John Waller, has been recognised with the Victorian Education Excellence Award for Outstanding Secondary Teacher in Victoria. He teaches at Lorne P-12 College and is known to give so much to the students, the school and the wider community. Through his passion for teaching and music, John created a program…
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The 2026 Doug and Mary Stirling Cup biannual award for community service was awarded to Dr Peter Atkinson, in recognition of over fifty years working as a volunteer for the Lorne Surf Life Saving Club, the Lorne Football and Netball Club and his support of many sporting events held in…
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A landslip on the ocean-side of Hall Street in North Lorne towards to the Great Ocean Road has been repaired with the installation of a gabion retaining wall.
The Lorne and District Men’s Shed have got Australia-wide media attention for the development of a rubbish bin skirt to attach to the bin lid to prevent the local sulphur-crested cockatoo opening the bin and creating a litter problem. It has taken five years to get the design accepted by…
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After the flash flood down the Erskine River, sand was washed out of the estuary and revealed some old wreckage. The wreckage was clearly from an old ship showing wooden timbers joined with wooden treenails and copper pins or bolts. Some of the outer timbers have copper sheathing, covered in…
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Record-breaking rain fell along Great Ocean Road in the space of a few hours on Thursday 15th January 2026, triggering flash flooding that swept away cars, caravans and tents. The raging torrents hit Lorne, Wye River, Separation Creek and Cumberland River on Thursday afternoon, sweeping several cars out to sea…
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Gary Allen launched Allan and Anderson History telling the stories of how two Allen brothers married two Anderson sisters. He was keen to outline the great contributions of the Allen and Anderson families on the 150th anniversary of Jesse Allen’s arrival in Lorne.
The VCE VM students helped restore Lorne’s long-lost Avenue of Honour after learning its history from 103-year-old former student Doug Stirling. With incredible community support, they planned, planted, and created a new memorial featuring QR codes telling the stories of the 32 former Lorne students who served in World War…
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The annual Amy’s Great Ocean Road Gran Fondo, held in memory of Australian cyclist Amy Gillett, hosted the 2025 UCI Grand Fondo World Championships. Event schedule: Thursday 16 October, Time Trials (23 km) Lorne to Eastern View, Friday 17 October, Team Relay, Geelong, Sunday 19 October, UCI Gran Fondo World…
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The Lorne Historical Society for the last six years has had the Fishy Tales exhibition in the old fish shop at the Lorne Fishing Co-operative building. The GORCAPA permit to use the space expired at the end of April 2025.
Stadium floor has been renewed. After closure of the stadium in January 2024, the stadium has undergone a complete rebuild, including new drainage and a concrete base with a new wooden floor. The extensive mould infestation was discovered in 2023, due to lack of ventilation and sub-soil moisture. It took…
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Leon Walker elected as Surf Coast Shire councillor for the new ward of Otway Range.
For the first time in recorded history, Hooded Plovers have chosen to breed and raise two chicks on Lorne’s famous beach. The chicks were protected by an exclusion zone between the rock groyne and Erskine river estuary.
The Geelong Cemetery Trust donated a plaque to commemorate the first burial in 1881 in the Lorne Cemetery.
Doug Stirling turns 100 years of age and was given the Award of Merit by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.
Discovery of large 3-4m ‘Deadwood Knee’ – North Lorne Rocks … presumed from old sailing ship. Wood identified as Eucalyptus – suggesting an Australian built ship.
The Lorne Business & Tourism Association organised the inaugural Lorne Festival of Performing Arts; 50’s – 60’s Culture By The Sea in 2011. The festival continue annually until 2019.
First Sculpture Exhibition was held in November 2007. The first exhibition displayed a range of large sculptures stretching along the foreshore from Erskine River estuary to the Pier and beyond to Shelly beach, near Hird Street. As well as the large sculptures there were small sculptures display in shop-front windows…
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“Kia Ora” Caravan Park opened on what was originally Erskine House vegetable garden and orchard.
December, Lorne Golf Club opened on its present site in Holiday Road. Destroyed by fire on Ash Wednesday 8th Feb. 1983, reopened 1st April 1984.
About September/October 1963, Maurice Selle and Gordon Avery attempted to set a world record for the longest time underwater. Gordon and Maurice sat in a tank on ‘The Flat’ and breathed air through a pipe, called a hookah, and were reported to have eaten boiled eggs for sustenance. Gordon’s son…
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On Tuesday 16th October 1962 two U.S. Air Force crew, Lieutenant Harold Sprague 27 (pilot) and Lieutenant Bobby Edward Gelbrecht 26 (navigator), both of the 57th Weather Squadron USAF, were killed in a tragic crash. The B57 crash was about 2.5 miles (4 km) offshore in Bass Strait, between Lorne…
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The Smith brothers Graham, Alistair and Robyn opened the “Arab” coffee shop and cafe in Mountjoy Parade. It had the third espresso machine in Victoria.
Cenotaph moved from the paddock (now Stribling Oval) to the top bank of the Erskine River near the present site of the Lorne Visitor Information Centre.
Mrs Kenrick received a letter from Commonwealth of Australia, signed by the minister for the Army, F. M. Forde. The letter acknowledges the production of camouflage nets for the Army.
British citizens were evacuated from Malaya and billeted at Argyll House, children attended Lorne School. (See Argyll House for more information.)
Lorne Theatre built on the corner of Grove Road and Mountjoy Pde Saturday 18th December, Lorne Theatre opened.
Pioneer aviator R.G. Carey landed on the beach near the mouth of the Erskine River in a Maurice Farman Shorthorn bi-plane and gave the locals joyrides.
A tollgate installed on the Great Ocean Road to help with construction expenses. Relocated to “The Springs” in 1929.
Louis Whyte from Geelong, filmed by Frank Beaureapaire in 1920, surfing at Lorne, using a redwood surfboard bought from the famous Duke Kahanamoku, Waikiki beach, Hawaii. Whyte is believed to be the first person to ride a stand up surfboard in Lorne.
The first Hospital in Lorne opened. It was at “Keverell” (16 Armytage Street) at the time owned by Mrs. Topp. It was opened to deal with the Spanish Flu epidemic.
Tuesday January 21st, the Barque “Hinemoa” ran around at Point Grey. She was floated off the next day and towed to Melbourne by the tug “Eagle”. In 1917 she was torpedoed by a German U-Boat off the English coast.
Armistead Brothers erected a sawmill on the ridge between the Henderson Creek and the St George River, and constructed a 2’ 3” tramway to Lorne.
Jesse Allen and Sarah Anderson were the first marriage in the newly located All Saints Church of England.
All Saints Church of England shifted to its present site by horse and bullock team. (190 Mountjoy Parade).
Lorne Sea Bathing Company erected sea baths on the Main Beach near the present swimming pool. A few years later they were destroyed by easterlies.
Jesse Allen selected 98 acres on the St George River, a property he called Allenvale.
Cobb & Co. and Mountjoy coaches ran from the Railway Station at Winchelsea to Lorne, taking 6 hours for the journey.
The first Post Office opened at Erskine House (Thomas Mountjoy as Postmaster). Picture shows dedicated Post Office built in 1888.
Louttit Bay Township was renamed Lorne in honour of the marriage of Princess Louise (Queen Victoria’s daughter) to the Marquis of Lorne.
Henry Noon, Master of the cutter Mary, draws a map of Louttit Bay, identifying it as a safe harbour for sailing vessels. His map shows John Herd’s Louttit Bay Cattle Station, likely to be the first European resident of Lorne.
In 1841, Captain Louttit sheltered in the bay during a storm; it was marked on his chart and became known as Louttit Bay. Painting is by Elizabeth Parsons, dated 1879. Elizabeth Parsons visited Lorne over the Christmas, New Year period of 1879-80, and there produced a number of oils and…
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Cape Otway stands at the portal of Victoria, it is one of the buttresses that mark the entrance to Bass Strait. It was discovered by Lieutenant James Grant, in December 1800, and was named after a friend, Albany Otway. Grant came to Australia in command of the brig “LADY NELSON”,…
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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. It is hard in the twenty first century to agree on ‘the facts’ about…
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Lorne Historical Society
Lorne Community House
Corner Mountjoy Parade & Otway Street, Lorne, VIC 3232
