Torquay

Home to the world famous Bell's Beach, Torquay is a focal point for all things related to surfing. The town offers a relaxed, coastal lifestyle a short distance from all the facilities available in Geelong.

Torquay is in the Surf Coast Shire area.

Location information

Climate

In summer (January), Torquay's average minimum temperature is 14.6 degrees, and the average maximum is 23.0. In winter (July) average temperatures range from a minimum of 7.3 to a maximum of 13.3. The town's average annual rainfall is 612.4mm.

Population

9851 (Source: ABS Census 2006).

Cultural diversity

Around 18 percent of people living in Torquay were born outside Australia.

Migrants have settled in Torquay from:

  • England (0.4%)
  • New Zealand (1.0%)
  • Scotland (0.9%)
  • South Africa (0.5%)
  • USA (0.5%)

Around eight percent of people living in Torquay speak a language other than English at home.

Languages spoken in Torquay include:

  • Italian (0.7%)
  • German (0.3%)
  • Greek (0.2%)
  • Spanish (0.2%)
  • Dutch (0.2%)

Finding a job

Key industries and employers

The top five industries by employment in Torquay are:

Industry School education Hospitals Textile, clothing & footwear wholesaling Residential building construction Cafes, restaurants & takeaway food stores
% 6.9 4.5 4.3 4.0 3.9

Local skill shortages

There is no specific information available on skills shortages in Torquay. Information on skills shortages in the Barwon South West region is available on the South West Victoria map page.

Job search links

To see jobs currently available in Torquay, visit:

Lifestyle information

Housing and accommodation

In the year to April 2008, the median price of houses sold in Torquay was $448,750.

In December 2007, the median rent for a two-bedroom flat in Torquay was $220 per week, and the median rent for a three-bedroom house was $300 per week.

For information about local hotels, motels and caravan parks, visit the Great Ocean Road accommodation directory.

To find a local real estate agent, visit the REIV agent directory, type 'Torquay' into the search box, select 'suburb' and then press 'search'.

Healthcare

Barwon Health and St John of God Hospital are the main health services located near Torquay. For information about healthcare providers in the Torquay area, please visit the Victorian Better Health Channel's health services directory.

More information on Victoria's healthcare system can be found in the Health & Medical section.

Schools

For information on schools in Torquay, visit the Schools Online website and search for ‘Torquay’. More information on Victoria's education system can be found in the Education & Childcare section.

Travel

Distance and travel time

Torquay is 94km south west of Melbourne. You can travel from Torquay to Melbourne by:

  • car (1 hour 15 minutes)
  • train & coach (1 hour 30 minutes)

Nearby towns are:

Public transport

Buses operate around Torquay, and between the town and surrounding areas. For specific routes and timetables, please visit the regional bus information on VicLink and select from the drop down list.

Places of worship

For information about where you can practice your faith, please visit your religion's Australian website. To find it, visit Google, type in the name of your religion, and select 'pages from Australia'.

Sport and recreation

For more information about sport and recreation in Torquay, please visit the Surf Coast Shire website.

Torquay attractions

  • Immerse yourself in Victoria's surfing culture
  • Visit the home base of some of the world's biggest surf brands and Australia's biggest surfing museum
  • Explore potteries, galleries and craft shops
  • Take a scenic stroll along the Surf Coast walk
  • Rip Curl Pro Surf and Music Festival (Easter)
  • Surf Coast Living Green Festival (October)

Also See

Last updated: 22 January 2009

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State Government of Victoria