The Committee for Lorne: Summer of fun with Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club

What could be more at the heart of summer in Lorne than the Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club (LAAC) at the pier head opposite the timeless Pier Restaurant?

This is where generations have gathered for decades. Always a meeting place, it plays a particularly central role in the social life of the town from Christmas through to Easter but most especially during January when it is invigorated by a seasonal influx of visitors with large numbers in attendance from early morning as cyclists, joggers and walkers pause for coffee and then return when the small bar opens late in the afternoon.

This is when old acquaintances are renewed, and new ones forged whether it be people from the caravan parks, casual visitors or politicians and government representatives including the Governor of Victoria who may often be seen in there.

One annual visitor, a chap who holidays in Lorne from his home in London, is emphatic in his pronouncement that it is one of the finest venues anywhere in the world.

The month peaks with the Pier to Pub swim as entrants enter the water down the Aquatic Club ramp – loaned for this
specific purpose every year – and winds up with the first fishing competition of the year on the Australia Day weekend.

It is very much a family-oriented club and juniors are well represented in the many fishing competitions. The LAAC is progressive with its unique and cleverly designed points system and is a model other clubs have used as a basis for their own competitions. Regular tweaking keeps it running smoothly; just don’t ask this writer to explain the finer points of how the calculations are made! The annual competition is held over six holiday weekends and there is a winter competition as well which runs from May through August, so a total of ten competition days a year, every year. It is probably the most active competition-based club anywhere along the Great Ocean Road. There were one hundred and sixty one entrants in 2018.

Contestants sometimes come from Colac, Geelong and Ballarat.

Volunteers from the strong committee chaired by Keith Miller, provide free barbecues most evenings, there are raffles and often there is a band playing against a backdrop of a magnificent coastal panorama and to make it easy for visitors, the courtesy bus runs every day as well. Traditionally, every night, families meet up to enjoy the special ambience and the view. Generations of the same family have celebrated milestones there since 1960. As a community hub it works harmoniously and makes people from all walks of life feel welcome.

LAAC is firmly embedded in the community and as an intrinsic part of Lorne culture it is able to make regular donations to a great many worthy local causes, such as the Lorne Hospital, local sporting clubs, the Men’s Shed and the school. Fund-raising is a strong feature of its mandate. Sarah Henderson, Member for Corangamite, recently announced a very generous grant from the Federal government which will allow the LAAC to rebuild an up to date clubhouse as part of the proposed redevelopment of the Point Grey precinct.

Our current clubhouse is tired and in need of an update, but this does not stop us functioning as an integral contributor to summer in Lorne.

Doug Williams
Vice Commodore
Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club