Families of Lorne
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 about any of these families or indeed add an additional family, please contact us.
Families and People of Lorne
- Allen
- Alsop
- Anderson
- Babington
- Bannister
- Beal
- Beaurepaire
- Browne
- Coy
- Crabbe, Nora
- Graham
- Howell
- Howey
- Jarratt
- Lindsay
- Mountjoy
- Norton
- Sharky
- Smith
- Stirling
- Stribling
- Wheal
Allen Family
The Allen Family: (back L-R) George, Jim, Harold, Stan, (middle) Len, Sarah Allen, Jesse Allen, (front cross-legged) Herb, Abe George Allen married Sarah Ann Horton in 1848 and they lived in Astwood, Buckinghamshire. They emigrated to Australia in 1853 on the “Lady Kennaway”. They had thirteen children, two born before the emigrated. Their third child...Read more
Alsop Family
The Alsop family made major contributions to the fabric of Lorne, as butchers, timber worker, as members and chiefs of the fire brigade, as presidents of the surf club and historical society. Northfleet – Otway Street, home of Jack and Sophie Alsop Cattle being driven by Alsop boys, Mountjoy Parade. (LHS photo 1607) 1937, Alsops’...Read more
Anderson Family
UNDER CONSTRUCTION Richard and Mary Ann Anderson (née Gay) arrived in Australia in January 1871. They came from Kent where they were married at Northfleet in 1852. In 1871 they sailed from Southhampton on the “Nineveh” with their eight children. Richard was a builder and a brick maker. The Nineveh ran onto a reef on...Read more
Babington Family
UNDER CONSTRUCTIONBannister, Gordon and Marie
Gordon was born in Redcliffs in 1934 and Marie was born in Newcastle, NSW in 1935. Gordon’s father had a vineyard and citrus orchard. During the Second World War, he was summoned to attend an army camp in Queenscliff, so he decided to move his family to Lorne to live for a while. Gordon, who...Read more
Beal Family
Charles Beal was born in Sandwich in 1821 and sailed to Australia in 1840s and landed in Hobart. He couldn’t find work so Charles and a friend sailed to the mainland, landing at the mouth of the Yarra River. They trecked through bush for two days before reaching Melbourne and worked there for a while....Read more
Beaurepaire Family
Lillian Beaurepaire Albert Park State School Swimming Club, Girls’ Champion Team, 1905-6 (L-R) M. Richardson, S. Josephs, S Carter, Miss Cox, L. Beaurepaire Lillian De Beaurepaire (15 September 1892 – 24 November 1979), also know by her married name Lilian Clarke, was an Australian swimmer and diver. She competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics in...Read more
Browne Family
UNDER CONSTRUCTION Browne’s Lane comes off Mountjoy Parade between Cumberland Resort and the Surf Shop at 142 Mountjoy Parade. In 1916 Mrs Maude M. Browne was appointed as an Agent of the State Savings Bank at Lorne. Charles Richard Brown Richard Thomas Browne 16 June 1927 – 17 July 2015 Ricky Browne, Great Grandfather Thomas...Read more
COY, Robert
Robert Julian Coy was 23 when he moved to Lorne in 1971. He had just sold a business he commenced in 1968 called Surf Dive ‘n Ski. He sold the business to move to Lorne, arguably then the surfing capital of the West Coast. Rob was a surfer, an artist, a musician and a graphic...Read more
Crabbe, Nora
UNDER CONSTRUCTION Nora Browne, daughter of Thomas Browne and Maude Mary Hatchett born ????. After her marriage Nora was known as Nora Crabbe. In 1980 she was awarded The Order of the British Empire (Civil) Nora Crabbe MBE medal MBE reverse Jan Spring accepts donation of MBE medal from Ricky Browne Nora Crabbe commenced...Read more
Graham Family
Jean and Malcolm Graham became involved in the Society in 1988 when Joan Wheal accepted their kind offer to help mount the bicentennial display. They became committed workers for the Society notably recording stories from the Geelong Advertiser, an amazing and valuable resource now recorded digitally. Jean and Malcolm are life members of the Society....Read more
Howell Family
Hubert and Rhita Howell, moved to Lorne in the late 1920’s from Ballarat. They lived at “Moogoogong” in a home which previously belonged to the Armytage family in Smith Street. They started a small business renting, buying and selling holiday homes. This business existed for over 40 years prior to becoming the forerunner of “Lorne...Read more
Howey Family
Howey family holiday home, built 1927, photo courtesy of Garry Smith The family has been associated with Lorne for well over 100 years. George and Una Howey purchased a block of land at 14 Grove Road in 1927. The land had been a horse paddock, believed to be the horse paddock for the Mountjoy Stables,...Read more
Jarratt Family
Albert Ellingworth Jarratt and Mary, neé Seymour, had three sons between 1916 and 1922. Lyndon (Lyn) Mervyn (Merv) and Geoffrey (Geoff). A.E. Jarratt known as ‘A.E.’, the photographer, was well known and is remembered for his invaluable photographic records at the Lorne Historical Society. He also had the first electricity generator in Lorne, and was...Read more
Lindsay, William
UNDER CONSTRUCTION In the late 1840s William Lindsay, Master of the cutter William was searching for coal along the Otway coastline. We are not certain of the results of his endeavours, however he did discover important locations with valuable timber between Apollo Bay and Louttit Bay. In 1849 he was granted what was known then...Read more
Mountjoy Family
The Mountjoys, after which the main street Mountjoy Parade is named, were among the early successful pioneers. They immigrated from Cornwall, had sheep and dairy properties at Deans Marsh and also leased one of the first houses at Ceres, near Geelong. The Mountjoys built a two-room dwelling on the beachfront at Lorne in 1865 for...Read more
Norton Family
James Bowden Norton was born in England in 1874. James Bowden Norton James Norton’s journey to Lorne started when he heard that money could be made in South Africa, in the mines, and the lure of fighting in the Second Boer war, where there was a demand for men to enlist. Both these options held...Read more
Sharky
Victor Marshall was one of the Lorne Life Saving Club’s most popular characters, remembered as a great guy who was very popular in the sixties. Vic was an orphan and had a tough time growing up and working as a shearer in N.S.W. Vic moved south and found himself a job in Lorne working for...Read more
Smith Family
The Arab was opened by brothers Graham, Robin, and Alastair Smith in 1956. Graham danced with the Borovansky Ballet. At the time of creating the Arab, the Smith brothers weren’t very old. They lived with their parents at Cinema Point, five miles from Lorne, in a solitary cottage looking out towards the lighthouse that had...Read more
Stirling Family
In November 1856, my grandfather John Stirling, then aged 15, migrated to Point Henry near Geelong from Paisley, Scotland. He was met by his father William Stirling, who had migrated to Australia a couple of years earlier. John was taken to Winchelsea where his parents were already well established. Eventually he married Jessie Lauder, the...Read more
Stribling Family
William Stribling, like his father before him, was licensee of the Caledonian Hotel in Port Fairy from 1873 to 1882. The Caledonian is still there and has the claim of being Victoria’s oldest licensed hotel. William’s first application to obtain the licence was originally rejected for his “intemperate habits”, however he was successful at the...Read more
Wheal Family
Joan and Graham Wheal Joan Wheal was a founding member of the society when it was reformed in 1969. Joan and her husband Graham were the driving force behind the mounting of our photographic collection. We have close to 1,500 photographs displayed, or in storage, thanks to their efforts. Joan is a life member of...Read more
