Even its actual location was a point of contention with early gazetteers placing it 1½ miles from Portarlington and later at 3 miles away! Today, Bellarine is considered to be the area around the junction of Church and Portarlington Roads, although previously it was considered to cover a much greater area. In 1865 the population was stated as 350 but by 1891 it was recorded as only 56.
The first Bellarine school was established in the early 1850s - here there is also confusion as references to a Bellarine school may have been to Drysdale, rather than "East" Bellarine.The Bellarine Church was built of Portarlington bricks and opened in 1873. The town also boasted a Church of England school, and the East Bellarine post office, established in 1859 was next to the school. The Wesleyans also had a church and school at Bellarine - in fact Church Road is appropriately named with three churches surviving on this road.
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The Farmers' Arms Hotel existed briefly opposite the Church of England and at the other end of Church Road was the Mechanics' Institute, next to the Presbyterian School.1
References :
- Ian Wynd, Balla-wein : A history of the Shire of Bellarine, Shire of Bellarine, Drysdale, 1988, pp. 113-114.
Record Sources for Bellarine
- Photographs : Bellarine Historical Society; Geelong Historical Records Centre; various private collections.
- Maps & Plans : Bellarine Historical Society; Geelong Historical Records Centre.
- Newspapers : Geelong Advertiser Indexes - Bellarine Historical Society & Geelong Historical Records Centre; Geelong Advertiser on microfilm - Geelong Historical Records Centre; various local newspapers - Bellarine Historical Society.
- Miscellaneous Documents & Advertisements : Bellarine Historical Society; Geelong Historical Records Centre; various private collections.
- Bellarine Shire Council Records : Geelong Historical Records Centre.
- More recent Council Records : City of Greater Geelong.
- Cemetery Records : (Drysdale Cemetery) Bellarine Historical Society; Geelong Historical Records Centre.
- Land Records : Registrar of Titles, Melbourne; Bellarine Historical Society; Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Bibliography
Brownhill, Geo. H. Illustrated Guide to Geelong And District, Facsimile edn., Deakin University Press, Geelong, 1990.
Campbell, A. J. Tourist Guide to Geelong and Southern Watering Places, Henry Thacker, Geelong, 1893.
Richardson, John. The Lady Squatters : Miss Anne Drysdale and Miss Caroline Elizabeth Newcomb : 'Boronggoop' and 'Coriyule', Bellarine Rural City Council, Drysdale, 1986.
Wynd, Ian. Balla-wein : A history of the Shire of Bellarine, Shire of Bellarine, Drysdale, 1988.
Wynd, Ian. Geelong The Pivot : A Short History of Geelong and District, Cypress Books, Mont Albert North, 1971.
