	{"id":182690,"date":"2026-03-13T10:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T23:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/?p=182690"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:19:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T23:19:59","slug":"committee-for-lorne-reedy-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/committee-for-lorne-reedy-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Committee for Lorne: Reedy Island"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Reedy Island: an echo from the past<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For joy! &#8230; the island is back \u2026 though don\u2019t blink or you will miss it.<\/p>\n<p>Just like the wreck of the Otway that so briefly appeared at the river mouth after the flood and then slipped silently back under the sands, the island may yet rejoin the river bank and return to its hiding place.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_182689\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-182689\" style=\"width: 380px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-182689\" src=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/0bc8a7ef-f44e-4ceb-aa23-84bfe6738a59.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"380\" height=\"492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/0bc8a7ef-f44e-4ceb-aa23-84bfe6738a59.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/0bc8a7ef-f44e-4ceb-aa23-84bfe6738a59-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/0bc8a7ef-f44e-4ceb-aa23-84bfe6738a59-790x1024.jpg 790w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/0bc8a7ef-f44e-4ceb-aa23-84bfe6738a59-768x995.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/0bc8a7ef-f44e-4ceb-aa23-84bfe6738a59-1186x1536.jpg 1186w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/0bc8a7ef-f44e-4ceb-aa23-84bfe6738a59-1581x2048.jpg 1581w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-182689\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">DRONE IMAGE: Jonn Stewart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Jonn Stewart [our Foodworks supremo] answered my \u2018drone-please-Jonn\u2019 photo plea by taking this stunning seen-from-above photo of the newly-sculpted island in the Erskine &#8230; so, thank you, Jonn.<\/p>\n<p>It shows a well-demarcated island hard against the eastern shore of the lower Erskine, where, until recently, no such separation from the bank existed.\u00a0 It shows, superbly, how water flow [and floods] can remodel a river&#8217;s topography.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, back in the day, the Erskine River followed a slightly different course\u2014at least until it was nudged towards the eastern bank when the Lorne Foreshore Committee backfilled the river to widen the area available for camping.<\/p>\n<p><em>Footnote: Some will still recall the days when the Foreshore Committee\u2014comprising local elected representatives and only loosely overseen by the Winchelsea Shire Council\u2014once held all the power in Lorne.\u00a0 I, for one, still regret its passing.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The effects of this recent deluge and the many past floods to which the river is prone have seen several features of the lower Erskine come and go over time as the river continues to remodel itself.\u00a0 Chief among these have been its islands.\u00a0 Every flood leaves a different river behind it, and the Erskine has seen plenty of these changes in Lorne\u2019s settled history.\u00a0 The recent \u2018catastrophic weather event\u2019\u2014as the media have now re-branded heavy rain\u2014was <u>not<\/u> the first, <u>not<\/u> the worst, and certainly will <u>not<\/u> be the last.<\/p>\n<p>While I abhor the current fad for claiming \u2018victimhood\u2019 at every slight, at every \u2018event\u2019 [NB: the media\u2019s word], Lorne and Wye River <u>have <\/u>recently been community victims at the hands of sadly misinformed and lazy media whose reporting has wrought far more damage on both towns than either flood [brief], or fire [~50km distant at Carlisle River] could claim to have done.<\/p>\n<p>Lorne\u2019s excellent historical records yield a long list of damaging deluges dating back to the 1850s, several of which clearly far exceeded our \u2018flash flood\u2019. \u00a0Perhaps the only distinguishing feature of this brief but impressive recent torrent was its suddenness, though the damage was tightly confined to the river beds and banks, leaving the town[s] largely unscathed.<\/p>\n<p>Although 180mm fell in 6 hours within a concentrated area at Mt Cowley [10km to Lorne\u2019s west], my rain gauge recorded a mere 8mm in the encompassing 24 hours.\u00a0 While clearly cold comfort to those who lost possessions in the caravan parks that dot our coastal river edges at Kennett, Wye, Separation, Cumberland, and Lorne, the towns did <u>not<\/u> deserve the pariah \u2018flood-and-fire\u2019 status accorded them by loose press reporting.\u00a0 The damage has been to business income, not to coastal infrastructure, and it continues to this day.\u00a0 As news organisations seek their ratings, they should be far more cognisant of the damage their reports can do to local communities.<\/p>\n<p>But, back to the river\u2019s remodelling process and to the island[s] come and go in the lower Erskine with each inundation.\u00a0 Once, there were at least two prominent islands in the broad section below the present-day caravan park and above the swing bridge.\u00a0 In my lifetime, I recall only one, though even that has not been clearly demarcated for several decades\u2014at least until now.<\/p>\n<p>I have been unable to determine whether it [or they] have ever been formally named, though I am sure they must have been. \u00a0I dimly recall my gran calling the larger one \u2018Reedy [or was it Rush] Island\u2019.\u00a0 Pete Spring recalls the name \u2018Sluggy Island\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the case, when I was very young, I recall that an island stood centre-stream directly below our open verandah.\u00a0 A single reference [c.1878] in the Anderson Family notes [Lorne Historical Society: p.147] states<em>: \u201c&#8230; the men who worked for grandfather were paid 8\/- a day, and they lived in tents on the hillside. The kilns were thatched with the rushy grass growing on the islands near the Erskine at its mouth<\/em>\u201d, though I shudder at the thought of thatching a kiln!<\/p>\n<p>The first undated, age-stained photo of the early Erskine clearly shows two islands.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_182691\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-182691\" style=\"width: 625px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-182691\" src=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/c598dafc-2400-47c9-87bf-6e277fac872c.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"625\" height=\"399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/c598dafc-2400-47c9-87bf-6e277fac872c.png 850w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/c598dafc-2400-47c9-87bf-6e277fac872c-300x192.png 300w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/c598dafc-2400-47c9-87bf-6e277fac872c-768x491.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-182691\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">PHOTO: SUPPLIED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The second photo [also undated] shows the larger island in the distance in a wider, very differently shaped river estuary.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_182693\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-182693\" style=\"width: 549px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-182693\" src=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Picture-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"549\" height=\"379\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Picture-3.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Picture-3-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Picture-3-1024x707.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Picture-3-768x530.jpg 768w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Picture-3-1536x1060.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 549px) 100vw, 549px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-182693\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">PHOTO: SUPPLIED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The third, [taken later as Mountjoy\u2019s farm has a two-story guesthouse addition], shows the larger island denuded of rushes, presumably used by the Andersons when making bricks for the Gwynne\u2019s Grand Pacific Hotel, which is now visible in the far distance.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_182692\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-182692\" style=\"width: 494px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-182692\" src=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/aa042794-c5f2-434c-872b-885a54a01a72.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"494\" height=\"342\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/aa042794-c5f2-434c-872b-885a54a01a72.png 850w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/aa042794-c5f2-434c-872b-885a54a01a72-300x208.png 300w, https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/aa042794-c5f2-434c-872b-885a54a01a72-768x532.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 494px) 100vw, 494px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-182692\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">PHOTO: SUPPLIED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When I was little, I remember watching\u2014not without a touch of envy\u2014the local kids playing \u2018Pirates\u2019 and \u2018Treasure Island\u2019, punting rafts made from planks and 4-gallon drums across to the bigger island to \u2018claim possession\u2019.\u00a0 I was too small to join, and although my gran was very much \u2018local\u2019 having lived exclusively in Lorne since 1915, I was then just a weekend-and-holiday \u2018blow-in\u2019 and never what is \u2018one of the gang\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>It is uncertain whether the recently re-formed island will last, though I doubt it. \u00a0The small channel that marks its eastern bank seems to be already silting up, and as the reeds regrow, it will inevitably merge back into the bank from which it has been briefly carved. \u00a0Nevertheless, if I were still a kid, I think I would be busily crafting a skull and crossbones flag, building a drum and plank raft, and assembling a crew of mates to help me claim it as my own before\u2014like the wreck at the river mouth\u2014it disappears again.<\/p>\n<p>However, any kid who tries a land claim these days would probably face the full force of the GORCAPA juggernaut. \u00a0True to form, I fear its bureaucrats would step in and demand an OH&amp;S safety report, an indigenous inspection for artefacts, an engineer\u2019s report, a fire [and flood] evacuation plan, and multiple other forms filled out in triplicate before he could occupy \u2018his land\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, it seems that \u2018kids having fun\u2019 is now all too easily overshadowed by rules and regulations designed to \u2018keep everyone safe\u2019, but that said, there could be a more practical problem with Reedy [or Sluggy] Island &#8230; it is now likely a cosy little haven for snakes!<\/p>\n<p><strong>John Agar<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Feature Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A word from the chairman<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Hello<\/p>\n<p>Lorne celebrated the March long weekend (quaintly still referred to as Labour Day but gradually morphing into International Women\u2019s Day!) in style. \u00a0Good weather brought many visitors to town; parking was at a premium and there were queues for coffee, drinks and food, but we did not complain as it was good to see our town busy again after a disrupted summer. \u00a0Our Foreshore Market was back again after being cancelled in January due to extreme fire danger. \u00a0The market is an important fundraiser for our local school, and it was great to see the many artists and artisans showcasing their creations and lots of locals and visitors exploring the offerings. \u00a0All our hospitality venues were booked out and there was live music at several venues, including the iconic Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows at the Lorne Theatre. \u00a0It is great to see the old girl jumping again! \u00a0It was great to also see the beach so busy with the water temperature sitting at a year-high of 19 degrees.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, it was not such a good weekend for our cricketers who lost to our Apollo Bay neighbours in the preliminary final with some of our players taking away bruises as souvenirs. \u00a0The Club has now completed four seasons since its resurrection (including two Grand Final appearances) and has developed into a team with a good mix of experienced players and some young talent, which holds them in good stead for the future. \u00a0Well done to President Rip and all the boys on another great season.<\/p>\n<p>In case you haven\u2019t noticed, football is back in the air and saturating the media. \u00a0On the local front, the Dolphins senior footballers have a practice match against Thomson (GDFNL) at Stribling Reserve on Friday, March 20 starting at 6.15pm (Bar and BBQ from 5.30pm). \u00a0The first full round of football and netball games will be on Good Friday, April 3. \u00a0Come along and check out this year\u2019s exciting talent.<\/p>\n<p>As we head into autumn, Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) will again be conducting planned burning in the Otways when conditions are suitable. \u00a0Lorne and surrounding areas are among the most vulnerable to bushfires in Victoria, and fuel management in public parks and forests is an essential part of the strategy to reduce the risk of bushfire to people, property and the environment. \u00a0You can find more information about planned burns at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ffm.vic.gov.au\">www.ffm.vic.gov.au<\/a> and more advice will be provided when burn dates have been determined.<\/p>\n<p>And a little prayer for you on St Patricks Day:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Cheers<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Lorne Ward Events Calendar<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><strong>March <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>9-22\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Artist in Residence (AIR) Joshua James, <\/strong>at Lorne Community Connect<\/p>\n<p>Workshops\u00a0focusing on explaining the process of design and symbols within his artwork. Saturday 14 + 21 Mar,\u00a0plus Sunday 15 + 22 Mar 10 am &#8211; 11 am.<\/p>\n<p><strong>22\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Deans Marsh Festival,<\/strong> Live music, local harvest, market stalls, dog jumping, kids events and much more. 10am \u2013 3pm at Deans Marsh Reserve.<\/p>\n<p><strong>27\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lorne Anzac Memorial Park Official Opening<\/strong> @2pm<\/p>\n<p><strong>April\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>2 \u2013 12\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Photographic Exhibition Opening, <\/strong>at Lorne Community Connect + prize giving 5.30 pm.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><strong>Lorne Dolphins F<\/strong><strong>ootball and Netball V Apollo Bay, <\/strong>at Stribling Reserve, juniors match from 8:45am, seniors at 2pm<\/p>\n<p><strong>4<\/strong><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><strong>Lorne Market,<\/strong> 9-3pm <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lornemarkets.com\/\">www.lornemarkets.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>3-12\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Photographic Exhibition<\/strong>, at Lorne Community Connect 10 am &#8211; 5 pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reedy Island: an echo from the past For joy! &#8230; the island is back \u2026 though don\u2019t blink or you will miss it. Just like the wreck of the Otway that so briefly appeared at the river mouth after the flood and then slipped silently back under the sands, the island may yet rejoin the [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/committee-for-lorne-reedy-island\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":182697,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-182690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Committee for Lorne: Reedy Island - Surf Coast Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Floodwaters have reshaped the Erskine River in Lorne, briefly revealing the long-forgotten Reedy Island and echoing the river\u2019s changing history.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/committee-for-lorne-reedy-island\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Committee for Lorne: Reedy Island - 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