Torquay, Victoria

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This article is about the Australian township. For the English town, see Torquay.
Torquay
Victoria

View from Point Danger, looking towards the Torquay surf beach.
Population: 6,695[1]
Postcode: 3228
Location:
LGA: Surf Coast Shire
State District: South Barwon
Federal Division: Corangamite

Torquay is a township in Victoria, Australia, which faces Bass Strait, 21 km. south of Geelong and is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road. It is bordered on the west by Spring Creek and its coastal features include Point Danger and Zeally Bay. At the 2006 census, Torquay had a population of 6,695.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

Wathaurong Aborigines occupied the area before white settlement, with picnickers beginning to frequent the area from the 1860s.[2] The area was settled as Spring Creek in 1871, after the watercourse along the south-western edge. In 1880 more settlers moved to the town, and it was renamed Torquay in 1892 after the seaside town in England. On April 3 1908 the Spring Creek bridge was built, connecting the town to Anglesea.[3]

In 1891 the Joseph H. Scammell sailing ship struck the reef near Point Danger in Torquay and subsequently became wedged on the reef and as a result the ship broke up in the heavy seas.[2] The cargo of the Scammell was washed onto the beach of Torquay and was looted, the anchors of the Scammell are still on display at the Torquay front beach and the Torquay boat ramp.

In 1900 a primary school was opened in the newly-built Presbyterian church, moving to the recreation hall in 1901, a permanent school building not opened until 1910. A bowling green, tennis courts and a golf course were opened by the 1920s.[4] The town once had 145 bathing boxes on the main beach. In 1946 the Torquay Surf Life Saving Club was formed, opening their current clubrooms in 1971 after the previous one burnt down.[5] Today it is the oldest and largest club in Victoria.

Recent years have seen increased development of the area, with the 'old town' between the highway and the beach fully developed, housing spreading to Jan Juc from the 1970s, and new estates opening up from the 1980s to the north of the town. There has been conflict between long term residents and those behind developments, with the former Torquay Primary School site on Bristol and Boston Roads sold by the government for luxury apartments and an expanded shopping centre,[6] instead of being retained for community uses.[7] The Sands gold club and residential development commenced construction on the site of the former Torquay Tip (that closed in the early 1990s) to the north west of the town in 2001, opening in 2004.[8] In 2004 the Zeally Bay caravan park was sold by the owners due to increasing land tax costs, to a developer who said they would build a retirement village,[9] but have delivered what is in effect a luxury beachfront hotel.

[edit] Attractions

The Torquay area is famous for its surf beaches, with Jan Juc and the world famous Bells Beach located on the town's south-west outskirts. It was home to the popular Offshore Festival in the late 1990s. Many of the world's most famous surf companies have their home in Torquay, including Rip Curl, Piping Hot and Quiksilver- all of which make up part of the Surf Coast Plaza, which provides shopping and eating, as well as the Surfworld Museum. Torquay's population usually triples in the period January to the end of February, when the school holidays end.

[edit] Facilities

Torquay's local schools are Torquay Primary School and St. Therese Catholic Primary. Torquay Primary School was once located in the 'old town', being moved to beside St. Therese in October 2001. The same year a review on the provision of Secondary Schooling in Torquay was commenced, and in 2003 it was recommended that Torquay Primary School become a P-9 school.[10]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Torquay (Urban Centre/Locality). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-10-15.
  2. ^ a b Torquay - Victoria - Australia - Travel - theage.com.au. theage.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
  3. ^ Shire of South Barwon - a brief history. Judy Laging. Accessed at the Geelong Heritage Centre
  4. ^ Torquay, Bells Beach, Jan Juc History - Intown Geelong. www.intown.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
  5. ^ Torquay SLSC. www.torquayslsc.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
  6. ^ Gated way to the coast - Property - Domain - theage.com.au. theage.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
  7. ^ Torquay Primary School: former site. Victorian Parliamentary Hansard - Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
  8. ^ The Sands Torquay : Victoria Australia. www.thesandstorquay.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
  9. ^ Martin Boulton (January 13 2004). `For Sale' - writing is on the wall for beachside caravan parks. theage.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
  10. ^ TORQUAY PRIMARY SCHOOL. www.torquayps.vic.edu.au. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Surfing areas of Australia
v • d • e
Visitor attractions on the Great Ocean Road
Attractions
Towns

Coordinates: 38.33° S 144.32° E