Lorne Victoria Australia

From its earliest days, Lorne has a very popular tourist destination. The Mountjoys built a two-room dwelling on the beachfront at Lorne in 1865 for fishing weekends, riding their horses down from Deans Marsh. The word got around that there was great fishing and beautiful beaches there and Mrs Mountjoy, who was known as being a very hospitable old lady, would never knock anyone back for a bed. Within a couple of years they built a Temperance Hotel, which with extensions became a guest house known as Erskine House, a real landmark in the town and the scene of many of the elite social gatherings.

Tourists would travel to Lorne by boat, landing at the Lorne pier. Soon the coach service brought many tourist over the Otway Ranges via Benwerrin to the booming guesthouses that were built in Lorne during the first half of the twentieth century. The opening of the Great Ocean Road to Lorne in March 1922 meant visitors to Lorne could now come by road, further opening up Lorne to tourism. During the second half of the twentieth century, visitors to Lorne came by car or bus and many holiday homes were built, caravan parks grew in size and popularity and the guesthouses declined.

Many of the early tourists pitched their tents on the flats near Erskine river.

Tents in Love’s paddock, now Ocean Road Caravan Pary. (LHS photo 9343)

c1940, Erskine River camping ground. (LHS photo 4869)

Jan 1975, Erskine River Caravan Park (LHS photo B454)

1988, Shops and entrance to Kia Ora Caravan Park.

Camping Ground at Point Grey, Shelly Beach. (LHS photo 9668)

An early model car towing a bondwood caravan. (LHS photo 87466)

c1940, Cumberland River Valley and Caravan Park. (LHS photo 2053)

Jan 1955, Cumberland River Caravan Park. Ranger Les Potter and sons Stephen and Michael collecting camping fees. (LHS photo 1844)

Jan 1955, Cumberland River Caravan Park, run by the C.R.B. (LHS photo 1843)

Festive Season 2025

Lorne has become very popular with tourist. So much so that from Christmas to Pier to Pub Swim weekend, the town is packed with holiday makers. The road coming into Lorne becomes a daily bumper-to-bumper affair as cars get backed up to Lorne’s entrance from Aireys Inlet on the Great Ocean Road.