Bells Beach, Victoria

Bells Beach
Victoria
An overview of Bells Beach
Bells Beach
Coordinates 38°22′S 144°17′E / 38.367°S 144.283°E / -38.367; 144.283Coordinates: 38°22′S 144°17′E / 38.367°S 144.283°E / -38.367; 144.283
Population 130 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 3228
Location
LGA(s) Surf Coast Shire
State electorate(s)
Federal Division(s) Corangamite
Localities around Bells Beach:
Bellbrae Bellbrae Jan Juc
Anglesea Bells Beach Bass Strait
Bass Strait Bass Strait Bass Strait
Surfers at the beach

Bells Beach is a coastal locality of Victoria, Australia in Surf Coast Shire and a renowned surf beach, located 100 km south-west of Melbourne, on the Great Ocean Road near the towns of Torquay and Jan Juc.

It is named after John Cavert Bell of the family that first took up a pastoral run there in the 1840s. The beach and coastal reserve are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.[2]

In the 2016 Census, there were 130 people in Bells Beach. 88.7% of people were born in Australia and 94.5% of people only spoke English at home.[1]

Surfing

Bells Beach is the home of the world's longest continuously running surfing competition – now known as the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. The event was formerly known as the Bells Easter Classic (among a variety of other titles). The competition was first held in January 1962 and then at Easter every year since although occasionally, when conditions at Bells aren't suitable, the competition has been transferred to other breaks such as Johanna and Woolamai.

As early as 1939, surfers from Torquay made their way to Bells but access was a considerable problem until 1960, when Torquay surfers and Olympic wrestler Joe Sweeney hired a bulldozer and cleared a road along the Bells cliff [3] from the Cobb & Co Road, where the concrete wave now stands, down to the beach. He charged one pound per surfer to recover his expenses. This is now part of the Surf Coast walking track.

Nearby surf breaks include "Southside", "Centreside", "Rincon", "Winki Pop", (Uppers and Lowers), "Boobs" and "Steps". Although Bells is known internationally as one of the best breaks in Victoria, "Winki Pop" often works better under more diverse conditions than the other nearby breaks.

The first "Surfboard Rally" at Bells Beach was organized by surfing pioneers Peter Troy and Vic Tantau to help promote sales of T Boards their own brand. Planned to run in December 1961 the event was postponed until January 26 1962. From the following year the Australian Surf rider's Association - ASA (Victorian Branch) - Now called Surfing Victoria hosted and staged the annual surfing competition at Bells Beach held at Easter each year. The ASA also ran the conservation contest at Bells Beach which included tree planting in an effort to help preserve natural values every year since the mid-1970s.

Surfing competitions

Surfers Appreciating the Natural Environment (SANE)

In 1988 a group of local surfers who were concerned about the human impact that tourism was having on the Bells Beach Surfing Reserve started a group called Surfers Appreciating the Natural Environment. Since 1988 they have met monthly to revegetate the reserve in an effort to bring it back to its original state. They have planted over 100,000 plants there to date.

Although the final scene of the film Point Break is set at Bells Beach, the scene was not filmed there. Bells Beach is a straight stretch and the beach in the film is a cove with spruce trees atop a hill. The actual location of the film was a beach called Indian Beach, in Ecola State Park, located in Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA.

Bells Beach is visited in the 1966 documentary film The Endless Summer.

In the 2007 animation film Surf's Up, the Australian surfer is shown to be from Bells Beach.

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Bells Beach (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 17 November 2017. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ↑ "Bells Beach Surfing Recreation Reserve (H2261)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  3. ↑ Heritage Council of Victoria Annual Report 2003-04

Bells Beach Facebook community - www.facebook.com/bellsbeachtorquay

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