Lorne Historical Society and history Centre

Discover the rich history of Lorne, The Great Ocean Road and the people who helped shape a coastal village into a booming international tourist destination.

Aboriginal Heritage

The Indigenous custodians of the land that makes up the Otway Ranges is believed to be the Gadubanud people. Their connection to land stretches back thousands of years as evidenced by the aboriginal middens around Lorne. The Gadubanud people occupied the rainforest plateau and rugged coastline of Cape Otway covering the present towns of Lorne and...
Read more

Buildings

Lorne, has a history involving many homes, hotels and buildings. The Mountjoy family built the first real dwelling in Lorne consisting of just two rooms. As interest in Lorne grew, the Mountjoys extended their premises to cater for visitors whose numbers continued to increase as the word spread about the beautiful scenery and abundance of...
Read more

Lorne People

There have been many families closely associated with the development of Lorne.  Each family has its own unique story and some have shared their stories in books about the town. Lorne Historical Society has documented many of those stories for its history centre. If you wish to contribute information abut any of these families or...
Read more

Football and Netball Club

The Lorne Football Club was formed in 1896 with the first game being played against Deans Marsh in May 1897. Until 1919 the club would challenge Deans Marsh, Apollo Bay or some local team made up from the guesthouses, sawmill teams or whoever was available.   The Shire of Winchlsea Football Association was formed in...
Read more

Great Ocean Road

A ground-breaking plan to employ returned soldiers resulted in one of the world’s most recognised and iconic tourist routes, The Great Ocean Road. Lorne Historical Society has compiled a collection of information and photographs about the road’s construction and this page provides an overview of the road’s origins and the trials and tribulations of its...
Read more

Lorne Stories

Lorne Historical Society has documented the story of the coastal settlement. The first story of Lorne is of the Gadubanud (King Parrot) people who occupied the rainforest plateau and rugged coastal area of the Wada Wurrung to the northeast, Gulidjan to the north and Girai Wurrung to the west. Today the Gunditjmara people are the...
Read more

Maps

Mountjoy Estate Lorne A paper map of the Mountjoy Estate Lorne , showing allotments, with their owners, and naming land use. It has four black and white line drawings , Erskine House, Mountain View’s, the Rapids, Erskine House sea view and Erskine Falls. The map is largely black and white with red and blue colouring....
Read more

Plaques

Cenotaph Cemetery   Historical Society Lorne Medical Centre Lorne Medical Centre, 2025 Lorne Memorial Swimming Centre Mantra Mantra Plaque for Gadubanud people interred at Mantra. Post Office Foundation stone for the original Post Office Post Office Plaque Shipwrecks Lorne Pier Clipper Paul Jones Schooner Osprey 1984 Ketch Henry 1878 Spotters Skate Park Kay Langan Teddy’s...
Read more