Barwon Heads, Victoria

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Barwon Heads
Geelong, Victoria

The iconic Barwon Heads Bridge.
Population: 2994 (2006)[1]
Postcode: 3227
Property Value: AUD $381,250 (2007)
LGA: City of Greater Geelong
State District: South Barwon
Federal Division: Corangamite
Localities around Barwon Heads:
Marshall Wallington
Barwon Heads Ocean Grove
View of the town and the Barwon River estuary, as pictured from atop the southern head.
View of the town and the Barwon River estuary, as pictured from atop the southern head.
The face of the bluff on the southern head.
The face of the bluff on the southern head.
The distinctive blue weatherboards of Diver Dan's boatshed café have become a local landmark due to SeaChange.
The distinctive blue weatherboards of Diver Dan's boatshed café have become a local landmark due to SeaChange.

Barwon Heads is a coastal township on the Bellarine Peninsula, near Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is situated at the mouth "heads" of the Barwon River.

Nearby Thirteenth Beach is a popular surfing location, the beach is named for its proximity to the 13th hole of the golf course. The town was subject to flooding, including a flood that lasted some weeks in 1952, until the construction of levee banks in the 1950s.

Contents

[edit] Barwon Heads Bridge

The Barwon Heads Bridge was opened in 1927, crossing the Barwon River between Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove. The bridge was used in filming the ABC television series SeaChange.

In July 2006, the Government of Victoria shelved plans to replace the heritage-listed[2] bridge with a new one.[3]

A proposal was made to align a new bridge with Geelong Road, permitting traffic flows to bypass the main shopping precinct and primary school, but with the consequence of taking out one home. An independent panel was appointed by the then Minister for Planning, Rob Hulls to decide on a location. Evidence was presented, for and against Geelong Road, and the existing site, and concluded that Geelong Road was unsuitable for environmental, social, economic reasons. On 16 March 2007 it was announced that the current bridge would be improved[4] and there were no plans at present to build a second bridge upstream.

[edit] SeaChange & Tourism

Main article: Seachange (demography)

During the late 1990s, Barwon Heads was the primary location of filming for the popular Australian television series, SeaChange. In the past decade Barwon Heads has become subject to what is colloquially known in some parts of Australia as the 'seachange effect'.

Since the SeaChange television series first aired in 1998 there has been a significant increase in tourism and real estate sales and development (both commercial and residential) in the area. This has resulted in a very substantial increase in property and land values, making the town an ideal location for property developers.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Barwon Heads (State Suburb). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
  2. ^ Australian Heritage Places Inventory: Barwon Heads Road bridge
  3. ^ 'Sea Change' bridge wins reprieve. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (28 July 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-01.
  4. ^ City of Greater Geelong: Councillors welcome Barwon Heads bridge announcement

[edit] External links


v • d • e
Suburbs and localities of Geelong
Anakie • Avalon • Barwon Heads • Batesford • Bellarine • Breamlea • Ceres • Clifton Springs • Connewarre • Curlewis • Drysdale • Indented Head • Lara • Leopold • Little River • Mannerim • Marcus Hill • Moorabool • Mount Duneed • Ocean Grove • Portarlington • St Leonards • Wallington
v • d • e
Towns on the Bellarine Peninsula