Lorne Beach Rock Pool

Many Lorne locals and visitors have enjoyed a dip in this magical pool on the beach of North Lorne, often deep enough for people to dive off the rocks and enjoy swimming. It is roughly opposite the intersection of Stirling Street and the Ocean Road in North Lorne or Little Colac.

From the 60s onwards the pool was widely known as McDonalds’ pool because it was opposite McDonald’s house, on the North side of Stirling Street and the Ocean Road in North Lorne. However, it seems the pool was created by the Batson family around the 1940s and is probably best known historically as Batsons’ pool.

The Batson family lived on the corner of Stirling Street and the Ocean Road, on the South side. Mr Batson built their house, naming it Lauristan after their two sons Laurie and Stan. It is believed the Batson family helped create the hole for the rock pool with the assistance of an explosive charge. The hole created was much larger back in the 1940s. People tell stories of catching crayfish in the rock pool and it being used to teach people how to swim. Mrs Batson would blow a whistle from the front of the house to signal to the kids to come out of Batsons’ pool and return home for a meal.

Source:

• Pauline Walker, conversation 2024
• Marg Riordan, email 6 May 2024
• Carmel Batson, telephone conversation 15 May 2024