APOLLO BAY Apollo Bay is the next town encountered traveling west towards on the Great Ocean Road towards Warrnambool. Again, this is another nice Victorian town that already heritage is important and an enjoyable visit is ensured. Apollo Bay is enjoying tourism growth, though it is smaller and quieter than other tourist destinations such as Lorne and Torquay. Apollo Bay is host to the annual Apollo Bay Music Festival and the Great Ocean Sports Festival. In the 1840s the Henty Brothers established whaling and fishing port station at Point Bunbury on the western end of the bay. The bay was named by a Captain Loutit in 1845 when he sheltered his vessel, the Apollo, here from a storm. The first settlers were timber cutters in the 1850s who subsequently established sawmill. Farmers later moved into the area and a small settlement on Apollo Bay named Middleton developed. The township of Krambruk (later to be renamed Apollo Bay) was established in 1877. On July 10, 1932 the coastal steamer Casino sank while attempting to berth at the town jetty. Ten lives were lost. Earlier shipwrecks have occurred along the Cape Otway coastline. The two hotels in Apollo Bay are century plus tourist pubs. The War Memorial is located at the western fringe of the main strip. The Cable Museum is on the Eastern approach to Apollo Bay. Make the effort to view the museum. The Shell Museum is semi commercial. The Churches in Apollo Bay are a mix of the old and not so old. The Anglican is always open. Apollo Bay is a vibrant coastal town that deserves at a minimum a stopover. Heritage diary