Lorne Historical Society Timeline

Doug and Mary Stirling Cup biannual award for community service award in 2022 to Lorraine Griffiths for extensive dedication to foster-parenting. (Award delayed due to Covid pandemic)

June: 4-day re-emergence of wreck on main beach (map coordinates 38 32’ 7.368” S : 143 58’43.812” E) after severe easterly.

Friday February 12th – total 5-day state-wide lockdown. LOCKDOWN #3 begins after new UK Covid variant escapes from quarantine.

January… Lorne Ward in Surfcoast Shire extended to include Deans Marsh and Bambra.

Corona Virus (Covid-19) dates: Jan 19: A man arrives in Melbourne from Guangzhou, China, as Australia’s first confirmed coronavirus case. March 16: Victoria declares State of Emergency. LOCKDOWN #1 commences: Stay home; masks; Social distancing; hand sanitising; home schooling; home business; no leaving home except for essential services; no travel.…
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December 10th Lorne Care twentieth anniversary.

Regional Roads Victoria install Asphalt mix to 1.5 km section of Lorne Road, a mix saving the equivalent of 300,000 plastic bottles from landfill.

July 1st, Lorne Community Hospital becomes ‘Great Otway Road Health’. New CEO is Sandy Chamberlain.

June 10th … first ‘World Sausage Roll Championship’ held in Lorne at the Lorne Aquatic Club. Event won by Emily Miller and Ric Addison.  

November 25th … Lily Pond Walk  renamed commemorating Michael ‘Camel’ Callahan.

April 1st, Fiftieth anniversary of first committee meeting of the Lorne Historical Society.

Lorne Aireys Inlet P-12 College de-amalgamated. Lorne Campus renamed Lorne P-12 College.

December, Lorne Foodworks extensions and update completed.

Lorne Central Cafe opened at Cumberland building by Bryce Newcombe.

August 5th, Riverbank Cafe opened by Tess Morrisey/Jo Hughes.

December 25th, Lorne evacuated due to bushfire threat from the west. Fires destroyed 116 homes at Wye River.

November 4th, Lorne Historical Society website established.

June 30th, The Tea House, operated by Cam Rust, closed.

Opening of the Great Ocean Road Heritage Centre at Lorne Visitors Information Centre, November 26th.

March … Extensions to Lorne Visitor Centre.

Lorne Historical Society membership reaches 50 on March 14th.

Doug and Mary Stirling honoured with the inaugural award for community service in Lorne. The cup was named the Doug and Mary Stirling Community Award in their honour. Sponsored by the Lorne Lions Club.

Ivy Baldry Walk opened June 14th, by President Merv Rice.

November 25th, 80th anniversary of opening of the Great Ocean Road at Pacific Hotel.

October 26th, Clive Goldsworthy elected as  council representative for Lorne Ward of the Surf Coast Shire.

August, the first Performing Arts Festival held.

Masonic Temple in Smith Street officially closed.

Monday, 2nd August, the maintenance of the Lorne Cemetery was turned over to the Geelong Cemetery Trust.

Monday, 9th February, the Victorian State Government gave over to the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee the running of Erskine House.

November, Jean Graham ends 19 years as Secretary of the Lorne Historical Society Inc.

Additional lookouts and paths installed at Teddy’s Lookout.

Saturday, 24th March the new Lorne Pier was officially opened.

“The Chalet” Guest House in Smith Street, demolished, replaced by “Mirvac” apartments.

March, new Lorne Visitors Information Centre opened.

Saturday, 4th February the new Lorne Hospital opened. It was rebuilt on the site of the old hospital. The Premier the Hon. Steve Bracks, MP officiated.

Inaugural Great Ocean Road Marathon, 44 km from Lorne to Apollo Bay and half marathon Kenner River to Apollo Bay.

Tuesday 28th June, Kay Langan Lorne Skate Park  opened by Sports Minister Justin Maddern. It as sponsored by the Lorne Lions Club.

The Great Otway National Park was declared. It combined  a number of Crown Land reserves, the Otway National Park, Angahook Lorne State Park, Carlisle State Park and Melba Gully. It was gazette in 2005.

Ridgeways supermarket became FOODWORKS.

The crane on the pier was condemned.

The merged(1997) Lorne and Aireys Schools became known as Lorne – Aireys Inlet P-12 College.

Lorne Bowls Club relocated from the common.

Tuesday, 17th April, new board walk opened along the northern banks of the Erskine River.

GORC leased the  Lorne Memorial Swimming Pool to a private consortium. It reopened as the Lorne Sea Baths with a gym, restaurant, cafe, spa and shops added.

Friday 30th March, opening of the Lorne Emergency Services Complex by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services the Hon. Andre Haermeyer MLA.

Saturday, 8th January, the third Lorne Surf Club House opened by the Hon. Steve Bracks, Premier of Victoria. Operational for 2000 season.

The Lorne Health Centre was moved to Fig Tree Community House.

In May, Lorne Beach Books opened at 108A Mountjoy Parade by Meryl and David Bartak.

April 26th, Lorne Historical Society unveiled plaque commemorating ‘Spotters WW2’.

During 1997, “Cora Lynn” Guest House at 22-28 Mountjoy Parade, was rebuilt and new units added beside the original building as well as a row of units on the rear boundary.

Henry Love was the Mayor of the Surf Coast Shire.

In June the Stribling Oval used for the first time by the Lorne Football Club.

The Winchelsea Shire ceased to exist. On Wednesday, 9th March; Lorne became part of the newly established Surf Coast Shire.

A 40 ton male blue whale was washed up at Cathedral Rock, near Lorne, on 5th May 1992. The whale was 18.7 m long. The body of the whale was transported via Deans Marsh to Werribee to decompose under the supervision of Melbourne Museum. An autopsy could not find the…
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Saturday, January 28th, new Lorne Water Board building opened on the corner of Polwarth Road and William Street.

The Leisure Centre was constructed. Designed by Morris and Parotta , built by KA Purdy.

Sunday 19th October, first Meeting of “Friends of Queens Park”.

April 14th Bert Alsop Walking Track opened.

Buildings on the “Cumberland” Guest House site were demolished, and the new “Cumberland” Resort was opened in 1989.

The first section of the Lawn Section of the Lorne Cemetery was completed.

October 15th, Andrew’s Chicken Joint established, at the current address.

First “Official” “Pier to Pub” event.

Lorne Leisure Centre opened.

The first stage of the Lions Elderly Citizens Village in Clissold Street opened.

The last of the bathing boxes removed from the foreshore.

The State Government bought Erskine House from Mr. Hector Stribling. It was run under a Committee of  Management.

Lorne Opportunity Shop moved into their own premises, officially opened June 4th.

March, formation of Lorne Lions Club.

Library Hall demolished.

Thursday, 14th August, the RSL held a tree planting ceremony at the Memorial Swimming Pool.

February, Lorne Opportunity Shop moved to Mrs Ivy Baldry’s premises on east side of Mountjoy Pde.

Masonic Temple in Smith Street officially opened, and first meeting held.

6 February a bushfire burnt 1215 ha on the north side of a Lorne. A number of outbuildings were also destroyed.

Australian Surf Riding Championships held in Lorne.

Friday, 26th October, first meeting of the Lorne Planning and Preservation League.

The Lorne Central School became the Lorne Higher Elementary School . Students could now enrol in Form 4.

The first Lorne Opportunity Shop opened in late 1962, under the old Cumberland Hotel.

The Lorne Angling and Aquatic Club began. A boat ramp was built in 1962.

Saturday 10th June, Lorne Infant Welfare Centre and Kindergarten reopened in Smith Street.

Groyne on beach built to prevent soil erosion.

The Smith brothers opened the Wild Colonial  Club a dance and live music venue in the Beach Hall.

Friday 26th October, first Masonic Lodge meeting held in the RSL Hall.

Kindergarten went to Library hall, teacher Mrs Rita Carmichael, assistant: Mrs Les Watson.

Lorne Kindergarten opened in Library hall, corner Smith and William Streets.

Lorne acquired its first ambulance, using volunteer drivers.

During the 1950’s the Lorne Surf Club started.

Lorne Life Saving Club reformed after closing in 1939 due to World War 2.

The Lorne R.S.L. Sub-branch was formed.

13 Jan Black Friday Bushfire, 7 houses destroyed in North Lorne, Mills threatened.

Thursday 12th October, Lorne Red Cross re-organised.

The tollhouse building was moved to 4 Minapre Street Lorne, its present site.  

Old coach road replaced with the current alignment.

Deans Marsh – Lorne Road surveyed and declared a public road in 1929.

The freestone Cenotaph was first erected in the old library paddock, now in Mountjoy Parade.  

A power generating plant is built on the Erskine River near what is now the Tourist Information Centre.

Jura built for Clive Campbell. It was constructed with Knitlock which was patented by Sir Walter Burley Griffin in 1917.  

An Avenue of Honour, with Red Flowering gum trees, were planted in the Recreation Reserve (now Stribling Oval). Each tree had a brass plaque with the name of the soldier from Lorne who served in World War 1.

Lorne Picture Company, on the foreshore, began showing silent pictures.

First Red Cross meeting held.

Lorne State School extended.

Teachers residence cnstructed in Swiss Chalet style.

September, further extensions to the pier.

St. Cuthberts Presbyterian Church opened. In 1977 it became part of the Uniting Church.

Wymbooliel School opened. Closed 1904. This school was situated seven miles off the Colac-Lorne Road, west of Benwerrin.

Lorne Post Office opened.

The Lorne Water Scheme built. Water was reticulated to residents from a basin above the town.

First meeting of the Lorne Water Trust.

First burial in Lorne Cemetery, Mrs. Martha Snowden, aged 36 years.

The “FOAM” overturned and sank.

Mr Sabine built Lorne’s second house, and he was followed by a temperance missionary named Hall who build a house called Walton Lodge located at the site that later became the Lorne Hotel.

Silk started the Louttit Bay sawmill (near the heath beds, Deans Marsh Road).

The “Sanctuary” on Erskine River first used for church services.

The three Mountjoy brothers acquire the cattle station at Lorne. They worked the property successfully as an adjunct to their farms before heavy loses, caused mainly by wild dogs, forced them to abandon it.

Schooner “Otway” driven ashore in gale force winds and wrecked.

J. Herd crossed the Otways and established a cattle station stretching from Grassy Creek to Cumberland River, covering about thirty square miles of rugged bushland. Later owners of this land were Messrs Asplin and Short.

Friday June 16th, Schooner “Osprey” wrecked in heavy seas.

Monday January 28th, William Firth Lindsay, aged 8, and his brother Joseph Southwell Lindsay aged 4, were buried and died in a sand cave collapse on the banks of the Erskine River, near the Swing Bridge, and later buried on the bank above the river.

The Cape Otway Lighthouse was built in 1848.

Assistant Surveyor G. D. Smythe surveyed the coast from Barwon Heads to Cape Otway, including the traditional lands of the GADUBANUD (meaning “King Parrot”) people, in the area now known as Lorne.