The Mountjoy Family of Lorne

In 1864 the Mountjoy brothers settled on the Louttit Bay run. They built a two roomed house, grew crops and cultivated the land. The guesthouse was initially called Temperance Hotel then becoming Erskine House. This tiny house was to become the core of what is now 153 years later, Mantra Resort, the oldest and largest guesthouse in Victoria in continuous operation.

The Mountjoys introduced their own horse drawn tourist coaches to service their growing enterprises and these were driven by Frank and Oscar Mountjoy from their stables on old Otway Street near the corner of Grove Road. The huge building, clad with corrugated iron consisted of ten horse stalls, a large feed loft above and room for several coaches. A four-roomed residence for the caretaker was also incorporated into the complex.

In the early days, both Mountjoy coaches and the famous Cobb & Co coaches collected Lorne bound tourists from the Winchelsea Railway Station. After 1891 passengers were transferred at Birregurra onto a smaller train to travel a branch line to the new Deans Marsh station. The Mountjoys built more stables at the rear of the new station.

The Mountjoys planted an apricot orchard on the bank of the river and it was still producing fruit for well over 50 years. The vegetable gardens and orchards were where the Kio-Ora Caravan Park is today, only ceasing operation in the early 1960s.

Laurence Mountjoy built a house and store on the corner of Grove Road and Mountjoy Parade, next door to where Argyll House was built. Argyll House was first called Roslin , after a small town 11 km south of Edinburgh, by the builder/owner William Mountjoy.

Source:

• Lorne –  A Living History by Doug Stirling
• Doug Stirling conversation 2024