Town by town snapshot: Anglesea

The size of Anglesea is approximately 96.9 square kilometres stretching out along the Great Ocean Road with the Anglesea Heath and Otway Forest Park making a pristine backdrop to this popular coastal village.

The population of Anglesea in 2011 was 2,453 people and by the 2016 Census the population was 2,551 showing a population growth of 4 per cent in the area during that time. Located near the beginning of the iconic Great Ocean Road, Anglesea is protected from westerly weather by Point Roadknight, and the beach there forms an arc in a north-easterly direction.

It is crossed by the Anglesea River.

In 1884, local land owners subdivided land for sale into eight-hectare lots about three years after a boarding house was first opened for holiday-makers.

Shortly afterwards in 1883 a post office was opened with the first hotel following in 1890.

The name was changed to Anglesea in about 1884, thought to be derived from the Isle of Anglesea in Wales.

An important aspect of Anglesea’s future tourism emerged with the formation of the Surf Club in 1952 and in 1958 exploratory mining uncovered abundant brown coal, and six years later Alcoa of Australia began construction of a mine and power station to supply electricity to its aluminium refinery at Point Henry, Geelong.

In 2014, Alcoa put the mine and the coal fired power station up for sale following its closure of the Point Henry aluminium smelter and has now ceased operation with an international tourism-based entity looking to develop the site as an ecotourism project.

Anglesea has dealt with a number of bushfires since early settlement: in 1966 14 houses were lost, in 1982 the camping ground was burnt and in 1983 the severe Ash Wednesday fires destroyed 142 homes.

The predominant age group in Anglesea is 60-69 years with households in Anglesea being primarily childless couples who are likely to be repaying $1,800-$2,399 per month on mortgage repayments, and in general, people in Anglesea work in a professional occupation.