Lorne

Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route. Lorne's permanent population sits around 1000 but this grows significantly during the holiday seasons.

Prior to European settlement, Lorne and the surrounding area was occupied by the Kolakngat Aborigines. The bay is named after Captain Louttit, who sought shelter there in 1841 while supervising the retrieval of cargo from a nearby shipwreck. The coast was surveyed five years later in 1846. The first European settler was William Lindsay, a timber-cutter who began felling the area in 1849. The first telegraph arrived in 1859. Subdivision began in 1869 and in 1871 the town was named after the Marquis of Lorne from Argyleshire in Scotland on the occasion of his marriage to one of Queen Victoria's daughters.

In 1891 the area was visited by Rudyard Kipling who was inspired to write the poem Flowers, which included the line:

By 1922 the Great Ocean Road was extended to Lorne, making the town much more accessible with the first passenger service to Geelong established in 1924 and guesthouses began to appear after 1930. The local fishing industry expanded significantly in the 1930s and 1940s. The Ash Wednesday bushfires swept through the area in 1983 destroying 76 houses.

Popular local activities include traditional beach pursuits such as family bathing and surfing, as well as pier fishing for barracuda, whiting, and trevally. Teddy's Lookout lies at the end of George Street on the town's southern outskirts and offers fine views over the town, coastline, and Great Ocean Road. The Great Otway National Park is nearby.

The town's population swells to around 13,000 each New Year's Eve when the Falls Festival takes place. During the first weekend of January over 20,000 spectators visit Lorne when the town hosts the 1.2 km Pier to Pub swim (described in the Guinness Book of Records as "the largest organised ocean swim in the world" and currently capped at 4,000 competitors), the 8km Mountain to Surf run, and the Lorne Surf Boat Race. There is a Fair on the Foreshore during the first weekend in November.

Some of the many attractions in and around Lorne include Angahook Lorne State Park, Blanket Leaf Picnic Grounds, Sheoak Picnic Grounds, Teddy's Outlook, The Pier and the numerous Bushwalks and waterfalls. Away from the main town visitors may see birds such as White Goshawks, Satin Bowerbirds, Olive Whistlers, Pink Robins, Rufous Fantails, Gang-gang Cockatoos and Forest Ravens.