The history of the Great Ocean Road

The beautiful route stretches 243 kilometres along the Victorian coast between Torquay and Allansford and is known for its rugged natural beauty, shipwreck stories, and surfing culture, along with its frequently changing and dramatic landscapes and views.

And while you have probably driven along it before, the history behind the Great Ocean Road is just as interesting as its views.

The Great Ocean Road was originally a ground-breaking plan to employ returned soldiers after World War I, with chairman of the Country Roads Board, William Calder asking the State War Council for money to be provided for returned soldiers to work on roads in sparsely populated areas in the Western District.

At the time, the southwest coast of Victoria was accessible only by sea or rough bush track. The planned road would also be dedicated as a memorial for returning soldiers of the war and meant the isolated settlements on the coast would be connected and become a vital transport link for the timber industry and for tourism in the area.

Given the working name of the South Coast Road, surveying for the project began in 1918 and was originally suggested to start from Barwon Heads, follow the coast west around Cape Otway, and end near Warrnambool.

Later that year, the Great Ocean Road Trust was formed as a private company and secured £81,000 (around $151,000 in today’s money) for costs. Initially, there was also an arrangement of any money borrowed would be repaid by charging a toll for drivers until the debt was cleared, and the road would then be gifted to the state.

On September 19, 1919, construction officially started on the road. The Great Ocean Road was built by approximately 3000 returned servicemen and remains as a memorial for fellow servicemen who had been killed in World War I.

Construction was no easy feat and was time-consuming, with hand explosives, picks and shovels, wheelbarrows, and some small machinery all used during the build. An advance survey team would progress through the dense wilderness at approximately 3 kilometres a month.

Sadly, several workers were killed on the job during construction making the work particularly dangerous, especially in the final sections along steep coastal mountains as they were the most difficult to work on.

For all this hard and dangerous work, in 1919 the soldiers working on the Great Ocean Road were paid 10 shillings and sixpence for 8 hours of work per day, and also worked a half-day on Saturdays.

And while it was no walk in the park, the workers created their own community camps during the build, using tents to sleep in and made use of a communal dining marquee and kitchen, with the food costing up to 10 shillings a week.

They also had access to a piano, gramophone, games, newspapers, and magazines at the camps. At least they were never bored on their days off.

In 1924, the steamboat Casino became stranded near Cape Patton after hitting a reef, which meant it was forced to ditch 500 barrels of beer and 120 cases of spirits. Seizing the opportunity, the workers obtained the precious cargo and made good use of it. Unfortunately for the construction timeline, this pushed it out, with the workers indulging in an unscheduled two-week-long drinking break.

By March 18, 1922, the section of road from Eastern View to Lorne was officially opened, however, it was forced to close two months later in May 1922 as further work was required. It reopened again on December 21, but this time came with tolls to recoup the construction costs.

To drive along this section of the road in 1922, you would pay the toll at Eastern View, two shillings for cars, and 10 shillings for wagons with more than two horses (that’s right, horses).

By November 1932, the section from Lorne to Apollo Bay was completed, seeing the Great Ocean Road finally complete. It was officially opened with Victoria’s Lieutenant-Governor Sir William Irvine near Lorne’s Grand Pacific Hotel and was acknowledged as the world’s largest war memorial at the ceremony.

In October 1936, the road was handed to the Victorian State Government, and the deed for the road was presented to the Premier at a ceremony at the Cathedral Rock toll gate. The tolls were also removed at this time.

During the 1960s the Great Ocean Road was deemed one of “The World’s Great Scenic Roads” by the Tourist Development Authority, with sections of the road also widened between the Lorne Hotel and Pacific Hotel to improve traffic flow.

Given its location, the road has been susceptible to mother nature over the years, making it somewhat dangerous at times. In 1960 the section at Princetown was partially washed away by water during storms, with landslides occurring in 1964, and in 1971, which both resulted in the closing of sections near Lorne.

The road has also been closed due to bushfires in 1962 and 1964, and in more recent history, in January 2011 a section of the overhanging cliffs collapsed due to heavy rain.

The Great Ocean Road was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2011.

If you’re interested in learning more, the next time you're road-tripping along the Great Ocean Road, make sure you stop at the Great Ocean Road Story museum in Lorne.

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