THE STORIES BEHIND TORQUAY STREET NAMES, LANDMARKS AND OLD HOUSES.

Torquay compass

In 1866 the Geelong Advertiser published an advertisement for the sale of Crown Lands by auction at the rooms of J. G. Carr. There were 40 town lots at Puebla, and some suburban lots at Puebla. At the time the area was also known as Spring Creek, today we know it as Torquay.

The town lots were in the area bound by The Esplanade, Anderson, Munday and Bell streets. The suburban lots were to the north (up to Darian Road) and west of Taylor Park to the Surf Coast Highway.

It was not until after the second advertising of land for sale in 1886 that more people took the opportunity to purchase land. While it is uncertain when roads were named, by mid 1920s street names began to appear in the South Barwon Rate Book and on early maps.

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STREETS

The initial subdivision of the area in 1866,  subdivided Spring Creek to create the township of Puebla. This area stretched, north-south, from Anderson Street to Bell Street; east-west, from The Esplanade to Torquay Road.

FE Gilbert Map

Streets of the Township of Puebla (later named Torquay) were named after prominent community members, often these were members of the Torquay Improvement Association, who helped develop Torquay for recreation and farming.

Later other Estates were established, one being the Wombah Park Estate where the streets are named after shipwrecks along the southern coast.

GILBERT STREET story click here  

HOUSES

Shortly after the first land sales in 1866 houses and bathing boxes started to spring up. The first house to be built has been attributed to Harry Rudd located on the street we know today as Rudd Avenue. Some of the historic houses built around the 1900’s are still standing, others have made way for more modern houses or other development.

LANDMARKS

Torquay is dotted with interesting landmarks which signify an event that occurred in the life of Torquay.

STREETSCAPES

There has been significant development of Torquay over the decades since WW2. Many new houses, apartments and shops have appeared along the Torquay streets.