| Breamlea Victoria |
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Main beach at Breamlea |
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Breamlea
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| Population: | 244[1] |
| Postcode: | 3227 |
| Location: | |
| LGA: | City of Greater Geelong |
| State District: | South Barwon |
| Federal Division: | Corangamite |
Breamlea, Victoria, Australia, is a secluded seaside hamlet located 28 km south of Geelong on the south coast of Australia halfway between Barwon Heads and Torquay on the Bellarine Peninsula. At the 2006 census, Breamlea and the surrounding area had a population of 244.[1]
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Breamlea is nestled in the sand dunes between Thomsons Creek and the beach. The nearest township to Breamlea is Connewarre.
Thomsons Creek runs through a natural lattice of reedy canals and widens before it enters Buckleys Bay. At the mouth of Thomsons Creek is Point Impossible which is a well-known longboard surfing break.
The patrolled surf beach at Breamlea is called Bancoora on Bass Strait, and is the closest surf beach to Melbourne. The beach was named after the steamship SS Bancoora that ran aground on the same beach in 1881.[2] The non-patrolled beaches along this stretch of coast are not heavily used and are often empty.
The Breamlea area was once populated by the Mon Mart Clan of Wathaurong people. The rocks in the area have always been rich in shellfish and large middens of the discarded shells can be seen on the headland between Buckley's Bay and Stingray Bay. William Buckley lived in this area and across the road from the caravan park is the well that he was supposed to have used.
On 14 July 1891 the steamship SS Bancoora ran aground on what is now the surf beach. The cargo included a young elephant. rhinoceros, monkeys and parrots. All were landed safely and taken by truck to Geelong. The rhinoceros unfortunately only lasted 2 days. The wreck was sold for breaking up in 1906.[2]
Thompsons Creek attracted campers and fishermen from the 1870s onwards and by the 1920s, makeshift huts were built by regular campers. During the 1930s depression, squatters made permanent buildings, rent-free, and eked meals from the creek and the ocean. Freehold land was not subdivided for sale until 1942, creating boundaries to a small linear township huddled behind the high, ti-tree covered sand dunes. The Post Office opened on 1 July 1947. [3]
In 1962 the surf life saving club was formed at Bancoora Beach, with clubrooms being built in 1963. On 8 April 1987 the original clubhouse was guttered by fire. For the next 4 season the club operated from a tin shed, until the present building was completed and opened on 25 October 1992. [4]
Breamlea has around 100 houses nestled in the dune between Thomsons Creek and the beach. The main road is Horwood Drive, which is located at the base, with Blyth Street above. Houses are located on the south side of Horwood Drive, and the north side of Blyth Street.
There is also a caravan park and small general store with basic supplies. Halfway along Horwood Drive there is a recreation reserve with an oval, children's playground, barbecue facilities and toilet.
The area is underdeveloped and many of the residents wish to keep it this way. The architecture of Breamlea is mix of fibro-cement beach shacks built in the 1950s and 1960s, and modern architect designed houses.
Barwon Water's Black Rock sewage treatment plant is located to the north east of Breamlea, handing effluent from Geelong and surrounding suburbs. Black Rock was first chosen as the ocean outfall for Geelong's sewage in 1912, with a sewer being built during the next three years.[5] Initially the sewage was left untreated before being discharged into the ocean, polluting several beaches downstream on the prevailing ocean currents. A primary filtration system was installed in the 1970s, and in the 1980s the current plant was built with an upgraded filtration system, along with a 1.2 kilometre long ocean outfall.[6] 1997 saw an upgrade to the plant, with secondary filtration introduced, and a pipeline installed to transport recycled water to the flower farm at Torquay.[7]
The Bancoora SLSC conduct seasonal surf patrols over the summer period, throughout January the beach has lifeguards on duty every day. Ben Pope is the current Club Captain and Nathan Morton the President. Each summer a nipper program is run to educate and enhance the surf skills of young members.
The wind generator located on Black Rock Road is owned by local water utility Barwon Water. Today it outputs approximately 80,000 kWh per year to the grid, with an estimated 90-95 per cent availability.[8] The generator was erected in November 1987 as a demonstration unit by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria and the Victorian Solar Energy Council (now Energy Victoria), the turbine was of 60 kW capacity atop a 22 metre monopole, and was manufactured by Westwind of Western Australia.[9] Between 7 kW and 10.3 kW of average power has been produced by the generator.[10]
As part of the privatisation of electricity supply in Victoria, the generator was sold in 1994 to the Alternative Technology Association of Melbourne. December 1995 saw the generator sold again, to a Mr Michael Gunter, a member of the previous organisation. Electricity production ceased at 1200hrs on 17 May 2003 due to a electrical generator burn-out, caused by moisture, salt, and electrical flash-over.[11] Barwon Water bought the turbine the same year, restoring it to service in early 2004.[8]