division 1 which is a great result and reward for a very consistent season.

The midweek Division 2 team also made it into the final series, but they did not win and progress into the higher division.  However, their success and that of the weekend Division 3 side, who consolidated their position after promotion last year, is proof that the Club is in a very healthy state and we wish them well for the next season.

*****

In March the Lorne Bowls Club is running Twilight Bowls on the following Wednesdays:  March 11, 18 and 25.  The games will start at 5.30 pm, all you need to do is to sign-up by 5pm on the night.  Teams will be selected on the night, with a range of experience in each team.  We will play one game of ten ends with prizes for the winning team.  There is no cost to play and everybody is welcome.  Sign-up at the Club or by email at secretary@lornebowlsclub.com.au

*****

Congratulations also go to our cricketers who have progressed through their elimination final in comfortable style with a six-wicket win.  They now take on Apollo Bay in the preliminary final at Birregurra from noon Saturday.  It will be a big challenge to topple the Bay but I am sure the boys are up for it.  Go Lorne!

*****

A big thank you to the dedicated volunteers who participated in the annual Clean Up Australia Day last Sunday.  This year 25 participants (aged 62-90 years!) gave up three hours of their Sunday morning to help to keep our town and surrounding areas litter-free, collecting 45 large bags of rubbish.  Each year this event makes a significant contribution to improving our environment and educating our younger generation and our visitors that it is not ok to leave rubbish on our beaches and open spaces.  Well done!

*****

The upcoming long weekend brings back our Foreshore Market on Saturday from 9am.  The Market will offer a range of home-made produce, gifts and clothing to raise valuable funds for our Lorne School.  Please come along and support them.  On Sunday, the Aquatic Club will be holding its regular fishing competition with a 12.30pm weigh-in at Stribling Reserve and traditional roast lunch.  The weather is looking good, so there is no reason to stay home.

Cheers

John

John Higgins
Chairman, Committee for Lorne

13th March 2026

Reedy Island

For joy! … the island is back … though don’t blink or you will miss it.

Just like the wreck of the Otway that so briefly appeared at the river mouth after the flood and then slipped silently back under the sands, the island may yet rejoin the river bank and return to its hiding place.

Jonn Stewart [our Foodworks supremo] answered my ‘drone-please-Jonn’ photo plea by taking this stunning seen-from-above photo of the newly-sculpted island in the Erskine … so, thank you, Jonn.

It shows a well-demarcated island hard against the eastern shore of the lower Erskine, where, until recently, no such separation from the bank existed.  It shows, superbly, how water flow [and floods] can remodel a river’s topography.

Indeed, back in the day, the Erskine River followed a slightly different course—at least until it was nudged towards the eastern bank when the Lorne Foreshore Committee backfilled the river to widen the area available for camping.

Footnote: Some will still recall the days when the Foreshore Committee—comprising local elected representatives and only loosely overseen by the Winchelsea Shire Council—once held all the power in Lorne.  I, for one, still regret its passing.

The effects of this recent deluge and the many past floods to which the river is prone have seen several features of the lower Erskine come and go over time as the river continues to remodel itself.  Chief among these have been its islands.  Every flood leaves a different river behind it, and the Erskine has seen plenty of these changes in Lorne’s settled history.  The recent ‘catastrophic weather event’—as the media have now re-branded heavy rain—was not the first, not the worst, and certainly will not be the last.

While I abhor the current fad for claiming ‘victimhood’ at every slight, at every ‘event’ [NB: the media’s word], Lorne and Wye River have recently been community victims at the hands of sadly misinformed and lazy media whose reporting has wrought far more damage on both towns than either flood [brief], or fire [~50km distant at Carlisle River] could claim to have done.

Lorne’s excellent historical records yield a long list of damaging deluges dating back to the 1850s, several of which clearly far exceeded our ‘flash flood’.  Perhaps the only distinguishing feature of this brief but impressive recent torrent was its suddenness, though the damage was tightly confined to the river beds and banks, leaving the town[s] largely unscathed.

Although 180mm fell in 6 hours within a concentrated area at Mt Cowley [10km to Lorne’s west], my rain gauge recorded a mere 8mm in the encompassing 24 hours.  While clearly cold comfort to those who lost possessions in the caravan parks that dot our coastal river edges at Kennett, Wye, Separation, Cumberland, and Lorne, the towns did not deserve the pariah ‘flood-and-fire’ status accorded them by loose press reporting.  The damage has been to business income, not to coastal infrastructure, and it continues to this day.  As news organisations seek their ratings, they should be far more cognisant of the damage their reports can do to local communities.

But, back to the river’s remodelling process and to the island[s] come and go in the lower Erskine with each inundation.  Once, there were at least two prominent islands in the broad section below the present-day caravan park and above the swing bridge.  In my lifetime, I recall only one, though even that has not been clearly demarcated for several decades—at least until now.

I have been unable to determine whether it [or they] have ever been formally named, though I am sure they must have been.  I dimly recall my gran calling the larger one ‘Reedy [or was it Rush] Island’.  Pete Spring recalls the name ‘Sluggy Island’.

Whatever the case, when I was very young, I recall that an island stood centre-stream directly below our open verandah.  A single reference [c.1878] in the Anderson Family notes [Lorne Historical Society: p.147] states: “… the men who worked for grandfather were paid 8/- a day, and they lived in tents on the hillside. The kilns were thatched with the rushy grass growing on the islands near the Erskine at its mouth”, though I shudder at the thought of thatching a kiln!

The first undated, age-stained photo of the early Erskine clearly shows two islands.

The second photo [also undated] shows the larger island in the distance in a wider, very differently shaped river estuary.

The third, [taken later as Mountjoy’s farm has a two-story guesthouse addition], shows the larger island denuded of rushes, presumably used by the Andersons when making bricks for the Gwynne’s Grand Pacific Hotel, which is now visible in the far distance.

When I was little, I remember watching—not without a touch of envy—the local kids playing ‘Pirates’ and ‘Treasure Island’, punting rafts made from planks and 4-gallon drums across to the bigger island to ‘claim possession’.  I was too small to join, and although my gran was very much ‘local’ having lived exclusively in Lorne since 1915, I was then just a weekend-and-holiday ‘blow-in’ and never what is ‘one of the gang’.

It is uncertain whether the recently re-formed island will last, though I doubt it.  The small channel that marks its eastern bank seems to be already silting up, and as the reeds regrow, it will inevitably merge back into the bank from which it has been briefly carved.  Nevertheless, if I were still a kid, I think I would be busily crafting a skull and crossbones flag, building a drum and plank raft, and assembling a crew of mates to help me claim it as my own before—like the wreck at the river mouth—it disappears again.

However, any kid who tries a land claim these days would probably face the full force of the GORCAPA juggernaut.  True to form, I fear its bureaucrats would step in and demand an OH&S safety report, an indigenous inspection for artefacts, an engineer’s report, a fire [and flood] evacuation plan, and multiple other forms filled out in triplicate before he could occupy ‘his land’.

Sadly, it seems that ‘kids having fun’ is now all too easily overshadowed by rules and regulations designed to ‘keep everyone safe’, but that said, there could be a more practical problem with Reedy [or Sluggy] Island … it is now likely a cosy little haven for snakes!

John Agar
Feature Writer

A Word from the Chair

Hello

Lorne celebrated the March long weekend (quaintly still referred to as Labour Day but gradually morphing into International Women’s Day!) in style.  Good weather brought many visitors to town; parking was at a premium and there were queues for coffee, drinks and food, but we did not complain as it was good to see our town busy again after a disrupted summer.  Our Foreshore Market was back again after being cancelled in January due to extreme fire danger.  The market is an important fundraiser for our local school, and it was great to see the many artists and artisans showcasing their creations and lots of locals and visitors exploring the offerings.  All our hospitality venues were booked out and there was live music at several venues, including the iconic Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows at the Lorne Theatre.  It is great to see the old girl jumping again!  It was great to also see the beach so busy with the water temperature sitting at a year-high of 19 degrees.

*****

Unfortunately, it was not such a good weekend for our cricketers who lost to our Apollo Bay neighbours in the preliminary final with some of our players taking away bruises as souvenirs.  The Club has now completed four seasons since its resurrection (including two Grand Final appearances) and has developed into a team with a good mix of experienced players and some young talent, which holds them in good stead for the future.  Well done to President Rip and all the boys on another great season.
*****

In case you haven’t noticed, football is back in the air and saturating the media.  On the local front, the Dolphins senior footballers have a practice match against Thomson (GDFNL) at Stribling Reserve on Friday, March 20 starting at 6.15pm (Bar and BBQ from 5.30pm).  The first full round of football and netball games will be on Good Friday, April 3.  Come along and check out this year’s exciting talent.

*****

As we head into autumn, Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) will again be conducting planned burning in the Otways when conditions are suitable.  Lorne and surrounding areas are among the most vulnerable to bushfires in Victoria, and fuel management in public parks and forests is an essential part of the strategy to reduce the risk of bushfire to people, property and the environment.  You can find more information about planned burns at www.ffm.vic.gov.au and more advice will be provided when burn dates have been determined.

*****

And a little prayer for you on St Patricks Day:

“Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference”.

Cheers

John

John Higgins
Chairman, Committee for Lorne

20th March 2026

The Lorne Cenotaph: at last a home

A cenotaph—originating from the Greek term kenotaphion meaning “empty tomb”—is a public monument erected to honour and remember individuals who died in war but whose remains are buried or lost elsewhere.  These monuments vary in design, from a simple free-standing plinth or column to a sarcophagus-shaped stone, a grand arch, or a classical four-sided Grecian obelisk tapering to a pyramidal top.  They are typically made from sandstone, marble, or bronze and may feature wreaths, inscriptions, classical sculptures, or a simple list of the fallen.

A war memorial has a broader meaning, as it includes not only structures, statues, plaques, or gardens dedicated to communal memory and gratitude for those who have fallen, but also honours those who served and returned.

In this context, the Lorne Anzac Memorial Park is a war memorial rather than a cenotaph, as it commemorates both those who served and those who fell in battle.  Although originally erected in 1923 to commemorate the First World War—often still referred to as “the Great War”—it also honours the local men and women who fought for Australia in the Second World War and, more broadly, the Korean, Vietnam, and Afghan conflicts and the East Timor peace-keepers.

Although there was community unease each time our memorial was moved like a piece on a chessboard, there is now much relief that it seems to have finally found a permanent home.

The original free-standing cenotaph was erected in the Library paddock behind the school and was paired with a red gum Avenue of Honour that stretched diagonally across the paddock now occupied by the sports oval.  Each tree bore a metal plaque honouring a serviceman.  However, when it was decided to relocate the oval from its original position on the foreshore flat to its current site at Stribling Reserve, the cenotaph had to be moved, and the Avenue fell to the saw.  Sadly, the plaques were lost.

Its first relocation was to the Erskine riverbank near the current Information Centre, but when this site was threatened in 1968 by the reconstruction of the Erskine River Bridge, the Country Roads Board requested it be moved again.  It found its third ‘home’ at the swimming pool, where it was embedded into the pool fence facing the car park.

Then, in 2001, the memorial was moved once more when the Foreshore Committee decided to redevelop the swimming pool area into a larger recreational space and carpark.  It was re-established for the fourth time on a poorly grassed spot at the bend of Mountjoy Parade—where Leon Armistead’s Caltex garage, Mocean surfboards, and Yates, then Henderson’s, then Riordan’s, Lorne Hardware had once stood.

Somehow, the plinth seemed lonely there, on its own, vaguely out of place, and unloved.  Year after year, Doug Stirling—our last surviving World War II veteran—would turn up on Anzac Day, partnered by his fellow veteran, Geoff Jarratt, armed with his tape-recorded Last Post and Reveille bugle calls.  Together, they would stand by the plinth and remember friends and honour the fallen.  Not once did the ever-dwindling crowd daunt them.  When Geoff died a few years ago, Doug soldiered on alone—and still does.  This town owes much to this noble man for his near-solitary effort in keeping the spirit of Lorne’s Anzac Day alive.

Enter RSL President Neil Hillard, his wife, and RSL Secretary Kim Huffman, Clive Goldsworthy, Sam Coulson, Craig Hunt, Peter Wheal, and June Adams—a group of stalwarts who have revitalised the local RSL and enlisted GORCAPA and a host of volunteers to improve the space over the last few years.  Sculptures, historical plaques, an Aleppo pine tree grown from the seeds of a pinecone brought back from Gallipoli in 1916 by Keith McDowell of Warrnambool, and newly-planted, well-maintained lawns and gardens have now created a memorial park of which the town can be justly proud.

Moreover, the tireless Doug Stirling and community dynamo Garry Fenton inspired the 2025 VCE VM  (Vocational Major) students and teachers to restore the Avenue of Honour on the school grounds and reimagine the missing plaques.  Visit it, scan the QR codes beside the new plaques made for each World War I serviceman, and discover their stories.  When unveiled by Dan Tehan, Federal Member for Wannon, in late October 2025, the effort the four year-12 student amigos put into this project was highly commended … see SCT: Committee for Lorne Report: p18: 07/11/2025 … and will long be remembered.  Thank you, all four.

This brings us to 2026 and the official opening of the Lorne Anzac Memorial Park, again by Dan Tehan, scheduled on-site for March 27^th.  With special thanks to Doug and Clive, the very real threat of Lorne’s Anzac Day commemorations being merged into a joint out-of-town service at Winchelsea or Colac has passed.  Anzac Day remains in Lorne, and its commemoration has gone from strength to strength.

Now, beginning with a dawn service [attended last year by around two hundred early risers] with the reward of a ‘Gunfire Breakfast’ provided by the Men’s Shed in the Bowls Club carpark immediately afterwards, an 11.00 am commemorative ceremony is held at the plinth.  Now, several hundred people attend.  An annual highlight is the New Zealand contribution from our local Māori identity, Pakitu Henry, who colourfully represents our New Zealand cousins—as only Paki could do.  With the laying of wreaths, brief speeches by local dignitaries, and renditions of the anthems by the school choir, it remains, along with the annual Christmas Carols on the Lawn, as the only two ‘whole-of-community gatherings’ of the year.

After wandering the town for more than 100 years, it seems that Lorne’s War Memorial has finally found a permanent, valued, and well-cared-for place to call home.  To everyone who made it happen, please accept the thanks of a grateful community.

As war clouds threaten from all sides once more, a space to remember the horrors of war and to come together as a community in hope that it will not happen again becomes increasingly important.

As we gather again on ANZAC Day 2026, this thought will be at the forefront, giving the day even greater significance.  Lorne welcomes you all to this moving and meaningful morning—it is an annual moment that makes one feel especially proud and thankful to be an Australian or a New Zealander.

John Agar
Feature Writer

A Word from the Chair

Hello

Just when you were thinking about pulling the covers over your head and staying in bed on a bleak morning, Channel 9’s Today programme came to Lorne last Monday for its weather reports.  There were early morning starts for the venues that featured, including the Grand Pacific Hotel and Live Wire Park, and then it was down to the beach under a gloomy sky where presenter Tim Davies took part in a Go Ride a Wave surf lesson before frolicking in the surf with our irrepressible Mermaids.  The Mermaids showed their true character by heading in and out of the water three times in the space of an hour to comply with the programme schedule and ensure maximum exposure for Lorne.  Congratulations to all who participated and gave Lorne some much-needed positive publicity after the last couple of months.

*****

The threat of bushfires is all but past for this year and as reported in last week’s column, Forest Fire Management are now commencing planned burns around Lorne, see www.ffm.vic.gov.au for details .

While we may experience some inconvenience with smoke in the air and temporary road closures, it is important to understand how the planned burning program has supported firefighting efforts this summer.

To quote from Forest Fire Management (FFM)

“For more than a decade we’ve been implementing a strategic planned burning program across the Otways.  In several locations this summer, the bushfires ran into areas that had been treated with planned burns done in previous years – including a number completed around 2022.

In some cases when the bushfire reached these treated areas it stopped entirely.  In others, the intensity of the fire dropped significantly because there was less fuel available to burn.  This made a huge difference for firefighters.  It allowed crews to shift from defensive firefighting – protecting homes and assets – to actively containing the fire.  Bulldozers could safely construct control lines, ground crews could work closer to the fire edge, and aerial water bombing was far more effective.

This happened multiple times during the campaign.

One key example was near the Gellibrand River Pumping Station, where a previous planned burn helped prevent the Kennedys Creek and Carlisle River fires from joining together.  If those fires had merged earlier in the campaign, we likely would have seen a much larger fire in the landscape much sooner, with greater potential impacts to surrounding communities.

Our key takeaway from this season is simple: planned burning genuinely helps firefighters control bushfires and protect communities.”

We are grateful for the professional management of FFM in protecting our community and we thank them, our local CFA brigade and all CFA and SES volunteers for continuing to keep us, our properties and our assets safe.

*****

Round 1 of the 2026 football and netball seasons kick off at Stribling Reserve on Friday April 3 (Good Friday) against Apollo Bay.  Tickets are selling fast for the season launch lunch (seafood to appease the Catholics!) to be held at Stribling Reserve Pavilion from 12 noon.  For bookings contact Janet on 0413121574.

Cheers

John

John Higgins
Chairman, Committee for Lorne

27 March 2026

The Echidna as an Emblem for Lorne

A photo recently appeared on Facebook, I think taken by Linton Ferguson from the Historical Society, showing an echidna pottering about and minding its own business beneath the Stribling Reserve sign.  What a shot, Linton … what a shot!

Google offers the following as a definition:

“… to ‘potter around’ (or ‘potter about’) is an English expression meaning to spend time in a relaxed, pleasant way doing small, unimportant tasks or moving aimlessly, often in the house or garden.  It involves being gently active without hurrying or having a specific, urgent purpose.  The word likely derives from the Middle English “pote”, which meant “to poke or push”, and is likely related to the Dutch “poteren” or “peuteren”, meaning “to poke, pry, or search”.

Indeed, ‘pottering’ seems a perfect word to describe an echidna, as it is exactly what this charming little creature does!  Echidnas amble, waddle, and meander, but above all, they potter.

Seeing this serendipitous photo made me wonder whether the echidna might be a perfect choice for a Lorne emblem—an insignia, maybe even a logo, to showcase our exceptional range of native wildlife.  Indeed, outside the bustling summer months and the scattered long weekends that punctuate the year, Lorne and its residents enjoy a fair bit of relaxed ‘pottering about’ during the calmer, quieter mid-year months.

If the idea gains traction, a school competition might be held to come up with a name … to kickstart the creative juices, perhaps “Eddie” the Echidna [for Ed Babington, one of our most knowledgeable local bushmen], “Erskine” the Echidna [for our iconic Otway stream], or possibly “Dean” [in recognition of Dean Bowen, a well-loved Melbourne sculptor with a flair for creating the numerous evocative echidna bronzes that appear at Qdos or at the Sculpture Biennale … there is even one in the garden next door to mine].

One example of Dean Bowen’s beautiful echidnas

Indeed, it was a Lorne school competition in the early 70s that gave our local football, netball, and cricket clubs their names and logos.  Sandra Love won a classy netball for nominating ‘The Dolphins’ as the name for the Lorne Football and Netball Club [information courtesy Murray Walding].

Several towns and cities across Australia have adopted a native animal—usually one that is endemic to their region or uniquely represents their community—as their symbol or emblem.  This is often done to boost local tourism or to promote conservation efforts.

Some examples include:

• Kuranda’s platypus, an iconic native animal, is deeply connected to the history of the town’s local Djabugay People.
• Whyalla’s giant cuttlefish ‘Spencer’, which promotes the annual cuttlefish migration in nearby Spencer Gulf.
• Canberra’s unique gang-gang cockatoos.

While visitors to Lorne might wonder why the sulphur-crested cockatoo isn’t on my local short list, locals will understand the reasons for its absence!

Australia also has a proud tradition of assigning animal and bird emblems to its states and territories.  New South Wales: the platypus (animal) and the kookaburra (bird); Queensland: the koala (animal); Western Australia: the numbat (animal) and black swan (bird); South Australia: the southern hairy-nosed wombat (animal); the ACT: the gang-gang cockatoo (bird); the Northern Territory: the red kangaroo; and Tasmania: the Tasmanian devil.  As for the little ball of muscle and spikes we often see in our town and nearby forests, the echidna didn’t get a guernsey!

True, the echidna has been adopted by several Australian local organisations—mainly for conservation purposes—but when the ACT conducted a public vote to choose its emblem, and the echidna, the wallaby, and the bettong were the three contenders, the echidna lost out.  The Sydney 2000 Olympics did choose Millie the Echidna as one of its three official mascots, but once the games were over, Millie faded from memory.  Perhaps it has been overlooked precisely because it is such a very private and low-key little animal … preferring to potter about in the background rather than flaunt itself about in public … but as one of the most unique animals on the face of the planet, it more than deserves a place in the sun.

Lorne could become that place—the home of the echidna.

Certainly, they are about!  I don’t think I have ever seen as many of these extraordinary animals as I have in the past year or two, quietly pottering around the base of tree stumps as they search for ants and termites, tilling the soil in our gardens, or lumbering slowly along [how I fear for them] at the side of the Great Ocean Road, the Deans Marsh Road, or along our forest tracks.  With this in mind, it behoves us to drive with ever greater awareness and to slow down when we see a shapeless little bundle of spikes roiling along at the verge.  As picking up an echidna can be tricky, I carry a stout towel in the car to help me move them to a safer spot if I see one in potential danger at the side of the road.

And… they are truly extraordinary!  As biologist Peggy Rismiller eloquently states in an article, ‘The enigma of the Echidna,’ in National Wildlife Magazine [https://tinyurl.com/37kf745j], ‘… on a continent teeming with weird mammals, the echidna is one of the weirdest.  It has a beak like a bird, spines like a hedgehog, eggs like a reptile, the pouch of a marsupial, and the lifespan of an elephant.’  

Moreover, the echidna is the only mammal capable of digging straight down and disappearing within minutes, while the extraordinary and comedic ‘Echidna Train’ and its rather comical mating habits are beautifully described by Rismiller in the same article … it is a priceless read!

While I usually don’t start campaigns, this one might have potential.  Perhaps the Committee for Lorne [CfL] could take it up as a project during the winter months.

Just imagine how lovely it would be for a little CfL echidna badge to sit alongside the ever-increasing branding of the Surf Coast Shire and GORCAPA as the town’s adopted animal and emblem.

John Agar
Feature Writer

A Word from the Chair

Hello

Autumn in Lorne has brought changes in morning light, sunny days and cooler evenings.  I know why I love this time of year!  Some spectacular sunrises have been accentuated by the smoke haze caused by the planned burns as the Forest Fire Management team go about their important and timely work.  The ocean temperature still hovers around18 degrees with our mermaids, reinvigorated by their national TV fame, enjoying their morning dip in growing numbers.

*****

And so, we now prepare for the Easter/school holidays influx of visitors.  Fingers crossed for fine weather but there will be plenty to do.  On Good Friday, the Lorne Football and Netball Club kick off their season at Stribling Reserve.  Come along and support them at the most picturesque sports facility on the planet.  There are still a few seats available at the pre-game lunch.  If you are interested, contact Janet on 0413121574.

*****

Our Foreshore Market is back again on Easter Saturday from 9am-3pm.  The market is an important fundraiser for our local school, and it is great to see the many artists and artisans showcasing their creations as well as the food and drink offerings.

*****

On Sunday, after we have celebrated the Resurrection (or the Easter Bunny), there is the Aquatic Club’s regular fishing competition, but with a difference.  With no pier access (see below), our anglers will need to use their creativity and ingenuity to snaffle the prize, rather than the “soft” option of getting up at 6am and sitting on the pier for six hours, waiting for something (anything) to bite!  Maybe some biblical research will assist!  The weigh-in and traditional roast lunch will take place at the Stribling Reserve Pavilion from 12 noon.

*****

Also on Easter Sunday, the Men’s Shed come out to play at the Swing Bridge at 10am.  With their self-constructed remote-control yachts, these sailors put on an impressive display of sailing and navigation skills.  Well worth a look!

*****

Meanwhile down at Point Grey, things are happening.  Foundation works for the Aquatic Club are well underway with piling happening in preparation for laying the slab.  I think the builders are as keen for the first beer as we are!  Let’s hope for dry weather for the next month to get the groundwork done.  Meanwhile at the Co-op, materials are being carefully removed for re-use in the reimagined Co-op building.

One consequence of the redevelopment is that GORCAPA have announced that the pier has now been closed until late June.  This is a necessity as the restoration/refurbishment of the revetment (rock wall) is happening over the next few months.  This involves the use of heavy machinery and the movement of large rocks, so safety is a priority.  Another result is that the pier lights have been turned off.  There has been no explanation for this, but it certainly is disappointing as the lights of the pier are our “welcome home” beacon as we come back into Lorne.  And has anyone told the stingrays what’s happening!

Cheers

John

John Higgins
Chairman, Committee for Lorne