Anglesea Futures
Fact Sheet 7: Public land at Anglesea
History of public land
The exact areas of occupied and unoccupied
Crown land around Anglesea have varied from
year to year, with reserves created, superseded or
incorporated into newly created and sometimes
larger reserves.
The purchase or surrender of private land into the park network
has also shaped the public land estate in the Anglesea Region with
almost 500ha of private land added to the public land estate over
time.
More recently, the purchase of land has largely been led by the
Anglesea, Aireys Inlet Society for the Protection of Flora and Fauna
(ANGAIR), their members and other conservation groups such as
Trust for Nature, Australian Conservation Foundation, Bird
Observers Clubs of Australia, Field Naturalist Club of Victorian,
Geelong Field Naturalist Club and Geelong Environment Network.
Public land use around Anglesea has historically been focused on
recreational use such as nature observation, vehicle touring,
firewood gathering, bushwalking, mountain biking and trail bike
riding. A number of old quarries exist in the heath where gravel
has been stripped from areas to build roads, and utilities relating to
water and power supply have been installed. Plantations were
established but their success was continually hindered by dry
seasons and bushfire.
Some of the key developments of public land include:

The Wathaurung people looked after the Anglesea area for
over 70,000 years and continue to do so today.

1800s – squatters first start to occupy public land that is
considered ‘wasteland’.

1880 – 92ha along the coastline at Anglesea is permanently
reserved from sale, and then permanently reserved for the
protection of coastline in 1981. The coastal land is managed
by the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee Inc., and before
that the Anglesea Foreshore Committee (both voluntary).

1920-80s –the Forest Commission established plantations over
approximately 1500ha of public land.

1961 – 7350ha of public land is leased to Alcoa under the
provisions of the Mines (Aluminium Agreement) Act 1961.

1970 - The Forest Commission established the 2915ha
Angahook Forest Park.
Last Reviewed: 25 September 2015

1977 –3750ha is reserved as the Angahook State Park for
conservation and recreational uses. 1800ha is managed by
the Forest Commission.

1984 – ANGAIR with the Shire of Barrabool purchase Iron Bark
Basin at Point Addis (163ha).

1987 – Creation of the Angahook-Lorne State Park (18,000ha),
Anglesea River Headwaters reserved (52ha), Mt Ingoldsby
Flora Reserve (50ha), Angahook Flora Reserve (1800ha) and
Eumeralla Education Area (291ha).

1992 – Creation of the Eumeralla Flora Reserve (286ha) and
Forest Road Flora Reserve (569ha). ANGAIR, other
conservation groups and individuals help purchase 18ha
Mansfields Land.

1994 – Second parcel of Mansfields land is purchased (69ha)
and is known as the Mary D White Heathland Reserve. 216ha
of O’Donohue Land is purchased through the Trust For Nature
after years of negotiation with conservation groups.

1995 – An area of 124ha near Eastern View is added to the
Angahook-Lorne State Park.

1996 – Areas of the Alcoa lease that have public utilities are
removed from the lease (including the Aireys Inlet Sewage
Treatment area, Anglesea tip site and telecommunications
facilities) and Surf Coast Shire appointed land manager over
Coogoorah Park.

1997 – 54ha of Shultz Land donated to the Government.

2002 – The Point Addis Marine National Park is created
(4600ha).

2003 – 14.2ha of Shultz land purchased by the Government
following lobbying by ANGAIR.

2006 – Incorporation of large areas of public land around
Anglesea into the Great Otway National Park (103,190ha), the
Otway Forest Park (39,520ha), Anglesea Bushland Reserve
(11ha), Aireys Inlet Bushland Reserve (3ha) and Gherang
Gherang Bushland Reserve (109ha). Ironbark Basin is also
surrendered to the Government and included in the National
Park.
What’s next?
The Victorian Government has committed to incorporating the
Anglesea Heath into the Great Otway National Park.
As demonstrated by the history of public land management around
Anglesea, the process for changes to public land status is complex
and requires changes to legislation, survey work and mapping.