|
| Flower
gardens in roundabouts and Geelong's
City Hall in the background, Geelong
|
Geelong
Large industrial city which is much more
attractive and interesting than first
impressions.
Geelong, situated on Corio Bay (an arm of Port
Phillip Bay), is the state's most sizeable
provincial city. In 1993 urban sprawl forced the
de facto recognition that Geelong, Geelong West,
Newtown, South Barwon, Bellarine and the shire
of Corio were effectively a continuous whole and
they were amalgamated to form the City of
Greater Geelong which, in 1996, had a population
of 175 409.
Regardless of Geelong's industrial reputation
the CBD is quite elegant and beautiful owing to
the Victorian public architecture, the floral
gardens and parklands, the festive seaside
qualities created by Corio Bay's presence, the
beauty of Eastern Park and the Botanical Gardens
on the headland overlooking the bay, and the
thoughtful presentation of the promenade at
Eastern Beach. The CBD is 73 km south-west of
Melbourne's city centre.
Geelong has always been a major port and has
always had a symbiotic relationship with the
fertile agricultural and pastoral districts to
the west and north-west of the city - a
relationship which is manifest in the form of
huge bay-side grain silos. The city's heavy
industry is mostly situated on the flat land
beside the bay to the north of the CBD. Geelong
also has a reputation as an educational and
commercial centre.
For about 25 000 years prior to European
settlement the area was occupied by the
Wathawurung people. The first Europeans to visit
Port Phillip Bay were the party of Lieutenant
John Murray in 1802. Later that same year,
Matthew Flinders explored the bay more closely.
He rowed across Corio Bay and climbed the You
Yangs. Governor King sent a surveyor who mapped
Port Phillip though it is unlikely he set foot
on what is now Geelong.
A short-lived attempt to establish a colony
on the Mornington Peninsula ensued in 1803-04.
Lieutenant Tuckey ventured out from this
settlement and was probably the first European
to investigate the future townsite. One of the
convicts from the settlement, named William
Buckley, escaped and was adopted by a local
Aboriginal tribe with whom he lived for 32
years.
In 1824 Hamilton Hume and William Hovell
travelled overland to the western shore of the
bay which the Wathawurung called 'Jillong' (they
called the land 'Corayo').
In 1835 John Batman inspected the area. He
was acting on behalf of the Port Phillip
Association who were looking for new pasturage
as Van Dieman's Land (i.e., Tasmania) was
quickly being swallowed up. In the process he
encountered the long lost Buckley who became an
interpreter and guide for the Association. An
account of his 'life and adventures' was
published in 1852.
Batman signed the Geelong Deed with eight
Aboriginal leaders. This 'agreement' ceded 500
000 acres of land around Melbourne and 100 000
acres around the future Geelong (including the
entire Bellarine peninsula) to the Association,
in exchange for a down payment and a yearly
tribute of blankets, knives, tomahawks, looking
glasses, scissors, clothing and flour. Governor
Bourke declared the 'agreement' illegal but
proved helpless to stop a flood of large sheep
stations which were taken up in 1836 by the
likes of Dr Alexander Thomson, John Cowie and
David Stead. A wool store was opened that same
year on the townsite.
In 1837 Governor Bourke visited the new
settlement which he had surveyed. It became the
site of only the second police station of the
Port Phillip district when Foster Fyans was
appointed as police magistrate and protector of
Aborigines. Geelong's first house of any
substance was built that same year.
Cowie and Stead erected a lookout on what is
now Bell Post Hill in order that incoming ships
be quickly spotted; the reason being that goods
from Van Dieman's Land had to be left at Point
Henry as a sandbar prevented the entry of large
vessels into the bay. A bell was also set up on
the hill to alert settlers in case of Aboriginal
attack and it is probable that this same bell is
the one now in use at Morongo Girls' College on
the same site.
In 1838 Geelong was proclaimed a town. Two
stores, the Woolpack Inn and a customs station
were opened. The latter is now Victoria's oldest
building still standing. Land sales commenced in
1839. The Geelong Advertiser, established as a
weekly in 1840, was the first newspaper outside
of Melbourne in the Port Phillip district. It is
now the state's oldest morning paper.
By the end of 1841, when the population was
454, a post office, two watch-houses and a clerk
of works' office had been established. A
Presbyterian church was built from 1841-42 with
the other denominations following suit in the
1840s. Christ Church (Anglican), designed by
Edmund Blacket and built from 1843 to 1847, is
the state's oldest church in continuous use. All
denominations set up schools at Geelong in the
1840s. A mechanics' institute was built in 1847
and a savings bank opened in 1848. For
entertainment, regular horse races were held
from 1843, sea baths were established in 1844,
regattas were held from 1844 and a theatre was
built in 1847.
From the outset of settlement at Port
Phillip, there had been an intense sense of
rivalry between Melburnians and residents of
Geelong; each regarding their town as the new
district's rightful capital. Although Melbourne
was chosen as an administrative centre Geelong
initially laid claim to being the commercial
centre: and not without reason: by 1848
Geelong's exports exceeded those of Melbourne.
This was despite the sandbar, which prevented
entry to the inner bay, and despite the absence
of local customs facilities, which meant that
all ships had to take a detour to Williamstown.
In the 1840s 90% of local exports consisted of
wool, with tallow, live sheep, sheepskins and
salted mutton making up most of the balance.
|
| Geelong's
City Hall |
The 1840s and early 1850s saw the creation of
Geelong's first industries - flour mills, lime
kilns (possibly the first in Victoria),
soapworks, tanneries and a ropeworks. After
Governor LaTrobe married a Swiss wife he
encouraged some Swiss to settle in the area in
1842. They established a vineyard which produced
its first wines in 1845. The wine industry
expanded in the 1850s, particularly with the
arrival of some German vignerons, and, by 1877,
there were over 100 vineyards in the area.
International awards were won but an aphid
infestation led to the destruction of all vines
in the area in the 1880s.
By 1846 the population had increased to 2065
and, in the late 1840s, Geelong expanded even
more rapidly. It was proclaimed a borough in
1849 and Alexander Thomson was elected the first
mayor the following year.
During the 1850s the town prospered from the
many immigrant diggers who used it as a point of
departure and supply centre en route to the
newly-discovered goldfields of the Central
Highlands. Fortunately for Geelong it was closer
to Ballarat than Melbourne and the route was
less arduous, although scheming Melburnians
printed misleading maps showing the reverse.
Rapid commercial and industrial development
ensued and from 1851 to 1854 the population
increased from 8291 to 20 106. By 1857 it was 23
314. Most newcomers were immigrants encouraged
by assisted migration owing to great labour
demands and high wages. There were 96 hotels by
1858. Many fine domestic, civic and commercial
buildings were erected in this period of
prosperity (the construction of a benevolent
asylum for the destitute in 1850-52 reflects the
downside of demographic expansion). In 1857 the
railway to Williamstown was opened. It was
extended to Melbourne in 1859 and the line to
Ballarat was completed in 1862.
This period also saw the establishment of two
of Victoria's six most famous and exclusive
'public' schools - Geelong Church of England
Grammar (1855) and Geelong College (1861).
Manning Clark taught at the former which has
been attended by luminaries such as Peter Carey
(who writes of Geelong in Illywhacker). The
latter was founded by the father of 'Chinese'
Morrison - Peking correspondent for the London
Times from 1897 to 1912 and adviser to the
Chinese government.
In the 1850s the American merchant George
Train wrote: 'I am much pleased with Geelong.
The scenery for miles about is most beautiful.
Its proximity to the new diggings at Ballarat
lately has given the place a most business-like
appearance. The population is rapidly
increasing'.
However, the furore of the gold days was
subsiding by the end of the 1850s and the
population, along with the town's centrality,
began to decline while Melbourne soared ahead.
Geelong, for the moment, was outstripped by
Ballarat and Bendigo and was derisively referred
to by Melburnians as 'Sleepy Hollow'.
Nonetheless, its role as a port to the rural
hinterland ensured its survival and the town's
industrial base was growing. The first editor of
the Geelong Advertiser had created Australia's
first iceworks in 1856 and Victoria's first
woollen textile mill had opened at Geelong by
1865. Industry was further expanded with the
opening of a boot factory in 1874, a paper mill
in 1878, a saltworks and cement works in 1888, a
butter and cheese factory in 1893 and a
meat-freezing works in 1894. The port's
viability was improved in 1893 when a sandbar
was dredged. The first automatic telephone
exchange in Australia was installed at Geelong
in 1912.
After World War I industrialisation proceeded
apace and the population began to grow rapidly
for the first time since the 1850s. Four textile
mills opened (employing over 5000 people), a
fertiliser plant was established in 1923, a
phosphate co-op in 1925, Ford opened their first
Australian motor-car plant at Geelong in 1925, a
distillery was built in 1928, Pilkington set up
their safety glass factory in 1937 and
International Harvesters began manufacturing
agricultural equipment in 1940. The grain
terminal, then one of the largest in the world,
was also completed in 1940. A rayon spinning
plant was established in 1952, Shell built an
oil refinery in 1954 and ALCOA opened an
aluminium smelter in 1963 using local brown coal
for fuel.
Some of the above-mentioned industries are
still in operation today, supplemented by a wool
combing factory and the production of carpets,
footwear and chemicals.
Newtown and Chilwell was made a borough in
1858, a town in 1924 and a city in 1949. Geelong
West became a borough in 1875 and a town in
1922. The City of Geelong was proclaimed in
1910. In the years after World War II Geelong
experienced a considerable migrant intake which
provided labour for the new industries,
stimulated the development of new suburbs and
gave the region a much more cosmopolitan
quality.
There are numerous events in the annual
calendar. They are the Australian Unity Geelong
Waterfront Festival (January), Ford Day (a Ford
motorcar display), the Australian International
Airshow and the Pako Multicultural Festa
(February), the Highland Gathering in Queens
Park (March), the Alternative Farm Vision and
Geelong Camel Cup Carnival (April), Momenta Arts
Geelong (May), the Wool Week and the National
Celtic Folk Festival (June), the Geelong Show,
International Seafood Fair and Geelong Cup
(October), the Foreshore Expo, Wallington
Strawberry Fair, Geelong Speed Trials, and Gala
Day (November). The Steampacket Gardens
Community Market is held on the first and third
Sundays of the month all year round on the
Geelong Foreshore.
Things to see:
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| National Wool
Museum |
National Wool Museum and Tourist
Information Centre
The three-storey Dennys Lascelles Woolstore,
with its fine windows, was built of bluestone to
a thoughtful and innovative design. The original
building was completed in 1872 although later
additions (to 1930) have resulted in three
separate buildings behind a single facade. Drays
once unloaded their wool here from whence it was
taken inside to the wool show floor where buyers
perused the wares.
The building now houses a museum dedicated to
the history of the Australian wool industry
which has played such a vital part in Geelong's
development.
The ground floor has been recently
refurbished. The foyer is now an orientation
area (the cedar desk is an original furnishing)
and there are changing exhibitions, souvenirs
and sales of Australian-made wool and
wool-related products.
A ramp leads past a working 1910 carpet loom
(which still produces rugs for purchase) to the
first gallery which looks at the pastoral aspect
of wool in Australia, focusing on the human
effort involved in breeding appropriate sheep
for the new conditions and producing quality
fleece. 'Shearers in Rural Life' involves a
reconstructed shearing plant and shearer's
quarters, utilising backdrops and sound effects
to recreate aspects of the past. Displays deal
with the arts of shearing, wool cleaning,
classing, pressing and despatching.
The second gallery is concerned with both the
people involved in the textile industry and the
processes - scouring, carding, combing,
spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, mending and
finishing. The relevant industrial machinery is
on show and a separate display examines the
changing fortunes of the Australian textile
industry and the influences upon those fortunes.
There is also a recreated mill worker's cottage
with an audio-visual display on the lives of
mill workers and the industrial events which
affected their lives.
The third gallery is located on the top floor
which, with its innovative saw-tooth skylight
roof, was once the Dennys Lascelles wool show
floor. It houses changing temporary exhibitions.
Other features of the complex are a licensed
restaurant and bar in the cellar, wheelchair
access, educational material for school groups,
conference and reception facilities, and free
guided tours for pre-booked groups.
The museum is located at the corner of
Moorabool St and Brougham St . It is open daily
from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel: (03) 5227
0701.
Tourist Information
The Geelong Otway Tourist Information Centre is
located in the foyer of the National Wool
Museum, tel: (03) 5222 2900, or free-call (1800)
620 888. There are two other information centres
in Geelong. One is located in the Market Square
Shopping Centre in Moorabool St, tel: (03) 5222
6126 and the other is on the corner of the
Princes Highway and St Georges Rd at Corio, tel:
(03) 5275 5797. They have brochures outlining
bicycle and walking routes around the Barwon
River, the Geelong Foreshore and the Bellarine
Peninsula, a listing of local gardens and
nurseries, art galleries and local events. A
fine booklet entitled 'Industrial Heritage
Track' details the bridges, water races,
aqueducts, breakwaters, weirs and historic
industrial features (mills, scouring works and
tanneries) along the Barwon River in the Geelong
area.
Another leaflet outlines a scenic waterfront
drive called 'Steampacket Place' which starts in
Bell Parade which heads east off the Princes
Highway just north of the CBD. The route is
signified by a series of roadside arrows.
A Tale of Time offer guided walking tours
which utilise elements of street theatre to
provide insight into the city's past, tel: (03)
5221 6662 or (0419) 544 402.
Woolstores and Customs House
On the other side of Moorabool St is Bay City
Plaza which is housed behind the original facade
of Strachan's Woolstore, built in the English
industrial style between from 1889 and 1925.
Brougham St and Corio St (which runs parallel to
Brougham just to the south) were the commercial
hub of the old port.
On the other side of Brougham St to the
Museum is Geelong's third customs house, built
to a Georgian design of locally-quarried basalt
rubble, clad in sandstone ashlar, in 1855-56. It
is a three-storey structure fronted by a Tuscan
portico.
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| The facade at
Cunningham Pier |
Foreshore Walk
Walk along Moorabool St towards the bay. At the
corner with Eastern Beach is the former Sailor's
Rest, built in 1912 to provide non-alcoholic
entertainment for sailors (it is now a
restaurant and coffee shop). Cross over to
Steampacket Gardens. This area was originally
reclaimed from the ocean for industrial
purposes. From 1859 ships docked in this area
which was a popular spot for a promenade. Just
to the west is Cunningham Pier. The foreshore
area features about 100 bollards depicting
historic
characters.
From Cunningham Pier walk east along the
foreshore pavement then continue on around
Fishermans Pier Restaurant, through Fairnie Park
to Stony Pier. The town's first, it was built by
a convict labour gang under Captain Fyans - the
town's original police magistrate. Three workers
were killed during its construction. Nearby is
the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, established
in1859.
Eastern Beach
Walk east along the pavement at the rear of the
club then along Ritchie Boulevarde to Eastern
Beach and the sea baths. The first baths
(sexually segregated) were built here in 1844.
The reconstruction of the foreshore at Eastern
Beach took place from 1924 to 1940. The
shark-proof enclosure was developed after a
woman lost both arms in an attack. After a
period of deterioration, the complex was
restored in the early 1990s. The terraced lawns,
palms and pools are very popular with bathers in
summer. Climb the steps to the road, cross over
to Garden St and enter the Botanic Gardens.
|
| The swimming
pool on Corio Bay |
Geelong Botanical Gardens
The first promptings for the establishment of
the Gardens took place in 1848. A committee was
formed for that purpose and the first curator
appointed in 1857 when work on the gardens
commenced, making them one of the state's
oldest. A number of venerable trees date from
this early period, including what is arguably
the largest maidenhair in the country. The
gunstock tree and Chilean plum fir are the only
known examples in the state. Other rarities in
Eastern Park (once part of the Gardens) are the
soledad, digger and nut pines. Specialty gardens
are the Fern Glade, Cycad and Rose Gardens, the
Camellia and Rhododendron Walk and the Viburnum
Walk.
In September 2002 the Geelong Botanic Gardens
opened its 21st Century Garden extension,
showcasing local flora from Anglesea and the
Brisbane Ranges as well as drought tolerant
natives from around Australia, a variety of
succulents, Queensland Bottle Trees
(Brachychiton rupestris) and the Gardens'
trademark Dragon's Blood Tree. There is a theme
of garden design with water restrictions and
this section displays an amazing array of
sculptural plants suited to water-thrifty
gardens in a new and imaginative way. The
Gardens are scenically situated overlooking
Corio Bay and are open daily from 9.00 a.m. to
5.00 p.m. There are free guided tours every
Wednesday at 10.30 a.m. and Sundays at 2.30 p.m.
during daylight savings, tel: (03) 5227 0387.
Limeburners Point is a headland at Eastern
Park (near the Botanic Gardens). There is a boat
ramp at the point (off Hearne Parade). Another
boat ramp is located further north at St Helens.
It lies at the end of Swinburne St (which runs
east off the Princes Highway), north of
Cunningham Pier (between St Helens jetty and the
boat moorings).
Original Customs House
Located in the city's Botanic Gardens is
Geelong's first customs house. This small
prefabricated building is characterised by a
steeply pitched shingle roof which was thatched
until 1854 and is designed to look like a Gothic
pavilion. It was erected in 1838 and thus is now
the oldest building in Victoria. When a stone
customs house was built in 1845 this old customs
house briefly served as a telegraph office.
Merchiston Hall
Back in Garden St (no. 2a), by the corner with
Eastern Beach Rd, is 'Merchiston Hall', a
two-storey eight-room stuccoed stone Classical
Revival mansion with colonnaded verandah built
in 1856 for politician and businessman James
Cowie. Before the foreshore alterations it
looked directly over the bay. It is now private
property.
Corio Villa
Walk west along Eastern Beach Rd to no.56 (at
the Fitzroy St corner) where you will see 'Corio
Villa', a house with an extraordinary history.
Another prefabricated building it is now
considered to be the finest example in the
country. The building was originally
commissioned by Geelong's Land Commissioner in
1854 but the poor man died before the
prefabricated parts had arrived. A local
magistrate, entrepreneur and bank director named
Alfred Douglass purchased the parts at a reduced
price. The building was completed in 1856. The
building's uniqueness was ensured when a fire
destroyed the Edinburgh factory and all the
moulds soon after its exportation. Outstanding
features are the delicate and intricate filigree
work on the verandah and porch posts, eaves and
bargeboards. The rose-and-thistle theme is
crowned by the lion's head motif which forms a
keystone to the verandah and porch arches.
The coach house, harness room, stables and
hayloft also date from 1856. Today it is private
property.
Geelong Walk Continued
Continue west along Eastern Beach Rd. Note the
You Yangs in the distance, behind Corio Bay. At
the Swanston St corner are two 1880 townhouses
('Jesmond' and 'Arlston').
Turn left into Swanston St then take the
first right into Corio St. The mid-19th century
cottages originally belonged to local fishermen
(the side streets here feature a number of other
modest early dwellings). Continue along Corio
St. Its hotels and brothels were once infamously
popular with raucous sailors.
Cross Bellarine St and turn left into Hays
Place. Walk through to Malop St. At no.163 is
the former Freemason's Hotel (1854) - a
two-storey brick building with a stuccoed facade
and attic dormers from the town's goldrush boom.
Return along Hays Place and turn left, back
into Corio St. On the right is the bluestone
facade of a malthouse (1851) associated with a
brewery established in 1845. Adjacent is the
Scottish Chiefs Tavern which displays old
brewing equipment and next door to that is the
former Scottish Chiefs Hotel (1848), now the
Tavern's restaurant, tel: (03) 5223 1736. It is
among the ten oldest licensed premises in the
state.
Corio St ends at Yarra St. A power station
once stood opposite. On the corner is the facade
of the Electric Lighting and Traction Company's
office (1900).
Turn right into Yarra St and left into
Brougham St. On the left is the Geelong Club
(1889) built in the Queen Anne style with a
decorative facade.
At Moorabool St you return to the National
Wool Museum. Turn left into Moorabool. 100
metres along, at no.51, is Savvas Restaurant,
housed in a small but elegant bluestone building
built in 1856.
Historic Buildings Walk Extension - Part 1
If you wish to continue your exploration of the
town's historic buildings proceed along
Moorabool St and turn right into Malop St. At
9-11 Malop St is the former London Chartered
Bank - a two-storey Classical structure built in
1859 of basalt with a facade of local sandstone.
Over the road, at 8 Malop St, is the former
Colonial Bank - a two-storey Classical Revival
bluestone building from 1857 with a stuccoed
facade, Tuscan portico and fine detailing. No.2
Malop St was originally the Bank of Australasia
(1859-60). It is a two-storey Classical building
of local sandstone though the facade was covered
with brick in 1956.
Turn right at the roundabout into Gheringhap
St. At Gheringhap and Smythe is the three-storey
Max Hotel (formerly the Golden Age Hotel). It
was built in 1854 of brick on bluestone
foundations.
Continue on towards the bay and turn left
into Western Beach Rd. After 250 metres turn
left into Cavendish St and take the immediate
right into Malone St. At its end is St Peter and
St Paul's Catholic Church, designed by William
Wardell and built from 1864. It is a Gothic
Revival structure in basalt with freestone
dressings.
Turn right into Mercer St and proceed to the
Ginn St corner where you will find the Bay View
Hotel (formerly the Western Hotel) - a
three-storey basalt building with sandstone
facade erected in 1853.
Walk back along Mercer St. When you get to
the Brougham St intersection turn right and walk
through the subway to LaTrobe Terrace where you
will see St Paul's Church of England, a Gothic
church built 1850-55 of local bricks with
freestone dressings. It is modelled on English
parish church architecture.
Walk south along LaTrobe Terrace. At the
corner with Ryrie St is St George's Presbyterian
Church, a Gothic design built of basalt with
freestone dressings c.1861. The transepts,
vestibule, tower and spire were added in the
early 20th century. The adjacent manse is a
two-storey Gothic villa built of the same
materials in 1865.
Historic Buildings Walk Extension - Part 2
There are a number of historic residences along
LaTrobe Terrace, between Ryrie St and Buckland
Avenue. 'Kooyong', a large brick villa opposite
the church (cnr LaTrobe and Aberdeen St), dates
from a building boom at the turn of the century,
as does no.298 LaTrobe Terrace. Other buildings
of interest are 'Kandahar' at no.280 (1872); 'Allington
at 274 (c.1872) and 'Roslyn' at 272 (1855),
while no.268 dates from 1852. 'Sarina' at 266-68
consists of a pair of typical two-storey Gothic
villas built c.1854 with now rare iron roof
tiles.
The Church of Christ (originally the Free
Church of England) is near the corner with
Little Myers St. It was built of random
bluestone ashlar c.1858. Just along Little Myers
St is the Free Presbyterian Church, built in
1859 with cement-rendered walls and arched
windows.
There are numerous other Victorian villas in
the area. No.256 is a two-storey house with
dichromatic brickwork and elaborate ironwork
built in 1872. Nearby 'Ingliston' is a
single-storey brick villa with ornamental timber
verandah built 1871-72 during a housing boom.
Turn left into McKillop St. At the Moorabool
St corner is Christ Church, the state's oldest
church in continuous use. It was built from 1843
to 1847 and designed by noted colonial architect
Edmund Blacket to an early Victorian Gothic
design with crenellated effects and stone window
tracery. Slightly south of the church, at 310
Moorabool St, is an old bluestone hotel (1856).
Turn left into Maud St. At no.55 is the
surviving two-storey south wing of the original
Geelong Grammar School - a Gothic Revival
building of cement-rendered basalt dating from
1857 with steep gables, attic dormers and
ornamental bargeboards.
Continue on to Yarra St and turn left. Cross
over McKillop St and to your immediate right is
St John's Lutheran Church (formerly St Andrew's
Presbyterian Church). This Georgian design is
the oldest work of masonry in the region; being
erected of local sandstone in 1841-42. The
two-storey Classical building fronting the old
church dates from c.1912.
Return to the intersection and turn left into
McKillop St. At no.51 is Wintergarden, an
historic building which now houses a restaurant
and several shops. Turn right into Moorabool St
and return to the Wool Museum.
Ford Discovery Centre
The Ford Discovery Centre is located at the
corner of Gheringap and Brougham Sts. It is a
large complex with static displays and
interactive elements, focusing on the history of
Ford motor cars in Australia and the facets of
modern production. There is a mock design studio
where you can find out how Ford approach the
design process and design your own car. There
are crash test dummy demonstrations, production
robots, a museum display of old and new Ford
cars, and other technological and educational
exhibits. The centre is open every day except
Tuesday from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel: (03)
5227 8700.
The Old Geelong Gaol
At the corner of Myers and Swanston St is the
former Geelong Gaol - now a tourist attraction.
It was designed after Pentonville prison in
England and built of local basalt, in stages,
from 1849 to 1864 to replace a log-walled prison
in South Geelong where prisoners lived in
appalling conditions. The construction was
carried out by convicts who were slept in hulks
on Corio Bay. It remained a high-security prison
of ill repute until 1991.
The interior is forbiddingly bleak and the
solitary confinement cells remain as they were
in 1991. The three-storey central block is
cruciform with the east and west wings serving
as cells (some featuring interesting graffiti),
north wing as administration and the south wing
as kitchen/hospital/ablution rooms and tailoring
workshop. A tour takes in all elements of the
complex including security points, prisoners'
murals, muster and exercise areas, watchtowers,
and a gallows setting depicting the 1863 hanging
of James Murphy for beating a constable to death
with a hammer in the Geelong courthouse. It is
open from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. on weekends,
public and school holidays, tel: (03) 5221 8292.
The Geelong Art Gallery
The Geelong Art Gallery is considered one of the
state's finest provincial galleries. Although
the building dates back to 1913 the gallery was
established in 1896. The collection of late 19th
and early 20th century paintings by British
artists and members of the Royal Academy
reflects the prevailing taste of the time. There
are works by Louis Buvelot, Tom Roberts, Arthur
Streeton, Rupert Bunny, E. Phillips Fox and
Frederick McCubbin's 'Bush Burial'. Contemporary
artists in the collection include Fred Williams.
In addition to paintings there are works on
paper, contemporary Australian sculpture, Asian
decorative arts, ceramics, a collection of
colonial silver, and a continuous program of
temporary exhibitions.
The gallery is located adjacent Johnstone
Park in Little Malop St, between Fenwick St and
Gheringhap St. It is open weekdays from 10.00
a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and from 1.00 p.m. to 5.00
p.m. on weekends and public holidays. Guided
tours are available by appointment. There is a
small entry fee, tel: (03) 5229 3645.
The Performing Arts Centre is located on the
other side of the road.
Some Civic Buildings
Just along Little Malop St, at the corner with
Gheringhap St, is Australia's oldest extant town
hall. It is a grand two-storey Classical
structure, with its imposing Ionic portico, and
was built in 1855. It was finally completed
until 1917.
Adjacent the post office is the former
telegraph office - a single-storey freestone
structure built in 1853. The tower once carried
a time ball for shipping in Corio Bay. Just down
the road, at Gheringhap and Ryrie, is the post
office (1855).
Barwon Grange
Barwon Grange was built of brick in a Gothic
style on the banks of the Barwon River in
1855-56. There are slate-tiled gables, attic
dormer windows, fretted timberwork, a glassed-in
fernery and verandahs backed by bay windows. The
drawing room looks over the river and features
an 1851 rosewood piano, a rare porcelain
chandelier and fine chinoiserie. The residence
is open from September to April on Wednesdays,
Saturdays and Sundays, from 11.00 a.m. to 4.30
p.m. From May to August it is open by
appointment only, tel: (03) 5221 3906. It is
located at the end of Fernleigh St in Newtown,
not far from the city centre.
Barwon Valley Park and Other Riverside
Attractions
Behind Barwon Grange is a footbridge which leads
across to Barwon Valley Park on the southern
riverbank. It extends from the Moorabool St
bridge to the Shannon Ave bridges. This large
grassy expanse features an adventure playground
and several old mills.
On the northern riverbank, extending
northwards from the Shannon Ave bridge, is
Balyang Sanctuary, a flora and fauna reserve
with walking paths, wetland lakes and plenty of
swans, ducks and pelicans. Within the sanctuary
are the Yollinko Wetlands which features a
diverse ecosystem, birdhides and boardwalks.
A little further north-west, on the southern
riverbank, is Queens Park (access via Queens
Park Rd which is an extension of Aphrasia St).
Buckley Falls Rd heads off Queens Park Rd to a
car park from whence there is a leisurely walk
to the falls. The old Barwon Paper Mill is
adjacent and you can continue on to the aqueduct
if you choose.
A fine booklet entitled 'Industrial Heritage
Track' details the bridges, water races,
aqueducts, breakwaters, weirs and historic
industrial features (mills, scouring works and
tanneries) along the Barwon River in the Geelong
area.
Armytage House
Armytage House was built between 1857 and 1860
for pioneer pastoralist George Armytage who
settled in the area in 1837. This two-storey
Regency style house features a lovely
wrought-iron balcony and verandah. It is located
on the western side of Pakington St, between
Aphrasia and Aberdeen Sts, in Newtown.
The Heights
'The Heights', built in 1855, is an 18-roomed
single-storey prefabricated timber mansion
imported from Germany by merchant Charles
Ibbotson. Later extended, it was built on an
estate that originally stretched from Ruthven St
to the river and from Queens Rd to Aberdeen St.
The original owner's daughter inherited the
house and married sporting champion Louis Whyte.
In 1939 the interior was remodelled and the roof
reshaped although the exterior below the eaves
is original. The house is surrounded by fine
landscaped gardens with curved paths and stone
fences. The outbuildings are linked by
courtyards, including bluestone and timber
stables, a harness room, groom's cottage, coach
house and dovecote. Other features are a stone
water tower with a lookout, a hand water-pump
and a carved sundial. It is furnished with an
antique collection, largely mid-Victorian, and
is located at 140 Aphrasia St (corner of Ruthven
St) in Newtown. It is open Wednesday to Sunday
and public holidays from 11.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
or to groups by appointment, tel: (03) 5221
3510.
Shearers Arms Gallery
This art gallery is operated by the Geelong Art
Society and is located in one of Geelong's first
hotels (1847). Admission is free and it is open
daily from 11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel: (03)
5223 1825. It is located at 202 Aberdeen St,
Geelong West (opposite Safeway).
Narana Creations
Narana features Aboriginal arts, crafts,
Dreamtime stories, didgeridoos, boomerang
throwing, bush food, medicine plants, a gallery
featuring Aboriginal artefacts, handcrafted
jewellery, plates and decorative items, a native
garden, modern rock art and a lake. It is open
weekdays from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and on
Saturdays from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and is
located at 410 Torquay Rd (the Surfcoast
Highway), Grovedale, south-west of the city
centre. Entry to the gallery and garden is free
but there is a small charge if you wish to
partake of the cultural demonstrations, tel:
(03) 5241 5700.
Gabbinbar Animal and Wildlife Park
At 654 Torquay Rd is the Gabbinbar Animal and
Wildlife Park. There is an albino kangaroo,
along with emus, wallabies, exotic goats,
camels, sheep, native birds, baby deer, monkeys
and farm animals. They are open daily from 10.00
a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel: (03) 5264 1455.
Wineries
Innisfail Vineyard, established in 1980, is
located at Cross St, Batesford. Just follow the
Midland Highway out of town (towards Ballarat)
for 10 km. Cross St heads off the highway to the
left, tel: (03) 5276 1258. Batesford is a market
garden township with a winemaking history. The
Sandstone Travellers Rest Inn (1849) is across
the Moorabool River from the present hotel.
There are three wineries in Lemins Rd at
Waurn Ponds. Follow the Princes Highway
south-west of the CBD then turn left at the
roundabout, opposite Deakin University, into
Anglesea Rd. After 1 km turn right into Lemins
Rd. Austins Barrabool Wineries is at 50 Lemins
Rd. They make both red and white wines such as
shiraz, chardonnay, riesling and cabernet
sauvignon, tel: (03) 5241 8114. Waybourne Winery
is at 60 Lemins Rd (tel: 03 5241 8477) and
Prince Albert Vineyard, established in 1975, is
at 92 Lemins Rd. They specialise in pinot noir,
tel: (03) 5241 8091. The original Prince Albert
was visited by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1867.
Brownhill Lookout
Brownhill Lookout is located in Drewan Park on
Wandana Drive which heads south off Barrabool
Hills Rd at Highton. It offers fine views of the
You Yangs, the Brisbane Ranges, Corio Bay and
the Bellarine Peninsula.
Barrabool Hills Maze and Gardens
Barrabool Hills Maze and Gardens sprawl over
five acres. There are two hedge mazes, terraced
perennial gardens and ponds, a Californian style
garden, a nursery and cafe. It is open from
10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., Friday to Sunday, at
the corner of Merrawarp and Walters Roads at
Ceres, tel: (03) 5249 1250.
Serendip Sanctuary
Serendip Sanctuary offers an excellent
experience of a wetlands environment rich in
fauna with plenty of fun activities and
educational guidance and an opportunity to
observe native fauna at close quarters without
making them aware of the human presence.
It features over 150 species common to the
western plains of Victoria. Activities for
children include a ponding site where they can
catch invertebrates and a search through some
bushland for six hidden wooden animals (designed
to teach them that there are animals present in
the bush if they are willing to look carefully
enough). At the visitors' centre there are
lizards on display, an 'underwater world', an
activities room with a CD-ROM on the local
wildlife and a theatrette featuring the mating
dances of brolgas and other interesting footage.
From the centre nature trails lead past
wildlife (such as free-ranging kangaroos,
wallabies, emus and pademelons) in natural
habitats and on to birdhides permitting close
and unobtrusive observation among the marshes,
lakes and billabongs. Here video cameras
broadcast the view more widely. There is a
ranger who conducts curriculum-based
environmental education activities and a 'farm
dam' which demonstrates the compatibility of
farming and wildlife as well as providing a
refuge and a linking corridor for migratory
species. The sanctuary's captive breeding
program creates an opportunity of viewing rare
and threatened species such as brolgas,
Australian bustards and magpie geese.
To get there follow the freeway towards
Melbourne. Take the turnoff to Lara (into Forest
Rd) about 12 km from Geelong's city centre
(signposted for You Yangs Regional Park) then,
after a further 6 km, turn right into Windermere
Rd. The entrance is to your left, at 100
Windermere Rd, Lara.
Opening hours are 10. 00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
daily and entrance to casual visitors who are
happy to wander about on their own is free. For
those wishing to visit as a group and receive a
guided tour, the cost is $4.50 per person. Those
who want both the guided tour and a drive around
the ring road, the cost is $5.60 per person.
There are picnic areas with free electric
barbecues and disabled access is provided. For
further information ring (03) 5282 1584.
You Yangs
If you ignore the turnoff into Windermere Rd and
continue north along Forest Rd for another 5 km
there is a signposted right turn which leads by
the entrance (to your left) of You Yangs
Regional Park.
Mind you, it is not easy to miss the park as
it is characterised by distinctive granite tors
which, although they are not especially high
(352 metres), emerge abruptly out of flat
featureless volcanic lava plains (hence the term
'You Yangs' is from an Aboriginal phrase said to
mean 'big mountain in the middle of a plain').
The entrance leads into the Turntable Drive
which transports you to the main picnic areas
while the unsealed scenic Great Circle Drive (10
km) roams at large. Some picnic areas have
fireplaces, gas barbecues and tables. There are
four main walks which are all signposted. The
Flinders Peak Walk (3.2 km return) departs from
the Turntable car park. It leads to the highest
point of the You Yangs (348 m above sea-level)
from whence you can see Mt Macedon, Geelong,
Corio Bay and the Melbourne skyline. 150 m west
of the picnic ground are some rock wells which
were carved out of the granite by Aborigines to
improve the local water supply.
The first European to visit and climb these
granite peaks was Matthew Flinders in 1802. The
establishment of farming and timbergetting saw
native vegetation cleared and the introduction
of sugar gum and brown mallet. The vegetation
consists of manna gums, yellow gums, river red
gums and a sparse undergrowth, although a
prolific choking weed known as boneseed has
become a considerable nuisance, particularly
after a devastating 1985 fire burned more than
80% of the park. Since that time kangaroos,
koalas, sugar gliders, possums and 200 bird
species have been returning.
Spring and summer are the best times to visit
the park. Nature studies, walking and picnics
are popular. Mountain bikes and horses are
permitted in selected areas. The visitors'
centre at the park has interesting displays and
information about the park. Ring 131 963 for
further information.
Reedy Swamp and Lake Connewarre
South-east of Geelong, on the Bellarine
Peninsula, are Reedy Swamp and Lake Connewarre
which are important migratory bird habitats and
hence are havens for waterbirds such as
bitterns, swamp hens, ibis, spoonbills, egrets,
cormorants and herons. There are mangrove swamps
in Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve on the
southern shore. Access is via a series of roads
which run off the Bellarine Highway, the
Geelong-Barwon Heads Rd and Wallington Rd.
|
| The Grain
Silos at Geelong Port
|
Adventure Park
Set in 52 acres of picturesque parkland,
Adventure Park has a wide range of activities
for families, including a 115-metre raft
waterslide, go-karts, jumping castles,
volleyball, a merry-go-round, paddleboats, the
Big Bouncer, flying foxes, an archery range,
Adventure Island mini-golf, aqua bikes, moon
bikes, juming jets and canoes, the Paddle Pop
Express Train and the Adventure Playground.
Facilities include a kiosk and cafe, undercover
seating and wheelchair access. Gas barbecues and
lockers are available for hire, birthday parties
can be organised and group bookings are also
available for corporate and social clubs.
Admission charges were (at June 1, 2002)
$15.50 for general admission (there is an
additional fee of $4.50 for a five-minute ride
on the go-karts), free for under 4s, $9 for
senior citizens (55 yrs & over) and the disabled
and $22 for a two-day pass. An annual pass is
also available for $40.
Opening hours are from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00
p.m. from Wednesday to Monday and every day in
school and public holidays. Adventure Park is
closed for about two months each winter,
approximately from July to September.
