Town snapshot – Lara - Surf Coast Times

THE size of Lara is approximately 89.5 square kilometres and has 45 parks covering nearly 6.7% of total area.

The population of Lara in 2016 was 16,375 and by the 2021 Census the population was recorded at 19,014 showing a population growth of 17% in the area during that time.

Lara is a popular residential town set in rural surrounds between Melbourne and Geelong, north-east of Geelong across Corio Bay.

It is situated on Hovells Creek, which drains into Limeburners Bay which is an indent on the Corio Bay coastline.

The Melbourne to Geelong railway (1857) passes through Lara and the Princes Freeway skirts the town’s southern boundary and on the other side of the freeway there is the Avalon airport, making Lara one of the most strategically located communities in the region for convenient accessibility to everything.

Explorers Hume and Hovell arrived at Lara on December 16, 1824, believing that they had reached Westernport Bay.

Hovells Creek was first called Duck Ponds Creek when the area was settled in the 1840s, and the place where Lara was laid out was known as Duck Ponds. ‘

The school which was opened in 1866 was called Lara Lake, the railway station was Duck Ponds (and most gazetteers agreed with that name), and the colonial government decided on Hovells Creek in 1872.

Two years later, after local petitioning, the name Lara was settled on and is thought that the name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning stone or building of stones.

Lara was the administrative centre of Corio Shire from its formation until the opening of new offices in Geelong North in 1937 when the Lara RSL took over the shire hall.

The population had more than doubled between 1954 and 1966.

The golf course is part of the former Elcho estate, its homestead (1867) being on the Register of the National Estate. Likewise, Pirra homestead (1886) is also on the register.

CoreLogic data indicates that the predominant age group in Lara is 40-49 years with households in Lara being primarily couples with children and are likely to be repaying on average $1,733 per month on mortgage repayments, and in general, people in Lara work in a professional occupation.

AGENT PERSPECTIVE:

“The real estate market in Lara remains steady and buoyant, offering a unique appeal for buyers seeking a balance between value and lifestyle.

“Conveniently located between Geelong and Melbourne, Lara attracts a lot of interest from buyers in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne and outer- Geelong areas such as Armstrong Creek and Leopold.

“We’ve seen an increase of first-home buyers enter the market in the last 12 months, many taking advantage of the Government’s 5% First Home Buyer Scheme, and are drawn to the area’s affordability and variety, with a mix of established homes on large blocks and modern builds on smart blocks.

“Homes like 20 Coppice Street, Lara, a 2 year old 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 living area home recently sold at $620,000 drew plenty of interest from first home buyers, whilst 127 Rennie Street which offered a large 867m2 block with a 40 square home, inground pool and plenty of parking sold to a local family looking to upsize for $922,000.

“As a proud local for nearly 20 years, I can confidently say that Lara’s community driven lifestyle, with plenty of parks, open spaces, great schools and amenities and active community groups, makes it the perfect place to call home!”