Summary

Black and white image of a holiday makers on a beach at Barwon Heads, circa 1930.

People, mainly children, are paddling in the water and playing with boats that are pulled up on the beach. In the background of the image are some houses and boathouses.

The first Barwon Heads boathouses were constructed in the 1880s and were used as dressing sheds.The boathouses were built on land that was located directly on the beach. This land was leased to holidaymakers from 1905, when the Geelong Harbor Trust was established. Originally conceived as recreational buildings, the boathouses were subsequently used as dwellings by holidaymakers. However, the boathouses had no sanitation or plumbing and by the 1920s locals were complaining about their beach becoming a health risk and being used exclusively by non-rate payers instead of being available to locals. By the 1930s there were 61 boathouses on the beach, accommodating several hundred people, and a controversial battle ensued to remove them. By 30 June 1936 all of the boathouses had been removed, most to nearby Ocean Grove, some to other beach resort towns such as Queenscliff and Torquay, and a few to other sites in Barwon Heads.

Description of Content

A beach scene with rowboats and children paddling. There is an unoccupied wheelchair on the left. There are houses and boathouses in the background.

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