Teddy's Lookout

Teddy's Lookout is a coastal viewpoint above Lorne. From the main platform, the Great Ocean Road curls around a wooded headland below; the St George River mouth, Southern Ocean and green Otway hills fill out the view. It works as a brief stop for the road-and-water panorama. Walk to the lower viewpoint too for another angle over the estuary.

From the upper platform, keep the coastal road’s bend in the frame with the river mouth and sea; it gives the view its shape and scale. The lower viewpoint looks across the estuary from another angle, so it is worth taking the short path down rather than stopping at the first railing.

The lookout was known by this name by 1878, but its origin is unsettled. One popular explanation connects it with timber hauler Ted Babington; local historical research notes that the name appears earlier than his sawmill, so that version cannot explain the earliest record. The lookout sits within Queens Park, which Lorne residents moved to reserve in 1881 and which became a permanent public park in 1895.

During World War II, the high point was used to watch for enemy vessels. A local account names Percival Claude Matthews and his nephew as watchers who signalled toward Aireys Inlet with dry gum leaves at night and green leaves by day.

Look for the cast-iron compass dial set on a large boulder from Erskine River Quarry. Dedicated in 1989, it points toward 21 towns and landmarks.