Point Lonsdale – a brief history
Like much of the Geelong region the Point Lonsdale area was originally inhabited by the Wathawurung people who hunted and fished in the area. The first recorded European visit dates back to 1802 when Lieutenant Murray and his party spent some time in the area. Matthew Flinders and party was the next group through a little later that year.
Famous convict William Buckley lived in the Port Lonsdale area with the Wathawurung People for a while during his 32 years on the run. Buckley lived for quite a while in a cave beneath where the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse now stands.
Any substantial settlement wasn’t until the 1830’s but nothing much really happened until the first land sub-divided and sold in 1876. A team lead by Wedge and Gellibrand surveyed the land in 1835 and squatters were the really only inhabitants for the first few years. The first signal station was erected in 1854 and light house in 1863. Fishing and shell processing became employment opportunities for many. Today shelgrit is still harvested; it is used in the poultry industry and sometimes in glass manufacture.
The Geelong to Queenscliff railway opening in 1879 made Point Lonsdale more accessible, and guest house started to flourish with people travelling to Melbourne to stay at Point Lonsdale. Today the town boasts plenty of accommodation from caravan parks to luxury boutique hotels and quaint bed and breakfasts.
The waters around Point Lonsdale have taken several vessels including the schooners Sophia and Thetis which were wrecked on the submerged reef of the shore. In 1948 the Princess Royal suffered the same tragic fate. During the 1850’s quite a few ships were destroyed entering the dangerous heads including the Conside, Portland, Isabella and Sacramento. This tragic period cemented the need for the lighthouse which was commissioned by the Auditor General at a cost of 15000 pounds in 1853.
The township gained its name from a police officer called William Lonsdale; Lonsdale was the first Police Magistrate for Port Phillip. He emigrated from England where he had joined the army making his way to Captain of the King’s own regiment in 1834 before coming to Australia in 1834. An interesting piece of trivia is he married the eldest daughter of Benjamin Smythe whose daughters name was Martha, today you can see Mount Martha in the distance on the Mornington Peninsula which carries her name.
1946 saw the beginning of one of Point Lonsdale’s most loved traditions the mighty Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Club. This brave team has patrolled the beaches of Point Lonsdale for over 60 years and saved many lives in the rugged and untamed surf. Records show the club has saved over 1600 people but that number is likely to be higher. The number gives testament to how dangerous the sea can be and no one should ever consider bathing where it is not patrolled and even when patrolled it is still extremely dangerous. The club is one of the state’s most respected and has a pretty impressive trophy cabinet from its competition in surf carnivals.