Apollo Bay, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Apollo Bay
state = vic


caption = Apollo Bay viewed from the hills
lga = Colac Otway Shire
postcode = 3233
est =
pop = 1777 (2006)Census 2006 AUS | id = SSC25025 | name = Apollo Bay (State Suburb) | accessdate = 2007-10-01 | quick = on]
elevation= 15.0
maxtemp = 17.5
mintemp = 10.6
rainfall = 1053.3
stategov = Polwarth
fedgov = Corangamite
dist1 = 191
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 118
location2= Geelong
dist3 = 69
location3= Colac
dist4 = 43
location4= Lorne
dist5 = 165
location5= Warrnambool

Apollo Bay is a coastal town in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It is situated on the eastern side of Cape Otway, along the edge of the Barham River and on the Great Ocean Road, in the Colac Otway Shire. The town has a population of 1777.

It now makes an income from tourism, though it is smaller and quieter than other tourist destinations such as Lorne. It is also host to the annual Apollo Bay Music Festival and the Great Ocean Sports Festival.

History

In the 1840s the Henty brothers established a whaling station at Point Bunbury on the western end of the bay.

The bay was named by a Captain Loutit in 1845 when he sheltered his vessel ,the "Apollo", here from a storm.

The first settlers were timber cutters in the 1850s who subsequently established sawmillsCitation

last = Sydney Morning Herald | title = 2005-02-17 Travel- Apollo Bay | url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/victoria/apollo-bay/2005/02/17/1108500206175.html= | accessdate = 2008-08-14 ] .Farmers later moved into the area and a small settlement on Apollo Bay named Middleton developed. A Post Office of that name (with a fortnightly mail delivery) opened on May 1, 1873 (relocated to the township of Krambruk in 1881 and renamed Apollo Bay in 1898). Citation

last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | accessdate = 2008-04-11 ] During this period almost all access to the area was by sea.

The township of Krambruk (later to be renamed Apollo Bay) was established in 1877, and a school was open by 1880.

With the upgrade of the road to the town in 1927 and the completion of the Great Ocean Road in 1932, the town became a tourist destination and an important fishing port.

In 1936 a submarine telegraph and telephone cable from Apollo Bay to Stanley provided the first connection to Tasmania from the mainland. The Apollo Bay Telegraph station closed in 1963 and is now a museum.

On July 10, 1932 the coastal steamer "Casino" sank while attempting to berth at the town jetty. Ten lives were lost. Earlier shipwrecks have occurred along the Cape Otway coastline.

Events and Festivals in Apollo Bay

Events and festivals held in Apollo Bay include

* The Apollo Bay Music Festival was first held in 1993 and the 16th annual Festival was held on 25-27 April 2008.( [http://www.apollobaymusicfestival.com/ website] ) A poster for the festival of 1999 by Jeff Ragus was featured on a postage stamp issued by Australia Post in 2006.

* Great Ocean Sports Festival ( [http://www.gosportsfestival.com.au/ website] ) - 10-11th February 2007.

* Apollo Bay and Otway District Show ( [http://www.apollobay.org.au/ website] ) - The 2007 Apollo Bay and Otway Show was held on Saturday 20 January on the Apollo Bay Recreation Reserve, on the Great Ocean Road, beside the Barham River and the beach.

* Saturday Foreshore Market - Every Saturday (weather permitting - see [http://www.apollobay.com/weather Local Weather] ), market stalls are set up between the Information Centre & the Surf Lifesaving Club.

porting Clubs in Apollo Bay

Apollo Bay Surf Lifesaving Club

The Apollo Bay Surf Lifesaving Club was established in 1952 as a result of a meeting held on the foreshore by interested townspeople and Surf Lifesaving Victoria officials. The Apollo Bay SLSC became the ninth club to be affiliated with Surf Lifesaving Victoria. It is now affiliated with the new amalgamation between two Victorian lifesaving organisations: Life Saving Victoria. ( [http://www.lifesavingvictoria.com.au ] )

Apollo Bay Sailing Club

The Apollo Bay Sailing Club aims to provide a wide range of opportunities in sailing to a diverse range of abilities and age groups.

Other clubs

Other clubs in Apollo Bay include Apollo Bay Golf Club - ( [http://www.golfvic.org.au/dir127/vgaclubs.nsf/5a5b596803b920fbca257069000edb9c/418b087c05c21624ca2566da00434df0?OpenDocument website] ) and Apollo Bay Pony Club - ( [http://www.apollobay.org.au/abpc/index.htm website] ).

The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Colac & District Football League.Citation | last = Full Points Footy | title = Apollo Bay | url = http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Apollo_Bay.htm | accessdate = 2008-07-25 ]

People born or raised in Apollo Bay

*Neil Melville - He is an actor born in Sydney, but spent his childhood in Apollo Bay.
*Sarah-Jane Wentzki - She is the founding member of "I Want A Hovercraft" who now lives in Melbourne.
*Sid O'Neil, Ted O'Neil, Michael Fitzgerald - They are members of the rock band The Vasco Era.

Pop Culture Allusions

*"Eli's Coming" (1969) by Laura Nyro includes the line "I walked to Apollo by the bay."

References

The song was performed by Three Dog Night, the song ws written by Laura Nyro.

External links

* [http://www.apollobay.com/ Apollo Bay Accommodation and Community Pages]
* [http://www.apollobay.com/weather/ Apollo Bay Local Weather Information]
* [http://www.colacotwayweb.com.au/OceanRoad/ Colac Otway Web: Directory of Great Ocean Road]
* [http://www.greatoceanroad.org/ Official Great Ocean Road Info]
* [http://www.greatoceanroadholidayguide.com/ Accommodation Guide for the Great Ocean Road Region]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=-38.75623,143.669413&ie=UTF8&ll=-38.75623,143.669413&spn=0.024769,0.045834&z=14&layer=c&cbll=-38.75623,143.669413&panoid=8pbhJss_NLrKDLeWoYnfIw&cbp=1,309.284304959162,,0,4.746421524795809/ Google Street View- Apollo Bay from the Great Ocean Road]