Ocean Grove 3226 Ocean Grove 3226

Ocean Grove, a coastal township and beach resort on the southern side of the Bellarine Peninsula, looks out on to Bass Strait. It is 19 km. south-east of Geelong, and it situated on the east side of the mouth of the Barwon River, linked by a bridge to Barwon Heads on the other side of the river.

In the 1870s the American Methodist church established a Methodist camp at a coastal location in New Jersey. It was named Ocean Grove. In 1879 the American Methodists took their camp idea abroad, and made contact with Melbourne Methodists shortly afterwards. Religious tents attracted good crowds at Royal Park, Melbourne, and at Point Lonsdale. In 1882 it was decided to acquire land for an Australian Ocean Grove.

Melbourne land entrepreneurs during the late 1880s bought up land on the west side of the Barwon River which, until then, had been used by pastoralists and wattle-bark collectors. A proposed Temperance Settlement at the future Ocean Grove had land covenants prohibiting the making or sale of alcoholic beverages. The Methodist church acquired 222 ha. of land and over thirty streets are named after Methodist personalities. A coffee palace (1888) and a guest house were built and a Wesleyan church (1889), primary school (1892) and Anglican church (1896) were opened.

A Geelong and district tourists' guide (1893) described Ocean Grove as a popular watering place, having been visited by thousands of people in its four years of existence.

In addition to the extensive beach, Ocean Grove had river activities, including the Connewarre Yacht Club.

A hall with a free library was opened in 1910, the Methodist Church formed a youth camp at Ingemells Park (1920-1996) and an active tennis club was formed. There was steady growth during the 1930s and 1940s, and an infant welfare centre was opened in 1949.

From the early 1950s many postwar European migrant families settled in Ocean Grove, mainly Dutch, Polish, German and Yugoslav. A Catholic church was opened in 1954. In 1952 when the first Ocean Grove local history was published, its author thought that "although the town looks more like a Melbourne suburb every day it is no worse than any of the similar surfing towns such as Torquay and Anglesea..."

Ocean Grove underwent a building boom during the 1970/80s, but even during the previous decade it became evident that urban growth would be paramount. In 1962 longtime residents raised money to purchase a 143 ha. piece of land considered to be the last significant bushland in the area. Named the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, it is a habitat for a rare small blue butterfly which breeds in ant nests.

Ocean Grove has a long foreshore reserve with extensive beaches. The reserve at the river mouth is a slender peninsula, once a camping area but later with restricted summer camping facing the river. The golf course some way upstream has absorbed the former rubbish tip on the river's edge. The shopping centre is a few blocks back from a look out on the foreshore reserve.

The area east of old Ocean Grove was known as Collendina. It has the Shell Road Recreation Reserve, a primary school (1992) and a secondary college. Nearby is Kingston Park with bushland and walking tracks. Apart from corner stores, residents of Collendina/New Ocean Grove shop in the old town centre of further afield.

Ocean Grove is the largest town on the Bellarine Peninsula. It performs an increasing dormitory role to Geelong, and the number of holiday homes has declined. Visitor accommodation it substantial but did not noticeably increase during the 1980s.

The median house price in Ocean Grove in 1987 was $73,000 and in 1996 it was $96,000.
Ocean Grove's census populations have been 136 (1891), 139 (1933), 472 (1947), 1,609 (1961). Later census have combined the population with that of Barwon Heads. Together they were 5,385 (1976) and 10,069 (1991). Ocean Grove's estimated population in 1992 was 8,373.

There is a shopping centre on Shell Road (including supermarket, petrol station, fast food etc) since 2006. There is also the Bellarine Aquatic Centre which includes a gym, two pools and child minding facilities, soccer fields, netball courts and a skate park.

Source Monash Uni (2006)

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