Jan Juc 3228 Jan Juc 3228

Jan Juc is a coastal township on Bass Strait, immediately west of Torquay and 21 km. south of Geelong. It is on the Jan Juc Creek, which enters Bass Strait one kilometre west of Spring Creek.

Spring Creek separates Torquay from Jan Juc. About five kilometres upstream the original village of Jan Juc was established, and the only coastal reference to the name was the mouth of the creek and the small rocky Point Jan Juc. The name is thought to be derived from an Aboriginal word to which several meanings have been ascribed: milk, ironbark or goose. In 1922 the origin became even more confused, as the belief that the name had a German origin caused the upstream Jan Juc to be named Bellbrae.

During the mid 1960s the coastal township of Jan Juc began to be developed. It is situated on a coastline close to some of the area's best surfing beaches and is a few kilometres from Bell Beach. In 1992 there were nearly 1,200 dwellings in Jan Juc and an estimated population of 1,791 persons. About one-third of the dwellings were holiday houses.

Jan Juc has an extensive foreshore reserve and beach, and the Torquay Golf club is actually on the Jan Juc side of Spring Creek. There is also a reserve with recreation facilities joined to a linear park along Jan Juc Creek. There is a caravan park beside the reserve. Apart from a small neighbourhood shopping centre, shopping is done in Torquay or further afield. Schooling is the same (1997).

The median house price in Jan Juc in 1987 was $66,900 and in 1996 it was $115,000.
For planning and statistical purposes Jan Juc and Torquay are treated as a unit. Jan Juc's estimated population in 1986 was 1,192.

The former inland Jan Juc, now Bellbrae, was formed about 1860, and in 1861 a National School was opened. Independent and Wesleyan churches opened in 1863 and 1868, and a mechanics' institute and free library were opened in 1887. It was set in a pastoral and agricultural district consisting of low-lying flats and rounded hills. The school, post office and mechanics' insatiate remained in the 1990s. Jan Juc/Bellbrae had an estimated population of 250 in 1875 and a census population of 161 in 1921.

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