Town snapshot – Barwon Heads

The size of Barwon Heads is about 6.8sqkm and has many parks covering nearly 40 per cent of total area.

The population of Barwon Heads in 2016 was 3,880 and by the 2021 Census the figure was 4,353 showing a population growth of 13% in the area during that time.

Barwon Heads continues to reap rewards for property owners, especially those who bought in pre-covid.

The charms of Barwon Heads got national attention in the late 1990s with the SeaChange television series, starring Sigrid Thornton and David Wenham.

For 39 episodes ABC viewers could admire the wooden road bridge, the estuary, the jetty and the ‘Beach House’, now a tourist mecca.

The series captured the penchant of many Australians to escape the city for the apparent simplicity of life in a small coastal community.

Settlement at the mouth of the river began on the eastern (Ocean Grove) side in 1854, and settlement on the other side at Barwon Heads was delayed until 1875.

Barwon Heads became a holiday destination for Geelong residents, and the provision of camping facilities on the foreshore near the Barwon Head or Bluff attracted many holiday makers.

By 1970 there were nearly 1,000 sites for caravans and tents with an estimated population of 2,100 (1996) – the peak summer population reached 7,400 with holiday makers.

CoreLogic data indicates that the predominant age group in Barwon Heads is 40-49 years with households in Barwon Heads being primarily couples with children and are likely to be repaying on average $2,184 per month on mortgage repayments, and in general, people in Barwon Heads work in a professional occupation.

 

AGENT PERSPECTIVE:

“The market over winter in Barwon Heads was definitely sluggish, buyers were reluctant to make decisions and sitting on their hands.

“We saw this buyer behaviour shift during mid/late September and during October Bellarine Property have sold 8 properties in Barwon Heads, which was more than July and August combined.

“There are signs of the market turning, and buyer confidence is significantly higher than what has been during 2024.”

Levi Turner – Bellarine Property

TIDBIT:

By the early 1920s, the township had a hotel, boarding houses and a golf links (1907) with the river bridged in 1927.

Population: 4,353

Male: 48.4%

Female: 51.6%

Median age: 46

5 year population change: 13%

House median sales price: $1,518,000

Change in median price: (5yrs) 43.8%

Median asking rent per week: $650

Average length of ownership: 16 years

Owner occupiers: 81%

Renters: 19%

House median value:

August 2024: $1,486,500

August 2023: $1,597,000

August 2022: $1,767,400

August 2021: $1,602,000

August 2020: $1,083,400

House sales per annum:

Period ending August 2024: 61

Period ending August 2023: 60

Land median sale price:

August 2024: N/A

August 2023: N/A

Land sales per annum:

Period ending August 2024: 1

Period ending August 2023: 10