Torquay, Victoria
Encyclopedia
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.
.
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. 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. 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. 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, instead of being retained for community uses. The Sands golf 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.
The Torquay area is famous for its surf
beach
es, 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 between January and end of February, when the school holidays end; the town also hosts end of year Schoolies week
celebrations, joint with Lorne, Victoria's most active Schoolies destination.
In October 2007, The new Torquay Police Station opened at the corner of the Surfcoast highway and central avenue. The new Police station was built at a cost of $7.8 million and is considered to be a state-of-the-art facility.
The area was developed from 2000 when the first homes were built. It was originally a sheep and cattle grazing and farming area, known as Hard Man's land because of its rocky and hilly landscape making it difficult to graze on.
It is now primarily residential, backing onto Spring Creek, where a proposed development with capacity for another 20,000 people was rejected in April 2009. It has a football oval and a golf club backing onto it. It is jokingly referred to by people living in other suburbs of Torquay as Mortgage Hill or Legoland due to many new housing developments being built around it.
The area has a V-line bus stop, the bus running to Warrnambool or to Geelong, three summer bus run stops, a post office box and a park, Spring Creek Play Park. Walking access across the river to the football ground used to be difficult until in 2007 the shire built a footbridge connecting the reserve and the edge of the suburb, which is only around a 1.5 km radius. Ocean Views has also been discussed as a potential venue for the new BMX park that has been approved for construction somewhere in Torquay by the Surf Coast Shire and the Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman
The area is known for its high number of families.
and a cricket team that fields 8 junior teams and 4 senior teams in the Geelong Cricket Association.
Golfers play at the course of the Torquay Golf Club on Great Ocean Road, or at The Sands on Sands Boulevard, an 18-hole championship course designed by Australian golfer Stuart Appleby
.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, which faces Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
, 21 km. south of Geelong and is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is a stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. The road was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932, and is the world's largest war memorial; dedicated to casualties of World War I...
. It is bordered on the west by Spring Creek and its coastal features include Point Danger and Zeally Bay. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Torquay had a population of 6,695.
History
Wathaurong Aborigines occupied the area before white settlement, with picnickers beginning to frequent the area from the 1860s. 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. The Post Office opened on 20 August 1894. On April 3 1908 the Spring Creek bridge was built, connecting the town to AngleseaAnglesea, Victoria
Anglesea is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Great Ocean Road in the Surf Coast Shire local government area. At the 2006 census, Anglesea had a population of 2,290....
.
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. 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. The town once had 145 bathing boxes on the main beach. In 1946 the Torquay Surf Life Saving Club
Surf Life Saving Club
Surf Life Saving Clubs are volunteer institutions at Australia's beaches. The clubs conduct surf lifesaving services on weekends and public holidays and host many beach sport activities, such as Nippers, surf carnivals and other competitions...
was formed, opening their current clubrooms in 1971 after the previous one burnt down. 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
Jan Juc, Victoria
Jan Juc is a coastal town of Victoria, Australia, adjacent to Torquay, Victoria. At the 2006 census, Jan Juc had a population of 3,158.- History :Jan Juc Post Office opened on 25 January 1862, but was renamed Bellbrae in 1923....
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, instead of being retained for community uses. The Sands golf 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.
Attractions
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es, 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
Offshore Festival
The Offshore Festival was a camp-out rock and alternative music festival held during Easter at a farm near Torquay, Victoria, Australia in the late 1990s, 2000 and 2001. It was run by the same organisers as the Falls Festival, held at nearby Lorne on New Year's Eve. It interlinked with the major...
in the late 1990s. Many of the world's most famous surf companies have their home in Torquay, including Rip Curl
Rip Curl
Rip Curl is a major Australian manufacturer and retailer of surfing sportswear The company was founded in 1969 by Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer in Torquay, Victoria, Australia and initially produced surfboards. In 1970, they decided to begin production of wetsuits, with emphasis on transforming...
, Piping Hot
Piping Hot (surfwear)
Piping Hot is an Australian surfwear clothing company, who expanded by licensing their designs to a series of international manufacturers and distributors....
and Quiksilver
Quiksilver
Quiksilver, Inc. , is an American company based in Huntington Beach, California, one of the world's largest manufacturers of surfwear and other boardsport-related equipment...
- 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 between January and end of February, when the school holidays end; the town also hosts end of year Schoolies week
Schoolies week
Schoolies or schoolies week refers to the Australian tradition of high-school graduates having week-long holidays following the end of their final exams in late November and early December."Toolies" refers to older revelers who participate in Schoolies week but are...
celebrations, joint with Lorne, Victoria's most active Schoolies destination.
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.In October 2007, The new Torquay Police Station opened at the corner of the Surfcoast highway and central avenue. The new Police station was built at a cost of $7.8 million and is considered to be a state-of-the-art facility.
Ocean Views
Ocean Views is in the south of Torquay.The area was developed from 2000 when the first homes were built. It was originally a sheep and cattle grazing and farming area, known as Hard Man's land because of its rocky and hilly landscape making it difficult to graze on.
It is now primarily residential, backing onto Spring Creek, where a proposed development with capacity for another 20,000 people was rejected in April 2009. It has a football oval and a golf club backing onto it. It is jokingly referred to by people living in other suburbs of Torquay as Mortgage Hill or Legoland due to many new housing developments being built around it.
The area has a V-line bus stop, the bus running to Warrnambool or to Geelong, three summer bus run stops, a post office box and a park, Spring Creek Play Park. Walking access across the river to the football ground used to be difficult until in 2007 the shire built a footbridge connecting the reserve and the edge of the suburb, which is only around a 1.5 km radius. Ocean Views has also been discussed as a potential venue for the new BMX park that has been approved for construction somewhere in Torquay by the Surf Coast Shire and the Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman
Darren Cheeseman
Darren Leicester Cheeseman , Australian politician, was the successful Australian Labor Party candidate for the federal seat of Corangamite at the federal of election of 24 November 2007....
The area is known for its high number of families.
Wombah Park
Wombah Park is in the north east of Torquay and is home to about 1000 residents. A convenience store, an art shop, tennis courts, whites beach and a bowls club are all located in the area.Frog Hollow
"Frog Hollow" Bordered by the Surf Coast Highway, Grossmans Rd, Messmate Rd and Coombes Rd, was the vision of Joe Briody, a grazier and golfer of some prominence in the district, who purchased the land in 1950 and farmed it until he commenced a private sub-division. St. Therese's School is located on Illawong Drive, intersection with Briody Drive which runs the length of the estate. To date much of the land has been sold with small pockets still being developed as the Edgewater development based on Eton Road next to Torquay P-9 College takes off.The Church Estate
Once owned by the Catholic Church, The Church Estate is bounded by Spring Creek Reserve, Spring Creek and Torquay Road and was developed in the 1980's.Zeally Bay
Zeally Bay is in the east of Torquay. It (and Zeally Point) were named after Richard Zeally, a squatter there from 1851 on his property named South Beach. It includes a yachting club, a fishing club, Fishermans Beach, Taylor Park (a public 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) park) and Crowne Plaza, a multi million dollar resort and plaza which was built on the site of the old Zeally Bay Caravan Park. In 2004 the Zeally Bay caravan park had been sold by the owners due to increasing land tax costs, to a developer who said they would build a retirement village.Sport
The town has an Australian Rules football team, the Torquay Tigers, competing in the Bellarine Football LeagueBellarine Football League
The Bellarine Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Bellarine Peninsula region of Victoria, Australia, formed in 1971.Six of the eight founding clubs played in the Polwarth Football league the year before....
and a cricket team that fields 8 junior teams and 4 senior teams in the Geelong Cricket Association.
Golfers play at the course of the Torquay Golf Club on Great Ocean Road, or at The Sands on Sands Boulevard, an 18-hole championship course designed by Australian golfer Stuart Appleby
Stuart Appleby
Stuart Appleby is an Australian professional golfer.-Early life:Appleby was born in Cohuna in rural northern Victoria, and grew up on a nearby dairy farm. He began in golf by hitting balls from paddock to paddock after his farm chores were completed...
.
External links
- Torquay - Official government tourism organization
- Torquay Surf Live Saving Club