It is hard to imagine the trip from Melbourne to Geelong taking several days, but that was the case before the construction of a highway which has now been awarded for its contribution to Australian life.

The famous Great Ocean Road running along Victoria’s southern coastline has been recognised for its importance to society and the nation’s engineering heritage.

In a ceremony this week Owen Peake, chair of Engineering Heritage Victoria said: “The Great Ocean Road has retained much of its structural integrity demonstrating excellence in engineering; this is especially notable given most of its construction was conducted by manual labour without the assistance of modern machinery.”

“This famous coastal road is not only a significant engineering structure, but an Australian icon which commemorates the labour of more than 3,000 returned WWI servicemen. Today, the Great Ocean Road continues to act as a major draw-card for national and international tourists; having positive effects on the local Victorian economy,” Mr Peake added.

The road was built by the hard labour of 3,000 returned First World War servicemen between 1919 and 1932. It was constructed using only picks, shovels and hands by the men in honour of their fallen comrades.

A short ceremony honoured the road this week, attended by Engineers Australia’s national president, Dr Marlene Kanga, VicRoads chief executive Gary Liddle and Citywide managing director, Kerry Osborne.