Lorne Historical Society News

Ricky Browne donates Medals

June 13, 2025 Ricky Browne donated Nora Crabbe’s medals to the Lorne Historical Society. Ricky Browne’s (Richard Charles Rhys Browne) great aunt was Nora Crabbe. She was awarded a Red Cross Medal and Member of the British Empire (MBE) medal. Photo shows President of LHS, Jan Spring, receiving the MBE from Ricky Brown.  

Donation of Roy Coy’s painting of All Saint Church

June 10, 2025 Philip Bull donated a painting by Rob Coy of All Saints Church that was given to his father The Reverend Leslie Bull (1899-1998). The Reverend Leslie Wallace Bull (1899–1998) was Vicar jointly of All Saints Church Lorne and St Aidan’s Aireys inlet from 1969 to 1979. He had been ordained priest in 1924 at Port...
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End of Lease at Fishing Co-op

April 30, 2025 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. The exhibition started in the LHS room at Lorne Community House. LHS members moved exhibition...
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Mr Richard Collopy Guest Speaker

March 13, 2025 The Lorne Historical Society was pleased to have Richard address the March meeting of the Society. Richard Collopy is an artist and a proud member of the Gadubanud-Gulidjan Custodian/Traditional Owner community, which is a part of the larger Kirrae Whurrung and Gulidjan nations. Based in the Otways, he has dedicated his life to preserving and...
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Post Office Clock

February 12, 2025 The clock face of the old Post Office clock and the brass letters from the P.O. have been donated to the Lorne Historical Society.

Inaugural Great Ocean Road Women’s Surf Festival

December 7, 2024 The Lorne community welcomed visitors at Lorne Community Connect on Friday 6 December 2024. Guests enjoyed nibbles and drinks to chat and enjoy the display of surfing history including historic video, photos and surfing memorabilia. Gail Couper shared her memories and can be seen with her Bell trophy from the 1975 Bells Beach Easter Championships....
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Grand Pacific Hotel Reopens

October 21, 2024 From Wednesday 2nd October 2024 the Grand Dining room is opening again and the very much loved Fishos Bar. The renovators and new licensees Maryann and Matt Humphries got the keys in November last year after months of discussion with owner Josh Rudd. The Grand Pacific Hotel was built for Charles Gwynn in 1893 serving...
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The Great Ocean Road Women’s Surf Festival

October 16, 2024 Surf Coast Women’s Boardriders founder Shaakira Ariffin, worked with Surfing Victoria to help deliver the first edition of the Great Ocean Road Women’s Surf Festival in Lorne on 7 and 8 December 2024. Sources: Surf Coast Shire Winter 2024 Community Newsletter

Lorne Historical Society Fundraiser

June 9, 2024 A very successful evening was held at the historic Ravenswood. We heard about the history of Ravenswood from Maree Lamanna, about wines from ALT Rd Winery from Travis, about cheese from Ray Sutton a local cheese maker and about gin from Sally Richards of Otways Distillery.