subject: The History Of The Great Ocean Road Australia [print this page] The origins of Australia's popular Great Ocean Road go back to the 1800s, but it wasn't until World War 1 that plans for the road's construction really started taking shape. Nowadays, this impressive attraction, which is located to the west of Melbourne in the state of Victoria, delights endless crowds of tourists as they marvel at its natural beauty. To be remembered, however, is the fact that it was actually built as a memorial to those who had given their lives during the Great War.
Life before the Great Ocean Road
Life for the communities of Victoria's southern coastline was for the most part isolated before the Great Ocean Road came into being. The ocean was their main link to the outside world. Overland travel, when attempted, was long and tiresome. In the 1870s, a trip from Lorne to Geelong was via a rough coach track through dense bush to the railway at Winchelsea.
The plans take shape
During World War 1, Mr W Calder, chairman of the Country Roads Board, took the concept of a south coast road - which had been first suggested in the 1800s - and proposed that funds were provided to allow soldiers returning from the war the opportunity to earn money through its construction. Alderman Howard Hitchcock, the mayor of Geelong, then took the plans forward. He formed a Great Ocean Road Trust to raise money for the project. In his eyes, the road was not just an employment opportunity for returning soldiers, but a lasting monument to those who had not returned. He also had a very forward-thinking view of the roads worth as a tourist attraction.
Construction and completion of the road
Survey work on the road started in August 1918. Soon after, returning soldiers flocked to the region in their thousands and began the physically demanding task of constructing the road. With no machinery to help, they completed the first stage Lorne to Eastern View in early 1922. Over the next ten years the road was expanded, linking Lorne with Cape Patton and Anglesea and Cape Patton with Apollo Bay. Finally, amid much celebration, the Great Ocean Road Australia was officially opened by the Lieutenant Governor, Sir William Irvine, on 26 November 1932.
