A Pictorial History of Barwon Heads
The following is a selection from the complete collection that can be seen at the Barwon Estuary Heritage centre.
( All images are scanned from original photos owned by local residents)
Copyright  M Klabbers 1990

The first Tee at the Barwon Heads Golf club 1940.
Due to growth of tea tree and new houses on left hand side the view is obscured today, but the first fairway is as it was then.		Tom Abenathy one of the ferry men that first took holiday makers and local residents across the river before the bridge was built in 1927

Group of youngsters enjoying a dip in the rock pools at low tide on the ocean side of the bluff (by the bathing costumes approx.1930's)
A view of the back beach from the Bluff looking towards Torquay 1949

First called Myuna and later Alunga the guest house was one of many used by holiday makers. The house still stands as a private residence without the columns on the corner of Bridge Rd. and Golflinks Ave. [Photo 1940]

One of the first stores in the town no longer standing due to fire.

 

A view of the river side looking toward the bluff showing the end of the row of boat sheds that lined the river.

Above showing the first fisherman's shed at the start of the jetty. 1930

Two views of the boat sheds above looking north upstream and right south from the same point

 

The GREAT OCEAN ROAD
BARWON HEADS TO WARRNAMBOOL
On the left members of the origional trust headed by Howard Hitchcock five times mayor of Geelong and Resident of Barwon Heads on the steps of  Geelong town hall		Another view of the boat sheds looking north. The Mt. Colite coffee palace can just be seen top right hand corner (circa 1920).

Above a view from the bluff looking toward Ocean grove across the river mouth dated 1922.
Aerial shot showing the bridge, hotel and the cypress trees lining Bridge Road in 1955

View from Mt. Colite looking out to sea
with bluff on right (1920's)
Looking from Ocean Grove side of the river Mr. J. Stephens the ferryman ready to take visitors across (April 1918)

Above bluff and fisherman's jetty prior to bridge being built (1912)
A camp site on the bluff early 1920's

These two were taken from the same spot on the Bluff. The left in 1912 and the right in 1928. The bridge was built in 1928

Above the bluff from the ocean side 1922.
Left from the river side also 1922.
Both photos were hand coloured


In front of 50 Hitchcock ave. during 1952 flood.
From Left to right Andre Janeret carrying Evelyn,
Sue Bonny and Sandy Cameron		Coates store later owned by F. Bartlett. The shop still stands as the local paper shop. The veranda behind buggy has been removed and shop extended to front of building.

Mount Colite Hotel in it's prime photo taken in 1908		Looking up stream from top of Mt. Colite hotel about 1920

First licensee Mr. George Golightly in front of hotel.		Looking back at the hotel from a point near the tent in above photograph some years earlier

The new Barwon Heads Hotel built in 1935 to replace the Mt. Colite Coffee Palace that was burnt down in 1929
The bridge across to Ocean Grove shortly after it's completion in 1927
   The main dining room of Mt. Colite Hotel

Collyers general store left as first built and later expanded to include the post office and telephone exchange on left hand side of building. The building no longer stands and has been replaced by a hairdresser.


View of river mouth showing the couta boats moored off the fisherman's jetty

Hitchcock ave. looking north on left Bartletts store now the paper shop, Garrick's fruit and delicatessen now a milk bar and pizza shop. (1958)


The remains of the Mt. Colite fire with firemen putting out the last of the burning embers.
View of the bluff looking towards Ocean Grove (1908).

The Barwon Heads hotel as seen when crossing the bridge from Ocean Grove. (1950's)
The Bluff 1905 from a boat in the river mouth.

Mr. G. Golightly the licensee of the Mount Colite Hotel during the early 1930's
James Tait one of the earliest residents arrived in Melbourne 1839 and moved to Barwon Heads 1855

First garage in Barwon heads with the new modern facility being built around it.
The first house built in Barwon Heads by the Challis family, the site is now occupied by tennis courts.

One of the couta boats that were a common sight on the river this boat was originally owned by Horace stephens.
An early view of the golf club. The 13th beach surf can just be seen in the background

Some fishing boats moored on the Ocean Grove side of the bridge during 1952 flood.


In 1927 during the construction of the bridge piles had to be driven into the river bed. This was accomplished with a frame and a steam winch that pulled up a large weight that was then dropped on to the pile.