Anglesea, Victoria
Encyclopedia
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.
Originally known as Swampy Creek the name was changed to Anglesea River in 1884 when the township was established. A Post Office under that name opened on 16 April 1886 and was renamed Anglesea in 1950.
Alcoa of Australia operate a power station
and open-cut coalmine in the town.
In February 1983, the Ash Wednesday fires
swept through the area, destroying many houses.
and New Year's Eve
, as many Melbourne
residents arrive for the holiday season. Although the town's main beach has surfing
conditions, many surfers opt for Government Beach (known as "Guvvo's"), just west of town. Anglesea is also famous locally for its annual riverbank markets, which take place by the river on Anglesea's main street, the Great Ocean Road.
The town's golf-course is known for its resident kangaroo
population. In September the town hosts the Angair Wildflower Festival.
The Surf Coast Walk passes through the town and can either be followed northeast along the coastline to Torquay
or southeast towards Aireys Inlet.
competing in the Bellarine Football League
.
Golfers play at the Anglesea Golf Club on Noble Street.
Anglesea has a recently re-built skateboard
ramp which has led a controversial life, with materials moving from wood
to steel
, and has now been re-constructed using concrete
.
Anglesea has a variety of surf locations that cater for both beginners and more experienced surfers. Beaches and reefs surrounding the town, in the right conditions, provide dredging left/right sandbar barrels, deep water grunt waves and perfect long slow breaking point breaks.
Several beaches provide a perfect surfing environment for beginners and micro groms. More experienced and adventurous surfers can tackle the towns bombies, which are accessible via boats or a spaghetti arms paddle. These Bombies turn it on when monster swells and light Northerly winds hit the surf coast.
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...
. It is located on 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...
in the Surf Coast Shire
Surf Coast Shire
Surf Coast Shire is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the southern part of the state, near Geelong. It includes the towns of Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, Lorne, Moriac, Torquay and Winchelsea. It has an area of 1,553 square kilometres. It had a population of 24,124 in 2006...
local government area. 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,...
, Anglesea had a population of 2,290.
Originally known as Swampy Creek the name was changed to Anglesea River in 1884 when the township was established. A Post Office under that name opened on 16 April 1886 and was renamed Anglesea in 1950.
Alcoa of Australia operate a power station
Anglesea Power Station, Victoria (Australia)
Anglesea Power Station is located at Anglesea, in Victoria, Australia within the floristically rich Anglesea Heath area. It is brown coal powered with one steam turbine with a capacity of 150MW of electricity, supplying almost 40% of the electricity used by the nearby Point Henry aluminium...
and open-cut coalmine in the town.
In February 1983, the Ash Wednesday fires
Ash Wednesday fires
The Ash Wednesday bushfires, known in South Australia as Ash Wednesday II, were a series of bushfires that occurred in south-eastern Australia on 16 February 1983. Within twelve hours, more than 180 fires fanned by winds of up to 110 km per hour caused widespread destruction across the states...
swept through the area, destroying many houses.
Tourism
There is a surge in population during the Summer months, reaching a peak around ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, as many Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
residents arrive for the holiday season. Although the town's main beach has surfing
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...
conditions, many surfers opt for Government Beach (known as "Guvvo's"), just west of town. Anglesea is also famous locally for its annual riverbank markets, which take place by the river on Anglesea's main street, the Great Ocean Road.
The town's golf-course is known for its resident kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
population. In September the town hosts the Angair Wildflower Festival.
The Surf Coast Walk passes through the town and can either be followed northeast along the coastline to Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
or southeast towards Aireys Inlet.
Sport
The town has an Australian Rules football teamAnglesea Football Club
The Anglesea Football Club is an Australian rules football club situated in the township of Anglesea, near the City Of Geelong Victoria, Australia...
competing in the Bellarine Football League
Bellarine 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....
.
Golfers play at the Anglesea Golf Club on Noble Street.
Anglesea has a recently re-built skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
ramp which has led a controversial life, with materials moving from wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
to steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, and has now been re-constructed using concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
.
Anglesea has a variety of surf locations that cater for both beginners and more experienced surfers. Beaches and reefs surrounding the town, in the right conditions, provide dredging left/right sandbar barrels, deep water grunt waves and perfect long slow breaking point breaks.
Several beaches provide a perfect surfing environment for beginners and micro groms. More experienced and adventurous surfers can tackle the towns bombies, which are accessible via boats or a spaghetti arms paddle. These Bombies turn it on when monster swells and light Northerly winds hit the surf coast.
External links
- Australian Places - Anglesea
- Official Great Ocean Road Info
- Anglesea - Official government tourism site