Lorne - Great Ocean Road Story
The Great Ocean Road Story is an award-winning permanent exhibition that tells the remarkable story behind one of Australia's most famous coastal drives. Located within the Great Ocean Road Heritage Centre at the Lorne Visitor Information Centre, the exhibition explores how more than 3,000 returned servicemen built the Great Ocean Road between 1919 and 1932 as a living memorial to those who lost their lives during World War I.
The story of the construction of the Great Ocean Road captures a unique time in the history of Australia and the world. In September 1919, more than 3,000 Australian ex-servicemen and other individuals started building the Great Ocean Road. For the next 13 years, they worked eight hours a day - in often treacherous weather and even more dangerous terrain – using picks, shovels, wheelbarrows and hand explosives to construct the road. Their blood, sweat, blisters and hardships helped to connect isolated townships along Victoria's spectacular west coast and resulted in a breathtaking memorial to those who lost their lives fighting for Australia during World War One.
Through historic photographs, original artefacts, films, interactive displays and personal stories, visitors can discover the enormous challenges faced by the returned soldiers as they carved a road through steep cliffs, dense forest and rugged coastline using little more than picks, shovels, wheelbarrows and explosives. The exhibition also explains the road's importance as the world's largest war memorial and how it transformed the isolated coastal communities of south-west Victoria.
Suitable for both adults and children, the exhibition provides an excellent introduction before exploring the Great Ocean Road itself. Interactive displays and engaging multimedia presentations bring the history to life, while the knowledgeable staff at the adjoining Visitor Information Centre can provide maps, brochures and local travel advice.
The Great Ocean Road Story exhibition showcases the road's story via a series of galleries featuring historical displays and artefacts centered around four main themes:
People. Find out who was involved in the vision and plan, with the road's construction and its ongoing legacy “from the first, people dreamed of a great ocean road”.
Community. How did the Great Ocean Road benefit local communities, their initial responses to the new road and its changing impacts over time.
Workers. Learn of the ex-servicemen who worked on the road and the hardships they encountered building the worlds largest living war memorial ‘a monument to persistent, self-sacrificing effort…a fitting memorial to the deeds of our soldiers’.
Rock wall. Follow the timeline, tools and practices used during the road's construction.
Opening Hours:
9:00am -5:00pm daily. Closed Christmas Day only.
Location
15 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne 3232 View Map
✆ 1300 891 152
