Lara, Victoria
Lara is a semi-rural township in the state of
Victoria in
Australia. It lies north of
Geelong.
As of 2005, Lara's population is approximately 9,000
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Landsat 7 imagery of the greater Geelong area. Lara is visible in the north. |
The explorers
Hume and Hovell arrived at Lara on
December 16,
1824, believing that they had reached
Westernport Bay. They recorded that the
Aborigines described the bay as
Jullong and land as
Corago, suggesting origins for the names of
Geelong and
Corio.
The area was originally named Kennedy's Creek but was also given several different names including Duck Ponds, Hovel's Creek, Cheddar, Swindon and Lara Lake. The area of Lara was no more than a few farms until the railway line and station was established, several subdivisions were then announced. The population grew to a few hundred by 1890 and several facilities like schools and churches were built but town water did not extend to the town until 1947.
In January,
1969, 17 people were killed in
bushfires which ravaged Lara over the summer period. Several scenes from the 1979 feature film
Mad Max where shot on location around Lara.
Lara offers education through its' three primary schools;
St. Anthony's Primary School,
Lara Lake Primary School and
Lara Primary School. The town also has
Lara Secondary College to accommodate for years 7 -
VCE.
Lara is a residential and rural town, 15km north-east of Geelong, inland from the Princes Freeway to Melbourne.Hovells Creek runs through Lara and ends at
Limeburners Bay, a smaller inlet bay of
Corio Bay. Granite peaks, known as the
You Yangs rise dramatically to a height of 352m and can be seen from most areas of Geelong.
Lara is also home to several prisons, the maximum security
HM Prison Barwon, opened in January, 1990, the medium security
Marngoneet Correctional Centre, opened
March 3, 2006, and the former
Pirra Girls' Home, a female juvenile detention centre closed during the 1960's.
The township of Lara is also home to St. Laurence Park, which is set on 42 acres of parkland and houses 86 fully self-contained cottages and 22 flats for the elderly [
1].
Ford Motor Company of Australia operates a proving grounds for Automotive testing and evaluation.
Lara has regular
VLine passenger train services to
Melbourne and Geelong to cater for the many residents who commute to work each day via the
Lara railway station. Lara has become a popular place to live for those wishing to work in the city, yet also enjoy a lifestyle in rural surrounds.
Buses operate between Lara and the Geelong city centre [
2]. Taxis are also available.
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Avalon Airport*
Avalon Raceway*
City of Greater Geelong, Lara
