Barwon Heads lies within the territory of the Waddawurrung Balug clan, of the Wathaurong people. Its traditional name is Koornoo. Barwon derives from the Wathaurong word Barrwang or Baarwon meaning magpie. The river and upstream lakes were frequented by Aboriginal hunters and fishermen, including William Buckley who lived with the Wathaurong for 32 years. When settlers arrived to Port Phillip in June 1835 a camp was established at Indented Head. Port Phillip Association surveyor John Helder Wedge explored the Bellarine Peninsula, including the Barwon and its lakes in August 1835. It is unknown when settlers first took up land at Barwon Heads, but by the 1870s a township was formed, with a Post Office opening in the area on 15 December 1889. Fishing was the mainstay of the town in its early years. In the 1920s and 1930s the town became a popular holiday resort and a number of the richer families of Melbourne built houses here. The summer period today still sees a large influx of holidaymakers to the town. In 1959 the closing scenes of the film On the Beach based on a Nevil Shute novel about the end of the world were filmed in the town. The Barwon Heads Golf Club Clubhouse, located on Golf Links Road and dating from 1923–24, is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The former Barwon Heads Bridge is also listed on the Register; however, it was demolished in 2009.
Barwon Heads Bridge
The Barwon Heads Bridge was opened in 1912, crossing the Barwon River between Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove. Prior to that, there had been a rowing boat service across the river. The bridge was a central element in the ABC television series SeaChange. In July 2006, the Victorian government shelved plans to replace the heritage-listed bridge with a new one. A proposal was put forward to align a new bridge with Geelong Road, permitting traffic to bypass the main shopping precinct and primary school, but with the consequence of removing three homes. An independent panel was appointed by the then Minister for Planning, Rob Hulls, to decide on a bridge location. Evidence was presented for and against the Geelong Road site and the existing site, with the conclusion that the Geelong Road alignment was unsuitable for environmental, social, economic reasons. On 16 March 2007, it was announced that the current bridge would be improved and there were no plans to build a second bridge upstream. In 2010, a new Barwon Heads road bridge was constructed on the alignment of the existing one, making use of its components and design elements. A parallel pedestrian bridge was also built.
During the late 1990s, Barwon Heads was the primary location of filming for the popular Australian television series, SeaChange. In the past decade Barwon Heads has become subject to what is colloquially known in some parts of Australia as the "seachange effect". Since the SeaChange television series first aired in 1998 there has been a significant increase in tourism and real estate sales and development in the area. This has resulted in a very substantial increase in property and land values, making the town an ideal location for property developers. Since then, the area has experienced a boom in tourist numbers during the summer months. Nearby Thirteenth Beach is a popular surfing location, the beach is named for its proximity to the 13th hole of the golf course. The town was subject to flooding, including a flood that lasted some weeks in 1952, until the construction of levee banks in the 1950s. The artistJan Mitchell erected her first bollard sculptures in Barwon Heads. Visitors to the area will encounter the colourful soldier and parrot bollards which designate a route for the local children from the primary school, through the streets to the bike path, park and playground. She then went on to produce more than 100 bollards at the Waterfront Geelong.
Sport
The town has an Australian rules football team competing in the Bellarine Football League. It has made finals in a number recent seasons, losing the grand final in an upset to Modewarre in 2018 but avenged that loss in 2019 winning it's first premiership since 1993 by beating Torquay in the grand final. Barwon Heads has a cricket club which won five premierships in eight seasons. They defeated Queenscliff in the A grade final on Sunday March 15, 2014 by 102 runs at Jan Juc. They are currently competing in the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association. Barwon Heads also boasts a tennis, bowls, surf life saving, cycling, surfing, soccer and pony club. Golfers play at the Barwon Heads Golf Club on Golf Links Road, or at the course of the Thirteenth Beach Golf Links on Barwon Heads Road. Barwon Heads has great recreational fishing from its river to the heads, it caters for all types of anglers.
