Barwon Heads, Victoria: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox Australian place | type = townsuburb

| caption = The old Barwon Heads Bridge, 2007

| pop = 34,875353

| pop_year = {{CensusAU|20162021}}

| pop_footnotes = <ref name="abs">{{Census 20162021 AUS|id=SSC20161|name=Barwon Heads (State Suburb)|accessdate=168 NovemberDecember 20172024 |quick=on}}</ref>

'''Barwon Heads''' (previously known as '''Point Flinders'''<ref name="CairnsPost">{{cite web |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42799976 |title=Centenary Celebration Of Shipwreck : Memorial Service at Barwon Heads |work=[[The Cairns Post]] |date=5 December 1953 |accessdate=21 July 2012 |via=Trove}}</ref>) is a coastal township on the [[Bellarine Peninsula]], near [[Geelong]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia. It is situated on the west bank of the mouth of the [[Barwon River (Victoria)|Barwon River]] below [[Lake Connewarre]], while itand is bounded to the west by farmland, [[golf course]]s and the saline [[ephemeral]] [[salinity|salinewetland]] [[wetland]]of [[Murtnaghurt Lagoon]]. At the {{CensusAU|20162021}}, Barwon Heads had a population of 34,875353.<ref name=abs/>

Barwon Heads lies within the territory of the Waddawurrung Balug clan, of the [[Wathaurong]] people.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Clark |first=Ian |title=Aboriginal languages and clans : an historical atlas of western and central Victoria, 1800-1900 |publisher=Monash University. Department of Geography and Environmental Science |year=1990 |isbn=090968541X |location=Melbourne|pages=}}</ref> Its traditional name is Koornoo.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Clark|first=Ian|title=Dictionary of Aboriginal placenames of Victoria|last2=Heydon|first2=Toby|publisher=Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages|year=2002|isbn=0957936060|location=Melbourne|pages=26}}</ref> Barwon derives from the [[Wathawurrung language|Wathaurong word]] Barrwang or Baarwon meaning magpie.<ref name=":0" /> The river and upstream lakes ([[Lake Connewarre]] and Reedy Lake) were frequented by Aboriginal hunters and fishermen, includingas well as the escaped [[convicts in Australia|convict]], [[William Buckley (convict)|William Buckley]], who lived with the Wathaurong for 32 years.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Morgan |first=John |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/39916849 |title=The life and adventures of William Buckley : thirty-two years a wanderer amongst the Aborigines of the unexplored country round Port Phillip, now the Province of Victoria |last2=Sayers |first2=C. E|date=. |publisher=Heinemann |year=1967|isbn=|edition= |location=London; Melbourne |pages=66 |language=Englishen}}</ref>

When European settlers first arrived toin Port Phillip in June 1835, a camp was established at [[Indented Head, Victoria|Indented Head]]. [[Port Phillip Association]] surveyor, [[John Helder Wedge]], explored the [[Bellarine Peninsula]], including the Barwon and its lakes, in August 1835.

It is unknown when settlerscolonists first took up land at Barwon Heads, but, by the 1870s, a township was formed, with a Postpost Officeoffice opening in the area on 15 December 1889 (renamed Connewarre East in 1890 when a new Barwon Heads PO opened in the township).<ref name="a">{{Citation|publisher=Premier Postal History|title=Post Office List|url=https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country=|accessdateaccess-date=11 April 2008}}</ref>

Fishing was the mainstay of the town in its early years. In the 1920s and 1930s, the town became a popular holiday resort, and a number of the richerwealthier families of Melbourne and the [[Western District (Victoria)|Western District]] built houses here. The summer period today still sees a large influx of holidaymakers to the town.

In 1959, the closing scenes of the film [[On the Beach (1959 film)|''On the Beach'']], based on athe [[On the Beach (novel)|novel of the same name]] by [[Nevil Shute]] novel, about the end of thehuman life on worldEarth, were filmed in the town.

The [[Barwon Heads Golf Club]] Clubhouseclubhouse, dating from 1923 to 1924, located on Golf Links Road and dating from 1923–24, is listed on the [[Victorian Heritage Register]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/result_detail/12549 | title=Barwon Heads Golf Club Clubhouse | publisher=[[Heritage Victoria]] | work=[[Victorian Heritage Register]] | accessdate=3 July 2014}}</ref> The former [[Barwon Heads Bridge]] is also listed on the Register; however, it was demolished in 2009.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/result_detail/3717 | title=Barwon Heads Bridge | publisher=[[Heritage Victoria]] | work=[[Victorian Heritage Register]] | accessdate=3 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://geelong.starcommunity.com.au/indy/2009access-05-21/protests-to-greet-work-on-bridges/ | title=Protests to greet work on bridges | work=Geelong Independent | date=21 May 2009 | accessdate=3 July 2014 | author=Benton, Jessica | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714212806/http://geelong.starcommunity.com.au/indy/2009-05-21/protests-to-greet-work-on-bridges/ | archive-date=14 July 2014 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title=Barwon Heads Bridge: History or heritage? | author=Beauchamp | journal=Australian Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Engineering | volume=9 | issue=1}}</ref>

[[File:Aerial panorama of Barwon Heads.jpg|thumb|Aerial panorama of== Barwon Heads Bridge (2018)]]==

The original [[Barwon Heads Bridge]] was opened in 1912, crossing the [[Barwon River (Victoria)|Barwon River]] between Barwon Heads and [[Ocean Grove, Victoria|Ocean Grove]], was opened in 1927. Prior to that, there had been a rowing boat service across the river. The closure of the bridge was a central element in the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] television series ''[[SeaChange]]''.

In July 2006, the [[Government of Victoria (Australia)|Victorian government]] shelved plans to replace the [[heritage-listed]]<ref>{{Cite AHPI|RNE102760|Barwon Heads Road bridge}}</ref> bridge with a new one.<ref>{{cite news |title=Print Email Facebook Twitter More 'Sea Change' bridge wins reprieve |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-07-28/sea-change-bridge-wins-reprieve/1812420 |accessdateaccess-date=2019-07-28 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=2006-07-28}}</ref>

A proposal was put forward to align a new bridge with Geelong Road, permitting traffic to bypass the main shopping precinct and primary school, butwhich withwould have required the consequencedemolition of removing three homeshouses. An independent panel was appointed by the then Minister for Planning, [[Rob Hulls]], to decide on a bridge location. Evidence was presented for and against the Geelong Road site and the existing site, with the conclusion that the Geelong Road alignment was unsuitable for environmental, social, economic reasons.

[[File:Barwon Heads Victoria 01.jpg|thumb|View of the town and the Barwon River estuary, as pictured from atop the southern head, 2006]]

[[File:Barwon Heads Victoria 02.jpg|thumb|Face of the bluff on the southern head, 2006]]

[[File:Barwon Heads boatshed Stevage.jpg|thumb|The distinctive blue weatherboardsweatherboard building ofserved as [[Daniel Della Bosca|Diver Dan]]'s boatshed café have become a local landmark due toin ''SeaChange''., 2007]]

The artist [[Jan Mitchell]] erected her first bollard sculptures in Barwon Heads. Visitors to the area will encounter the colourful soldier and parrot bollards, which designate a route for the local children from the primary school, through the streets to the bike path, park and playground. She thenMitchell went on to produce more than 100 bollards atpositioned thealong [[Waterfront Geelong]].

The town has an [[Australian rules football]] team competing in the [[Bellarine Football League]].<ref name="d">{{Citation|publisher=Full Points Footy |title=Barwon Heads |url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Barwon_Heads.htm |accessdateaccess-date=25 July 2008 |url-status=deadusurped |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516213336/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/barwon_heads.htm |archivedatearchive-date=May 16, 2008 }}</ref> It has made finals in a number of recent seasons, losing the grand final in an upset to Modewarre in 2018 but avenged that loss in 2019 winning it'sits first premiership since 1993 by beating Torquay in the grand final.

Barwon Heads has a cricket club which won five premierships in eight seasons (2005/06, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11 and 2013/14). They defeated Queenscliff in the A grade final on Sunday March 15, 2014 by 102 runs at Jan Juc. Barwon Heads was relegated to A2 Grade, but won their way back to A1 with a premiership and the next season, in 2023-24, won the A1 premiership, defeating Anglesea at Jan Juc. They are currently competing in the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association.

Barwon Heads also boasts a tennis, bowls, surf life saving, cycling, surfing, soccer and pony club. Golfers play at the Barwon Heads Golf Club on Golf Links Road,<ref name="golf">{{Citation|publisher=Golf Select|title=Barwon Heads|url=http://www.golfselect.com.au/armchair/courseView.aspx?course_id=369|accessdateaccess-date=11 May 2009| archiveurlarchive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090328041342/http://www.golfselect.com.au/armchair/courseView.aspx?course_id=369| archivedatearchive-date= 28 March 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> or at the course of the Thirteenth Beach Golf Links on Barwon Heads Road.<ref name="golf2">{{Citation|publisher=Golf Select|title=Thirteenth Beach|url=http://www.golfselect.com.au/armchair/courseView.aspx?course_id=603|accessdateaccess-date=11 May 2009}}</ref> Barwon Heads has great recreational fishing from its river to the heads, it caters for all types of anglers.

The footballer [[Jaxson Barham]] and the entertainer [[Barry Crocker]] were born therein Barwon Heads.<ref>[http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/07/29/16628_geelong_sports.html "Barwon Heads folk praise their favourite son"] by Jessica Craven, ''[[Geelong Advertiser]]'' (29 July 2008) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016025616/http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/07/29/16628_geelong_sports.html |date=16 October 2012 }}</ref>

[[Cadel Evans]], the [[cycle sport|cyclist]] who won the [[2011 Tour de France]], owns a house in the area and is regularly seen training on local roads.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-25/riding-buddies-hail-sensational-cadel/2809032 Riding buddies hail 'sensational' Cadel], [[ABC Online]], 25 July 2011</ref>

[[Category:Towns in Victoria (Australiastate)]]

[[Category:Coastal towns in Victoria (Australiastate)]]