Lorne

History

Prior to British settlement, Lorne was part of the traditional lands of the Gadubanud or King Parrot people of the Cape Otway coast. Lorne is situated on a bay 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 Marquess of Lorne from Argyleshire in Scotland on the occasion of his marriage to Princess Louise, one of Queen Victoria's daughters. The Post Office opened on 29 April 1874. In 1891, the area was visited by Rudyard Kipling, who was inspired to write the poem The Flowers, which includes the lines: By 1922, the Great Ocean Road was extended to Lorne. The first passenger road service to Geelong was established in 1924 and guesthouses began to appear after 1930. Lorne Magistrates' Court closed on 1 October 1984.

Most-observed species

• Superb Fairywren

  Malurus cyaneus (Ellis, 1782) · Aves
  3,658
• Red Wattlebird

  Anthochaera carunculata (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  3,518
• Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

  Cacatua galerita (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  3,494
• Welcome Swallow

  Hirundo neoxena Gould, 1842 · Aves
  2,809
• New Holland Honeyeater

  Phylidonyris novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  2,801
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,799
• Crimson Rosella

  Platycercus elegans (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  2,624
• Brown Thornbill

  Acanthiza pusilla (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  2,259

Most recent

• M 4.1 — 2026-07-05
  28 km WNW of Apollo Bay, Australia
• M 3.5 — 2023-10-21
  10 km NW of Apollo Bay, Australia
• M 4.8 — 2023-10-21
  16 km WNW of Apollo Bay, Australia
• M 2.9 — 2021-11-05
  4 km S of Rosebud, Australia
• M 3.1 — 2013-05-01
  7 km NW of Clifton Springs, Australia
• M 3 — 2010-03-30
  4 km NNE of Portarlington, Australia