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EspañolGEELONG, VICTORIA
(Redirected from Geelong central business district)
'Geelong' is the second largest city in the state of Victoria, Australia and is the largest regional centre in the state. It is a port city with an urban population of 160,199 people. [2] Also it is one of the largest provincial cities in Australia. Geelong is located on Corio Bay, 75 kilometres south-west of the state's capital, Melbourne.
The city is a gateway to many renowned tourist attractions, namely the scenic Great Ocean Road, the Shipwreck Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula. Geelong is also home to the Geelong Football Club, known by locals as ''The Cats''. Geelong is covered by the municipality of the City of Greater Geelong.
Prior to white settlement in the early 1800s, the area of Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula was originally occupied by Aboriginal tribes, notably the Wathaurong people .
The first non-Aboriginal person recorded as visiting the Geelong region was Lt. John Murray, who commanded the brig Lady Nelson.
After anchoring outside Port Phillip Heads (The narrow entrance to Port Phillip, onto which both Geelong and Melbourne now front) on 1 February 1802 he sent a small boat with six men to explore .
Led by John Bowen they explored the immediate area, returning to the Lady Nelson on 4 February. On reporting favourable findings, the Lady Nelson entered Port Phillip on 14 February, and did not leave until 12 March. During this time, Murray explored the Geelong area and, whilst on the far side of the bay, claimed the entire area for Britain. He named Port Phillip Bay, Port King, after Philip Gidley King, then Governor of New South Wales. Governor King later renamed the bay Port Phillip Bay [with two ells] after the first governor of Australia .
Hot on Murray's heels was Matthew Flinders, who entered Port Phillip Bay on 27 April 1802. He charted the entire bay, including the Geelong area, believing he was the first to sight the huge expanse of water, but in a rush to reach Sydney before winter set in he left Port Phillip on 3 May. In December 1802, Surveyor-General Grimes and Lt. Charles Robbins walked around Port Phillip Bay, but finding no fresh water in the Geelong area reported it as uninhabitable. Staying close to the bay, they had completely missed the Barwon River, which, flowing into the ocean and not the bay, passes through present day Geelong on the inland side of a ridge .
The next visit to the Geelong area, apart from a short-lived settlement at Sorrento, on the far side of the bay (1803/4) was by the explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell. They reached Corio Bay - the area of Port Phillip Bay that Geelong now fronts - on 16 December 1824, and it was at this time they reported that the Aborigines called the area ''Corayo'', the bay being called ''Jillong''. Hume and Hovell had been contracted to travel overland from Sydney to Port Phillip, and having achieved this they stayed the night and begun their return journey the following day.
William Buckley, an escaped convict from the Sullivan Bay settlement, lived among the Wautharong people for 32 years in the Bellarine Peninsula.
In 1835, John Batman used Indented Head as his base camp, leaving behind several employees whilst he returned to Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land) for more supplies and his family.
In the same year, Buckley stumbled into the camp and was later pardoned. He was subsequently given the position of interpreter to the natives and as a guide for Captain Foster Fyans .
In March 1836, three squatters, David Fisher, James Strachan and George Russell arrived on the Caledonia and settled the area. By 1838, when Geelong (By this time the Aboriginal names for the land and water had been swapped) was first surveyed by Assistant Surveyor, W. H. Smythe three weeks after Melbourne, the population was 545. There was already a church, hotel, store and wool store; and by 1841, the first wool had been sent to England. A regular steamer service was also running between Geelong and Melbourne .
Captain Foster Fyans was commissioned as the local Police Magistrate and established himself on the Barwon River at the site of the area of present-day Fyansford. Fyans constructed a breakwater to improve the water supply to the city by preventing the salty lower reaches from mixing with fresh water and pooling water. This structure gave its name to the area now known as Breakwater, today an eastern industrial and residential suburb of Geelong .
The Fyansford Hotel is located nearby to the site of Fyan's first camp. In 1849, Fyans was nominated as the inaugural Mayor of the Geelong Town Council. An early settler of Geelong, Alexander Thomson, for which the area of Thomson in East Geelong is named, settled on the Barwon River, and was Mayor of Geelong on five occasions from 1850 - 1858 .
In 1851, gold was discovered in nearby Ballarat, causing the Geelong population to grow from 8,000 to 22,000 during 1851 - 1853. The first issue of the ''Geelong Advertiser'' newspaper was published in 1840. The Geelong to Melbourne railway was opened by the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company in 1857.[3] HM Prison Geelong, built using convict labour, was opened in 1864 .
In 1866 Graham Berry started a newspaper, the ''Geelong Register'', as a rival to the established ''Geelong Advertiser''. When this proved unsuccessful, he bought the Advertiser and made himself editor of the now merged papers. Using the paper as a platform, he was elected for West Geelong in 1869. In 1877 he switched to Geelong, which he represented until 1886 .
The town of Geelong officially became a city on 8 December 1910. Electric trams began operation in 1912, travelling along Pakington St, Geelong West and the city centre until their demise in 1956. Between 1922 and 1925 Geelong's industrial growth began: three woollen mills, fertilizer plants and the Ford Motor Company's vehicle plant at Norlane. The Corio whiskey distillery (1928) and the ''Geelong Advertiser's radio station 3GL (now K-Rock) (1930) were opened.[4]
In 1938 one of the last Port Philip Bay steamers, ''Edina'', made its final trip to Geelong, ending a romantic period of seaside excursions and contests for the fastest trip. Government housing was constructed in the northern suburbs of Norlane, North Shore and Corio during the 1950s to provide accommodation for many low income workers at nearby Ford Motor Company, International Harvester, Pivot Phosphate and Jackson's Abattoirs factories. On the eve of the second world war the International Harvester works were opened beside Ford at North Shore, and a grain elevator terminal was built at nearby Corio Quay. During June 1952, the banks of the Barwon River burst, flooding nearby Belmont Common.[5]
The Geelong Football Club won premierships in 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952 and 1963. Major city shopping centre Market Square Shopping Centre was constructed in 1985, with Westfield Bay City (formerly Bay City Plaza) built in 1988.[6]
In 2004, Avalon Airport was upgraded and provides for interstate travel for the first time to Geelong residents, who previously travelled to Melbourne for air transport. Geelong expands towards the coast, with Mount Duneed becoming a suburb and the City of Geelong planning a new suburb known as Armstrong Creek. The Geelong Ring Road is planned to take the Princes Highway around the city of Geelong from Corio to Waurn Ponds. Construction of the bypass began in 2006 and is due to be finished in 2009.
2007 has seen more than $500 million dollars worth of major construction under way in Geelong.[7]
Major projects include the $150 million Westfield Bay City expansion works, involving a flyover of Yarra Street and a number of new stores; the $37 milion Deakin Waterfront campus redevelopment and the $23 million Deakin Medical School; the $50 million Edgewater apartment development on the waterfront; a number of multi-million dollar office developments in the CBD; and a new $30 million aquatic centre in Waurn Ponds.[8]
The Bracks State Government announced the relocation of the Transport Accident Commission headquarters from Melbourne to Geelong in October 2006, which will create 850 jobs and an annual economic benefit of over $59 million to the Geelong region. The construction of the $80 million Brougham Street headquarters is due to be complete by late 2008.[9]
Plans have been completed by the City of Greater Geelong to improve the east west traffic flow in the Central Geelong, with works to be completed by 2008. These works will alter the current layout of streets in the Geelong area.[10]
In July 2007 Ford Australia announced it was closing its Geelong engine plant. About 600 jobs will be lost when the plant closes in 2010.[11]
Geelong now has 210,000 people in the City of Greater Geelong and approximately 260,000 in the immediate vicinity, and is larger than the other major Australian cities of Hobart, Darwin, Cairns and Townsville. [12]
As of the 2006 Census, there were 160,000 people residing in 68,000 households. Geelong residents are 78.4% Australian born. Of those born overseas: England (3.6%), Italy (1.1%), Croatia (1.0%), Netherlands (0.9%), Scotland (0.8%). 85.8% of households English is the only language spoken at home.[13]
The median age of persons in Geelong was 37 years. 19.4% of the population of Geelong were children aged between 0-14 years, and 26.6% were persons aged 55 years and over. 48.5% of residents were male and 51.5% were female. Of persons aged 15 years and over, 49.2% are married, 32.4% never married, 11.2% are separated or divorced, and 7.2% are widowed.[14]
The 2006 Census found the most common religious affiliations in Geelong was Catholicism at 29.4%, No Religion 20.5%, Anglican 14.6%, Uniting Church 7.9% and Presbyterian and Reformed at 4.3%.[14]
Geelong is located on the shores of Corio Bay, a south-western inlet bay of Port Phillip. During clear weather, the Melbourne skyline is visible from areas of Geelong when viewed across Port Phillip. The Barwon River flows through the city to the south before entering Lake Connewarre and the Barwon River estuary at Barwon Heads before going into Bass Strait.
Geelong is surrounded by many kilometres of developed farmland and is noted for its many wineries and nearby surf beaches along the Great Ocean Road.
Many materials used to construct notable Victorian buildings were quarried from Geelong, such as bluestone, used to construct the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne and sandstone, used to construct the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo.
A small number of brown coal deposits exist in the Geelong region, most notably at Anglesea where it is mined to fuel Alcoa's Anglesea Power Station.
Average maximum temperature in Geelong peaks at 24.7 degrees Celsius during February to a minimum of 13.3°C. July maximum temperatures average 13.9°C, the minimum temperature averages 5.1 °C. The highest maximum temperature recorded is 44.8°C in January 2003. The lowest recorded maximum is 7.9°C, recorded Aug 2005. Rainfall is generally uniform throughout the year with no distinct wet or dry seasons, although autumn and spring are generally regarded as the most reliable rainy seasons. Average annual rainfall is 551.8 mm.[16]
Geelong's major industries and employers include the Ford Motor Company, which was founded in Geelong in 1926, Godfrey Hirst Carpets, Target, Alcoa, Steggles and a Shell oil refinery. Major Australian retailer, Target began operations in Geelong in 1925, with its head office still located in its original North Geelong premises in Thompsons Road. The nearby town of Torquay is the location of many surfing equipment and clothing manufacturers, notably Rip Curl, as well as some of Australia's finest surf beaches and the Surf World Museum.
The Pyramid Building Society, founded in Geelong in 1959, collapsed in 1990 leaving debts of AUD $2billion. Many Geelong investors were financially affected by the society's collapse.
Geelong has a number of shopping precincts in the CBD and surrounding suburbs. The two main shopping centres located in the CBD are:
★ Westfield Bay City - Major retailers include Myer, Target and Coles Supermarkets. Coles is currently closed for renovations and will not be finished until 2008
★ Market Square - Major retailers include Best and Less, JB Hi-Fi and Harris Scarfe
In 2007, Westfield had started the expansion of Bay City and the flyover for Yarra Street and adding a Big W on the other side of Yarra Street is currently under construction[17].
In the surrounding suburbs, major shopping centres include Belmont Plaza, Town and Country Shopping Centre in Waurn Ponds, Bellarine Village in Newcomb in the east, and Corio Village Shopping Centre.
Main articles: List of schools in Geelong
Geelong is served by a number of schools, both public and private, catering to both local students, those from Geelong region and overseas students. The first schools in Geelong were established when the town was settled from the 1850s, among them Geelong College and Geelong Grammar School. Many of these schools remain open today, now joined by a number of new schools opened from the 1950s when the population of Geelong grew after World War II.
The late 1980s and 1990s saw changes to the school system, with new secondary schools such as Catholic Regional College and Western Heights Secondary College created from smaller secondary schools. It was also at this time that a number of technical schools were closed, and primary schools were closed by the Kennett State Government.
Deakin University is located in Waurn Ponds and also has a campus located on the waterfront of Corio Bay in the Geelong CBD. The campus at Waurn Ponds will be home to Victoria's first and only regional medical school, opening its doors in 2008. Also located in Geelong are the Gordon Institute of TAFE, the Marcus Oldham Farm Management College, the Reformed Theological College, and the International Fibre Centre.
Water storage and supply in Geelong is managed by Barwon Water, a Victorian Government owned urban water corporation. Geelong is supplied with water from three river systems: the Barwon River, the East Moorabool River and the West Moorabool River. The catchment areas are the Brisbane Ranges to Geelong's north-west, and the Otway Ranges to the south-west. The first water supplies to Geelong was from the Stony Creek reservoirs near Steiglitz, but today the West Barwon Reservoir system supplies approximately 70 per cent of the water for Geelong.[18] Sewage from Geelong and district is treated at the Black Rock Treatment Plant at Breamlea and then discharged into Bass Strait.
Geelong was first supplied with electricity in 1902, Geelong A power station was opened on the corner of Yarra and Brougham Streets in the city. Later known as 'Geelong A', the power station was rebuilt in 1920 to increase the capacity, with the station continued operating until 1961. In 1936 Geelong was connected to the state electrical grid. The 'Geelong B' power station at North Geelong opened in 1954, [19] and was closed in 1970 due to the much higher efficiency of the power stations in the Latrobe Valley.
The supply of piped Coal gas in Geelong started in 1860 by the Geelong Gas Company. The gasworks were located in North Geelong next to the North Geelong railway station.[20] Geelong was converted to natural gas in 1971, with the Geelong Gas Company being taken over by the Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria on June 30 1971.[21]
Located in Geelong are major research laboratories, the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Moolap, CSIRO Division of Textiles and Fibres Technology in Belmont and the Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute at Queenscliff.
Geelong is home to a vast number of pubs, nightclubs and live music venues and has also given birth to a number of notable Australian bands and musicians such as Barry Crocker, Magic Dirt, Jeff Lang, Denis Walter and also festivals such as the Meredith Music Festival, the Offshore Festival and Poppykettle Festival. Geelong also has the Geelong Performing Arts Centre (commonly known as GPAC), which is an art centre consisting of two theatres (the Ford Theatre and the Blakiston Theatre) and is home to the Back to Back Theatre company.
Geelong has been used as a filming location for several feature films and television series:
★ ''On the Beach'' (1959), final scenes filmed at Barwon Heads [22]
★ ''Mad Max'' (1979), areas of Lovely Banks and Lara used for filming
★ ''Phar Lap'' (1983)
★ ''The Lighthorsemen'' (1987)
★ ''Everynight ... Everynight'' (1994), filmed at HM Prison Geelong
★ ''SeaChange'' (1998 - 2002), filmed on location at Barwon Heads
★ ''Teardrops'' (2001)
★ ''Ned Kelly'' (2003)
★ ''One Perfect Day'' (2004)
★ ''December Boys'' (2006), scenes filmed in South Geelong at Kardinia Pool
★ ''Kenny'' (2006), scenes filmed at Avalon during the Australian International Airshow
★ ''Visit Film Geelong for more information.
The ''Geelong Advertiser'', the oldest newspaper title in Australia and the second oldest continuously run newspaper, was established in 1840. Also circulated are the free ''Geelong Independent'', and ''Geelong News'' newspapers, as well as smaller regional suburban newspapers serving the Bellarine Peninsula area such as the Ocean Grove Voice. Melbourne newspapers, ''The Age'' and ''The Herald Sun'' are readily available.
Geelong does not have television broadcasting facilities and relies on broadcasts from Melbourne for free to air television reception. A set of small analogue UHF TV in-fill repeaters located at the Highton water basin service a television reception black spot in the valley suburbs of Highton & Newtown. The Geelong region also receives cable and satellite television service through Pay-TV operators Foxtel & Neighbourhood Cable. Channel 31 is also available.
A local TV service known as GOTV briefly was broadcast on Neighbourhood Cable in mid 2006, it has since stopped broadcasting.
Geelong has been used as a filming location for several feature films and television series:
★ ''On the Beach'' (1959), final scenes filmed at Barwon Heads [22]
★ ''Mad Max'' (1979), areas of Lovely Banks and Lara used for filming
★ ''Phar Lap'' (1983)
★ ''The Lighthorsemen'' (1987)
★ ''Everynight ... Everynight'' (1994), filmed at HM Prison Geelong
★ ''SeaChange'' (1998 - 2002), filmed on location at Barwon Heads
★ ''Teardrops'' (2001)
★ ''Ned Kelly'' (2003)
★ ''One Perfect Day'' (2004)
★ ''December Boys'' (2006), scenes filmed in South Geelong at Kardinia Pool
★ ''Kenny'' (2006), scenes filmed at Avalon during the Australian International Airshow
★ ''Visit Film Geelong for more information.
Local radio stations are 3GL (Ethnic service), K-Rock (FM), Rhema FM (Christian Community station), The Pulse (Community Radio service), Vision Australia Radio 99.5FM (Print Radio), and Bay FM. Transmitters for K-Rock, The Pulse, Rhema FM & Bay FM are located at a shared transmitter site on Mt Bellarine on the Bellarine Peninsula near Drysdale. Most Melbourne radio stations can also be clearly heard in Geelong.
The Geelong region attracted over 6,000,000 tourists during 2001.[24] Geelong is a gateway to many renowned tourist attractions, namely the scenic Great Ocean Road, the Shipwreck Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula. Coupled with an array of gardens Geelong's other tourist attractions include:
★ Avalon Raceway
★ Bellarine Peninsula Railway
★ Bells Beach, home to the Bells Beach Surf Classic during Easter since 1973
★ Eastern Beach - swimming pool and boardwalk on the edge of the Geelong CBD.
★ Ford Discovery Centre, Ford Motor Company museum.
★ Fort Queenscliff - museum of regional and national military history.
★ Geelong Art Gallery
★ Geelong Botanic Gardens - oldest botanic gardens in Australia.
★ Geelong Performing Arts Centre
★ Geelong Racecourse - home of the Geelong Cup.
★ HM Prison Geelong (also known as Old Geelong Gaol) - historic prison built by convict labour, closed in 1991.
★ Kardinia Park - Home ground to the Geelong Football Club.
★ National Wool Museum - the wool capital of Australia's tribute to wool.
★ St. Mary of the Angels Basilica - one of five Catholic Basilicas in Australia.
★ Waterfront Geelong - one of Australia's finest waterfront precincts.
★ You Yangs - granite peak near Lara.
★ Geelong has more than 30 historical buildings listed on the Victorian Heritage RegisterMonash University Place names gazette (link broken)
Geelong has an array of events and festivals ranging from the multicultural Pako Festa to the Australian International Airshow. Other events hosted in the Geelong region include the Meredith Music Festival, the cultural Poppykettle Festival, National Celtic Festival, World Cup Triathlon, Skandia Geelong Week and the Women's Cycling World Cup.
In February 2007, Geelong hosted the Australian Leg of the International Ironman Triathlon.
Geelong is serviced by local bus routes covering the city centre and most surrounding suburbs. Taxi and hire car services are also available.
From 1912, Geelong was served by a tram system, with the network progressively expanding to include routes that ran from the City to North Geelong, Geelong West, Newtown, Chilwell, Belmont, Eastern Park, and Geelong East. [25] Initially operated by a private electricity supply company, the Melbourne Electric Supply Company Limited, the system was transferred to the State Electricity Commission of Victoria in 1930 as part of a rationalisation of electricity suppliers. The tramways continued until 25 March 1956, when the final tram ran in Geelong on the Belmont route. Privately operated buses took over the former tram routes.
Current bus routes are operated under the umbrella of the Geelong Transit System, and are currently contracted to Benders Buslines and McHarry Buslines. Another government transport initiative, Bellarine Transit, is currently contracted to McHarry Buslines and provides interurban services between Geelong and the towns of Torquay, Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove and the Bellarine Peninsula. V/Line services link Geelong with Ballarat, Daylesford, Bendigo, Apollo Bay, the Great Ocean Road, the Twelve Apostles and Warrnambool.
Geelong is located at the junction of freight and passenger rail lines to Melbourne, Warrnambool, Ballarat, and Adelaide.
V/Line operates hourly passenger services to Melbourne, as well as Warrnambool three times daily. Geelong passengers are served by seven railway stations on the Geelong line. Train travel time from Geelong to Melbourne Southern Cross Station is less than 60 minutes, making it a popular alternative to driving for Geelong residents working in the Melbourne area.[26] Train services between Melbourne and Geelong received a government funded upgrade under the Regional Fast Rail project between 2004 and 2005, with new high speed VLocity railcars manufactured by Bombardier in Dandenong entering service to Geelong in early 2006.[27]
There have been calls to electrify the intensively used commuter line to Melbourne, but plans were put on hold by the State Government in 2002,[28] with diesel powered locomotives and railcars utilised instead.
Interstate services between Melbourne and Adelaide also call at North Shore three times per week. Another station, Geelong Racecourse, is located between South Geelong and Marshall stations but does not see regular service - only being used when there is a race meeting at the adjacent Geelong Racecourse.
Freight trains operate from Melbourne to Geelong serving local industries,[29] as well as to Warrnambool and other western Victorian towns. The main standard gauge railway line to Adelaide sees heavy use carrying interstate freight.
Geelong is well-connected by roads to all of south-west Victoria. It is connected to other cities such as to Melbourne by the Princes Freeway (M1), to Warrnambool by the Princes Highway (A1), the Bellarine Peninsular by the Bellarine Highway (B110), Ballarat by the Midland Hightway (A300), and to Hamilton by the Hamilton Highway (B140).
The $380 million Geelong Ring Road is in early construction stages to bypass the greater Geelong metropolitan area. The bypass will leave the Princes Highway near Lara and rejoin the highway in Highton. Construction began in 2006.
Geelong also has many kilometres of bicycle trails covering most of the city and the Bellarine Peninsula.
Main articles: Searoad
The Bellarine Peninsula has been linked to the Mornington Peninsula since 1987 by the Searoad ferry, which runs every hour using two roll-on/roll-off ferries.
Main articles: Avalon Airport
Avalon Airport is located approximately 15 kilometres to the north-east of the city of Geelong. It was established in 1953 to cater for the production of military aircraft. It was also used for the repair of commercial aircraft, and for pilot training. Avalon Airport has also been home to low cost airline Jetstar since 2004. Flights to Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth use the airport.
Geelong is home to AFL club, the Geelong Football Club, the second oldest AFL club and one of the oldest in the world. For many years it was the only VFL/AFL club to exist outside of the greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It continues to participate in the national competition, based out of the Kardinia Park stadium and Telstra Dome in Melbourne and also fields a reserves side in the Victorian Football League. There are also 3 football leagues running in the area, including the Geelong Football League, the Bellarine Football League and the Geelong & District Football League.
The local basketball team is the Geelong Supercats. During the 2006 Commonwealth Games, ''The Arena'' stadium in North Geelong was used for basketball matches.
The developed Eastern Beach foreshore and nearby Eastern Gardens is regularly host to internationally televised triathlon events and annual sports car and racing car events such as the Geelong Speed TrialsGeelong Speed Trials website. Corio Bay is also host to many sailing and yachting events.
Geelong also fields teams in the Victorian Cricket Association's premier competition.
Geelong boasts many golf courses, sporting and recreation ovals and playing fields, as well as facilities for water skiing, rowing, fishing, hiking, greyhound racing, trots, and horse racing.
The Geelong Karting Club is based at the "Beckley Park International Racetrack".
Geelong has two sister cities. They are:
★ Lianyungang, China The Consulate General of the People's Repubulic of China, Melbourne
★ Izumiotsu, Japan Bimonthly Update for March/April 2005 from Australian Consulate-General, Osaka, Japan
★ Committee for Geelong
★ History of Port Phillip and Victoria
★ List of Heritage listed buildings in Geelong
★ List of Mayors of Geelong
★ Poppykettle Festival
1. 2006 Census Data
2. City Statistics
3. Rail Geelong: Geelong Line Guide
4. Geelong and District : Timeline
5. Bureau of Meteorology - Southeastern Australia, June 1952
6. Plaque marking opening of Bay City Plaza
7.
8. Premier announces new TAC site in Geelong
9. The Ave - 'Move or move on, TAC workers told'
10. Geelong Australia - Traffic improvements to improve east west traffic flow
11. ABC News - Ford's Geelong plant to close, 600 jobs lost
12. The Age - 'Regions get new lease on lifestyle' - April 14, 2004
13. Australian Bureau of Statistics - 2006 Census QuickStats : Geelong (VIC) (Statistical District)
14.
15.
16. Climate Averages for Australian Sites
17. Image Plaque marking opening of Bay City Plaza.
18. Barwon Water - About Us
19. ''R. Arklay and I. Sayer'' - 'Geelong's Electric Supply' - September 1970
20. The Geelong Gas Company 1858 - 1958: 100 years of public service and progressive development
21. deListed: GEELONG GAS COMPANY LIMITED
22. The Town of Barwon Heads
23. The Town of Barwon Heads
24. Geelong Otway Region Domestic Visitation 2001
25. Geelong tramways — a short history
26. The Age - 'Network hits 50-year high as commuters crowd on'
27. V/line - First VLocity Services to Geelong
28. Electrification of the Geelong rail line not to proceed at this stage
29. Rail Geelong - North Geelong Yard
★ Official Geelong Government Site
★ Local history of Geelong
★ Geelong Advertiser - newspaper website
★ Geelong - city guide
A view of Corio Bay from Moorabool Street.
'Geelong' is the second largest city in the state of Victoria, Australia and is the largest regional centre in the state. It is a port city with an urban population of 160,199 people. [2] Also it is one of the largest provincial cities in Australia. Geelong is located on Corio Bay, 75 kilometres south-west of the state's capital, Melbourne.
The city is a gateway to many renowned tourist attractions, namely the scenic Great Ocean Road, the Shipwreck Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula. Geelong is also home to the Geelong Football Club, known by locals as ''The Cats''. Geelong is covered by the municipality of the City of Greater Geelong.
History
1800s: White settlement
Prior to white settlement in the early 1800s, the area of Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula was originally occupied by Aboriginal tribes, notably the Wathaurong people .
The first non-Aboriginal person recorded as visiting the Geelong region was Lt. John Murray, who commanded the brig Lady Nelson.
Graham Berry began a rival newspaper 1866 against the established paper ''The Geelong Advertiser'', known as the ''Geelong Register''.
After anchoring outside Port Phillip Heads (The narrow entrance to Port Phillip, onto which both Geelong and Melbourne now front) on 1 February 1802 he sent a small boat with six men to explore .
Led by John Bowen they explored the immediate area, returning to the Lady Nelson on 4 February. On reporting favourable findings, the Lady Nelson entered Port Phillip on 14 February, and did not leave until 12 March. During this time, Murray explored the Geelong area and, whilst on the far side of the bay, claimed the entire area for Britain. He named Port Phillip Bay, Port King, after Philip Gidley King, then Governor of New South Wales. Governor King later renamed the bay Port Phillip Bay [with two ells] after the first governor of Australia .
Hot on Murray's heels was Matthew Flinders, who entered Port Phillip Bay on 27 April 1802. He charted the entire bay, including the Geelong area, believing he was the first to sight the huge expanse of water, but in a rush to reach Sydney before winter set in he left Port Phillip on 3 May. In December 1802, Surveyor-General Grimes and Lt. Charles Robbins walked around Port Phillip Bay, but finding no fresh water in the Geelong area reported it as uninhabitable. Staying close to the bay, they had completely missed the Barwon River, which, flowing into the ocean and not the bay, passes through present day Geelong on the inland side of a ridge .
The next visit to the Geelong area, apart from a short-lived settlement at Sorrento, on the far side of the bay (1803/4) was by the explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell. They reached Corio Bay - the area of Port Phillip Bay that Geelong now fronts - on 16 December 1824, and it was at this time they reported that the Aborigines called the area ''Corayo'', the bay being called ''Jillong''. Hume and Hovell had been contracted to travel overland from Sydney to Port Phillip, and having achieved this they stayed the night and begun their return journey the following day.
William Buckley, an escaped convict from the Sullivan Bay settlement, lived among the Wautharong people for 32 years in the Bellarine Peninsula.
In 1835, John Batman used Indented Head as his base camp, leaving behind several employees whilst he returned to Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land) for more supplies and his family.
In the same year, Buckley stumbled into the camp and was later pardoned. He was subsequently given the position of interpreter to the natives and as a guide for Captain Foster Fyans .
1830s
Location of Geelong
In March 1836, three squatters, David Fisher, James Strachan and George Russell arrived on the Caledonia and settled the area. By 1838, when Geelong (By this time the Aboriginal names for the land and water had been swapped) was first surveyed by Assistant Surveyor, W. H. Smythe three weeks after Melbourne, the population was 545. There was already a church, hotel, store and wool store; and by 1841, the first wool had been sent to England. A regular steamer service was also running between Geelong and Melbourne .
Captain Foster Fyans constructed a breakwater on the Barwon.
Captain Foster Fyans was commissioned as the local Police Magistrate and established himself on the Barwon River at the site of the area of present-day Fyansford. Fyans constructed a breakwater to improve the water supply to the city by preventing the salty lower reaches from mixing with fresh water and pooling water. This structure gave its name to the area now known as Breakwater, today an eastern industrial and residential suburb of Geelong .
The Fyansford Hotel is located nearby to the site of Fyan's first camp. In 1849, Fyans was nominated as the inaugural Mayor of the Geelong Town Council. An early settler of Geelong, Alexander Thomson, for which the area of Thomson in East Geelong is named, settled on the Barwon River, and was Mayor of Geelong on five occasions from 1850 - 1858 .
1850s: Victorian gold rush
In 1851, gold was discovered in nearby Ballarat, causing the Geelong population to grow from 8,000 to 22,000 during 1851 - 1853. The first issue of the ''Geelong Advertiser'' newspaper was published in 1840. The Geelong to Melbourne railway was opened by the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company in 1857.[3] HM Prison Geelong, built using convict labour, was opened in 1864 .
In 1866 Graham Berry started a newspaper, the ''Geelong Register'', as a rival to the established ''Geelong Advertiser''. When this proved unsuccessful, he bought the Advertiser and made himself editor of the now merged papers. Using the paper as a platform, he was elected for West Geelong in 1869. In 1877 he switched to Geelong, which he represented until 1886 .
1900s: 20th century
The banks of the Barwon River burst in 1952, flooding nearby Belmont Common.
The town of Geelong officially became a city on 8 December 1910. Electric trams began operation in 1912, travelling along Pakington St, Geelong West and the city centre until their demise in 1956. Between 1922 and 1925 Geelong's industrial growth began: three woollen mills, fertilizer plants and the Ford Motor Company's vehicle plant at Norlane. The Corio whiskey distillery (1928) and the ''Geelong Advertiser's radio station 3GL (now K-Rock) (1930) were opened.[4]
In 1938 one of the last Port Philip Bay steamers, ''Edina'', made its final trip to Geelong, ending a romantic period of seaside excursions and contests for the fastest trip. Government housing was constructed in the northern suburbs of Norlane, North Shore and Corio during the 1950s to provide accommodation for many low income workers at nearby Ford Motor Company, International Harvester, Pivot Phosphate and Jackson's Abattoirs factories. On the eve of the second world war the International Harvester works were opened beside Ford at North Shore, and a grain elevator terminal was built at nearby Corio Quay. During June 1952, the banks of the Barwon River burst, flooding nearby Belmont Common.[5]
The Geelong Football Club won premierships in 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952 and 1963. Major city shopping centre Market Square Shopping Centre was constructed in 1985, with Westfield Bay City (formerly Bay City Plaza) built in 1988.[6]
21st century
In 2004, Avalon Airport was upgraded and provides for interstate travel for the first time to Geelong residents, who previously travelled to Melbourne for air transport. Geelong expands towards the coast, with Mount Duneed becoming a suburb and the City of Geelong planning a new suburb known as Armstrong Creek. The Geelong Ring Road is planned to take the Princes Highway around the city of Geelong from Corio to Waurn Ponds. Construction of the bypass began in 2006 and is due to be finished in 2009.
Westfield Bay City construction works
2007 has seen more than $500 million dollars worth of major construction under way in Geelong.[7]
Major projects include the $150 million Westfield Bay City expansion works, involving a flyover of Yarra Street and a number of new stores; the $37 milion Deakin Waterfront campus redevelopment and the $23 million Deakin Medical School; the $50 million Edgewater apartment development on the waterfront; a number of multi-million dollar office developments in the CBD; and a new $30 million aquatic centre in Waurn Ponds.[8]
The Bracks State Government announced the relocation of the Transport Accident Commission headquarters from Melbourne to Geelong in October 2006, which will create 850 jobs and an annual economic benefit of over $59 million to the Geelong region. The construction of the $80 million Brougham Street headquarters is due to be complete by late 2008.[9]
Plans have been completed by the City of Greater Geelong to improve the east west traffic flow in the Central Geelong, with works to be completed by 2008. These works will alter the current layout of streets in the Geelong area.[10]
In July 2007 Ford Australia announced it was closing its Geelong engine plant. About 600 jobs will be lost when the plant closes in 2010.[11]
Geelong now has 210,000 people in the City of Greater Geelong and approximately 260,000 in the immediate vicinity, and is larger than the other major Australian cities of Hobart, Darwin, Cairns and Townsville. [12]
Demographics
As of the 2006 Census, there were 160,000 people residing in 68,000 households. Geelong residents are 78.4% Australian born. Of those born overseas: England (3.6%), Italy (1.1%), Croatia (1.0%), Netherlands (0.9%), Scotland (0.8%). 85.8% of households English is the only language spoken at home.[13]
The median age of persons in Geelong was 37 years. 19.4% of the population of Geelong were children aged between 0-14 years, and 26.6% were persons aged 55 years and over. 48.5% of residents were male and 51.5% were female. Of persons aged 15 years and over, 49.2% are married, 32.4% never married, 11.2% are separated or divorced, and 7.2% are widowed.[14]
The 2006 Census found the most common religious affiliations in Geelong was Catholicism at 29.4%, No Religion 20.5%, Anglican 14.6%, Uniting Church 7.9% and Presbyterian and Reformed at 4.3%.[14]
Geography
Location of Geelong in Victoria (red)
Map of Geelong
Geelong is located on the shores of Corio Bay, a south-western inlet bay of Port Phillip. During clear weather, the Melbourne skyline is visible from areas of Geelong when viewed across Port Phillip. The Barwon River flows through the city to the south before entering Lake Connewarre and the Barwon River estuary at Barwon Heads before going into Bass Strait.
Geelong is surrounded by many kilometres of developed farmland and is noted for its many wineries and nearby surf beaches along the Great Ocean Road.
Many materials used to construct notable Victorian buildings were quarried from Geelong, such as bluestone, used to construct the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne and sandstone, used to construct the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo.
A small number of brown coal deposits exist in the Geelong region, most notably at Anglesea where it is mined to fuel Alcoa's Anglesea Power Station.
Climate
Average maximum temperature in Geelong peaks at 24.7 degrees Celsius during February to a minimum of 13.3°C. July maximum temperatures average 13.9°C, the minimum temperature averages 5.1 °C. The highest maximum temperature recorded is 44.8°C in January 2003. The lowest recorded maximum is 7.9°C, recorded Aug 2005. Rainfall is generally uniform throughout the year with no distinct wet or dry seasons, although autumn and spring are generally regarded as the most reliable rainy seasons. Average annual rainfall is 551.8 mm.[16]
Economy
Geelong's major industries and employers include the Ford Motor Company, which was founded in Geelong in 1926, Godfrey Hirst Carpets, Target, Alcoa, Steggles and a Shell oil refinery. Major Australian retailer, Target began operations in Geelong in 1925, with its head office still located in its original North Geelong premises in Thompsons Road. The nearby town of Torquay is the location of many surfing equipment and clothing manufacturers, notably Rip Curl, as well as some of Australia's finest surf beaches and the Surf World Museum.
The Pyramid Building Society, founded in Geelong in 1959, collapsed in 1990 leaving debts of AUD $2billion. Many Geelong investors were financially affected by the society's collapse.
Retail
Geelong has a number of shopping precincts in the CBD and surrounding suburbs. The two main shopping centres located in the CBD are:
★ Westfield Bay City - Major retailers include Myer, Target and Coles Supermarkets. Coles is currently closed for renovations and will not be finished until 2008
★ Market Square - Major retailers include Best and Less, JB Hi-Fi and Harris Scarfe
In 2007, Westfield had started the expansion of Bay City and the flyover for Yarra Street and adding a Big W on the other side of Yarra Street is currently under construction[17].
In the surrounding suburbs, major shopping centres include Belmont Plaza, Town and Country Shopping Centre in Waurn Ponds, Bellarine Village in Newcomb in the east, and Corio Village Shopping Centre.
Facilities
Education
Main articles: List of schools in Geelong
The Geelong Grammar School clock tower.
Geelong is served by a number of schools, both public and private, catering to both local students, those from Geelong region and overseas students. The first schools in Geelong were established when the town was settled from the 1850s, among them Geelong College and Geelong Grammar School. Many of these schools remain open today, now joined by a number of new schools opened from the 1950s when the population of Geelong grew after World War II.
The late 1980s and 1990s saw changes to the school system, with new secondary schools such as Catholic Regional College and Western Heights Secondary College created from smaller secondary schools. It was also at this time that a number of technical schools were closed, and primary schools were closed by the Kennett State Government.
Deakin University is located in Waurn Ponds and also has a campus located on the waterfront of Corio Bay in the Geelong CBD. The campus at Waurn Ponds will be home to Victoria's first and only regional medical school, opening its doors in 2008. Also located in Geelong are the Gordon Institute of TAFE, the Marcus Oldham Farm Management College, the Reformed Theological College, and the International Fibre Centre.
Utilities
Facade of the former 'Geelong A' power station, now part of Westfield Bay City
Water storage and supply in Geelong is managed by Barwon Water, a Victorian Government owned urban water corporation. Geelong is supplied with water from three river systems: the Barwon River, the East Moorabool River and the West Moorabool River. The catchment areas are the Brisbane Ranges to Geelong's north-west, and the Otway Ranges to the south-west. The first water supplies to Geelong was from the Stony Creek reservoirs near Steiglitz, but today the West Barwon Reservoir system supplies approximately 70 per cent of the water for Geelong.[18] Sewage from Geelong and district is treated at the Black Rock Treatment Plant at Breamlea and then discharged into Bass Strait.
Geelong was first supplied with electricity in 1902, Geelong A power station was opened on the corner of Yarra and Brougham Streets in the city. Later known as 'Geelong A', the power station was rebuilt in 1920 to increase the capacity, with the station continued operating until 1961. In 1936 Geelong was connected to the state electrical grid. The 'Geelong B' power station at North Geelong opened in 1954, [19] and was closed in 1970 due to the much higher efficiency of the power stations in the Latrobe Valley.
The supply of piped Coal gas in Geelong started in 1860 by the Geelong Gas Company. The gasworks were located in North Geelong next to the North Geelong railway station.[20] Geelong was converted to natural gas in 1971, with the Geelong Gas Company being taken over by the Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria on June 30 1971.[21]
Research laboratories
Located in Geelong are major research laboratories, the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Moolap, CSIRO Division of Textiles and Fibres Technology in Belmont and the Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute at Queenscliff.
Culture
Arts and entertainment
Geelong is home to a vast number of pubs, nightclubs and live music venues and has also given birth to a number of notable Australian bands and musicians such as Barry Crocker, Magic Dirt, Jeff Lang, Denis Walter and also festivals such as the Meredith Music Festival, the Offshore Festival and Poppykettle Festival. Geelong also has the Geelong Performing Arts Centre (commonly known as GPAC), which is an art centre consisting of two theatres (the Ford Theatre and the Blakiston Theatre) and is home to the Back to Back Theatre company.
Geelong in film
Geelong has been used as a filming location for several feature films and television series:
★ ''On the Beach'' (1959), final scenes filmed at Barwon Heads [22]
★ ''Mad Max'' (1979), areas of Lovely Banks and Lara used for filming
★ ''Phar Lap'' (1983)
★ ''The Lighthorsemen'' (1987)
★ ''Everynight ... Everynight'' (1994), filmed at HM Prison Geelong
★ ''SeaChange'' (1998 - 2002), filmed on location at Barwon Heads
★ ''Teardrops'' (2001)
★ ''Ned Kelly'' (2003)
★ ''One Perfect Day'' (2004)
★ ''December Boys'' (2006), scenes filmed in South Geelong at Kardinia Pool
★ ''Kenny'' (2006), scenes filmed at Avalon during the Australian International Airshow
★ ''Visit Film Geelong for more information.
Media
The ''Geelong Advertiser'', the oldest newspaper title in Australia and the second oldest continuously run newspaper, was established in 1840. Also circulated are the free ''Geelong Independent'', and ''Geelong News'' newspapers, as well as smaller regional suburban newspapers serving the Bellarine Peninsula area such as the Ocean Grove Voice. Melbourne newspapers, ''The Age'' and ''The Herald Sun'' are readily available.
Geelong does not have television broadcasting facilities and relies on broadcasts from Melbourne for free to air television reception. A set of small analogue UHF TV in-fill repeaters located at the Highton water basin service a television reception black spot in the valley suburbs of Highton & Newtown. The Geelong region also receives cable and satellite television service through Pay-TV operators Foxtel & Neighbourhood Cable. Channel 31 is also available.
A local TV service known as GOTV briefly was broadcast on Neighbourhood Cable in mid 2006, it has since stopped broadcasting.
Geelong in film
Geelong has been used as a filming location for several feature films and television series:
★ ''On the Beach'' (1959), final scenes filmed at Barwon Heads [22]
★ ''Mad Max'' (1979), areas of Lovely Banks and Lara used for filming
★ ''Phar Lap'' (1983)
★ ''The Lighthorsemen'' (1987)
★ ''Everynight ... Everynight'' (1994), filmed at HM Prison Geelong
★ ''SeaChange'' (1998 - 2002), filmed on location at Barwon Heads
★ ''Teardrops'' (2001)
★ ''Ned Kelly'' (2003)
★ ''One Perfect Day'' (2004)
★ ''December Boys'' (2006), scenes filmed in South Geelong at Kardinia Pool
★ ''Kenny'' (2006), scenes filmed at Avalon during the Australian International Airshow
★ ''Visit Film Geelong for more information.
Radio
Local radio stations are 3GL (Ethnic service), K-Rock (FM), Rhema FM (Christian Community station), The Pulse (Community Radio service), Vision Australia Radio 99.5FM (Print Radio), and Bay FM. Transmitters for K-Rock, The Pulse, Rhema FM & Bay FM are located at a shared transmitter site on Mt Bellarine on the Bellarine Peninsula near Drysdale. Most Melbourne radio stations can also be clearly heard in Geelong.
Visitor attractions & tourism
The Great Ocean Road.
The Geelong region attracted over 6,000,000 tourists during 2001.[24] Geelong is a gateway to many renowned tourist attractions, namely the scenic Great Ocean Road, the Shipwreck Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula. Coupled with an array of gardens Geelong's other tourist attractions include:
★ Avalon Raceway
★ Bellarine Peninsula Railway
★ Bells Beach, home to the Bells Beach Surf Classic during Easter since 1973
★ Eastern Beach - swimming pool and boardwalk on the edge of the Geelong CBD.
★ Ford Discovery Centre, Ford Motor Company museum.
★ Fort Queenscliff - museum of regional and national military history.
★ Geelong Art Gallery
★ Geelong Botanic Gardens - oldest botanic gardens in Australia.
★ Geelong Performing Arts Centre
★ Geelong Racecourse - home of the Geelong Cup.
★ HM Prison Geelong (also known as Old Geelong Gaol) - historic prison built by convict labour, closed in 1991.
★ Kardinia Park - Home ground to the Geelong Football Club.
★ National Wool Museum - the wool capital of Australia's tribute to wool.
★ St. Mary of the Angels Basilica - one of five Catholic Basilicas in Australia.
★ Waterfront Geelong - one of Australia's finest waterfront precincts.
★ You Yangs - granite peak near Lara.
★ Geelong has more than 30 historical buildings listed on the Victorian Heritage RegisterMonash University Place names gazette (link broken)
Events and festivals
Geelong has an array of events and festivals ranging from the multicultural Pako Festa to the Australian International Airshow. Other events hosted in the Geelong region include the Meredith Music Festival, the cultural Poppykettle Festival, National Celtic Festival, World Cup Triathlon, Skandia Geelong Week and the Women's Cycling World Cup.
In February 2007, Geelong hosted the Australian Leg of the International Ironman Triathlon.
Notable people from Geelong
★ Kate Allen, Olympic Champion and Vice European Champion in triathlon ★ Christina Amphlett, lead singer of The Divinyls ★ Felicity Andersen, actress ★ Billy Baxter, musician and radio presenter from the Coodabeen Champions ★ Ian M Bone, children's author ★ Norman Brearley, aviator and pioneer of the Australian airline industry ★ William Buckley, escaped convict who lived on the Bellarine Peninsula for 32 years ★ Arthur Coles, (1892–1982), businessman and philanthropist ★ Frank Costa OAM, businessman and philanthropist ★ Ian Cover, journalist, politician and radio presenter from the Coodabeen Champions ★ Barry Crocker, singer and actor ★ Nathan Deakes, Olympic walker ★ Frank De Stefano OAM, former Mayor imprisoned for 10 years in 2003 on fraud charges involving AUD$8.3 million ★ Joey Didulica, soccer goalkeeper ★ Robert Doyle, politician ★ Trisha Fallon, Women's basketballer ★ Keith Faure, first murder conviction related to the Melbourne gangland killings ★ Gene Bradley Fisk, country singer and radio announcer ★ Peter Fossey, Commonwealth Games Athlete ★ Bev Francis, powerlifting world champion athlete ★ Helen Garner, novelist and journalist ★ James Harrison, (1816–1893), engineer | ★ Lindsay Hassett, (1913–1993), Australian Cricketer ★ Robert Ingpen, author and illustrator ★ Edi Krncevic, soccer player ★ Jeff Lang, musician ★ Peter Larkins, doctor, athlete and media personality ★ Darryn Lyons, photographer, nightclub owner and media personality ★ Graeme Lloyd, Major League Baseball player ★ Russell Mockridge, (1928–1958), cyclist ★ Craig Mottram, Olympic athlete ★ Andrew Olexander, politician ★ Mick O'Malley, professional boxer ★ Francis Ormond, pastoralist and philanthropist ★ Guy Pearce, actor ★ Ian Redpath, Australian Cricketer ★ Portia de Rossi, actress ★ Marisa Siketa, actress ★ Josip Skoko, soccer player ★ Daryl Somers, television personality ★ Adalita Srsen, rock musician and founding member of Magic Dirt. ★ Caitlin Stasey, actress ★ Arthur Streeton, artist ★ Rebecca Maddern, newsreader ★ Neil Trezise, Australian Rules Footballer and Australian Labor Party Politician ★ Alexander Thomson, pioneer, settler and mayor ★ Lee Troop, Olympic marathon runner ★ Denis Walter, television personality ★ Mark Wilson, bass guitarist for band Jet |
Transportation
Opening of the Geelong tramway in 1912, Moorabool St, Geelong.
Public transport
Bus operated by Benders Busways
Geelong is serviced by local bus routes covering the city centre and most surrounding suburbs. Taxi and hire car services are also available.
From 1912, Geelong was served by a tram system, with the network progressively expanding to include routes that ran from the City to North Geelong, Geelong West, Newtown, Chilwell, Belmont, Eastern Park, and Geelong East. [25] Initially operated by a private electricity supply company, the Melbourne Electric Supply Company Limited, the system was transferred to the State Electricity Commission of Victoria in 1930 as part of a rationalisation of electricity suppliers. The tramways continued until 25 March 1956, when the final tram ran in Geelong on the Belmont route. Privately operated buses took over the former tram routes.
Current bus routes are operated under the umbrella of the Geelong Transit System, and are currently contracted to Benders Buslines and McHarry Buslines. Another government transport initiative, Bellarine Transit, is currently contracted to McHarry Buslines and provides interurban services between Geelong and the towns of Torquay, Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove and the Bellarine Peninsula. V/Line services link Geelong with Ballarat, Daylesford, Bendigo, Apollo Bay, the Great Ocean Road, the Twelve Apostles and Warrnambool.
Rail
Geelong is located at the junction of freight and passenger rail lines to Melbourne, Warrnambool, Ballarat, and Adelaide.
V/Line operates hourly passenger services to Melbourne, as well as Warrnambool three times daily. Geelong passengers are served by seven railway stations on the Geelong line. Train travel time from Geelong to Melbourne Southern Cross Station is less than 60 minutes, making it a popular alternative to driving for Geelong residents working in the Melbourne area.[26] Train services between Melbourne and Geelong received a government funded upgrade under the Regional Fast Rail project between 2004 and 2005, with new high speed VLocity railcars manufactured by Bombardier in Dandenong entering service to Geelong in early 2006.[27]
There have been calls to electrify the intensively used commuter line to Melbourne, but plans were put on hold by the State Government in 2002,[28] with diesel powered locomotives and railcars utilised instead.
Interstate services between Melbourne and Adelaide also call at North Shore three times per week. Another station, Geelong Racecourse, is located between South Geelong and Marshall stations but does not see regular service - only being used when there is a race meeting at the adjacent Geelong Racecourse.
Freight trains operate from Melbourne to Geelong serving local industries,[29] as well as to Warrnambool and other western Victorian towns. The main standard gauge railway line to Adelaide sees heavy use carrying interstate freight.
Roads
Princes Freeway at Lara.
Geelong is well-connected by roads to all of south-west Victoria. It is connected to other cities such as to Melbourne by the Princes Freeway (M1), to Warrnambool by the Princes Highway (A1), the Bellarine Peninsular by the Bellarine Highway (B110), Ballarat by the Midland Hightway (A300), and to Hamilton by the Hamilton Highway (B140).
The $380 million Geelong Ring Road is in early construction stages to bypass the greater Geelong metropolitan area. The bypass will leave the Princes Highway near Lara and rejoin the highway in Highton. Construction began in 2006.
Geelong also has many kilometres of bicycle trails covering most of the city and the Bellarine Peninsula.
Ferries
Main articles: Searoad
The Bellarine Peninsula has been linked to the Mornington Peninsula since 1987 by the Searoad ferry, which runs every hour using two roll-on/roll-off ferries.
Airports
Main articles: Avalon Airport
Jetstar aircraft at Avalon Airport
Avalon Airport is located approximately 15 kilometres to the north-east of the city of Geelong. It was established in 1953 to cater for the production of military aircraft. It was also used for the repair of commercial aircraft, and for pilot training. Avalon Airport has also been home to low cost airline Jetstar since 2004. Flights to Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth use the airport.
Sports
2007 Bay Classic Series at Eastern Beach.
Geelong is home to AFL club, the Geelong Football Club, the second oldest AFL club and one of the oldest in the world. For many years it was the only VFL/AFL club to exist outside of the greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It continues to participate in the national competition, based out of the Kardinia Park stadium and Telstra Dome in Melbourne and also fields a reserves side in the Victorian Football League. There are also 3 football leagues running in the area, including the Geelong Football League, the Bellarine Football League and the Geelong & District Football League.
The local basketball team is the Geelong Supercats. During the 2006 Commonwealth Games, ''The Arena'' stadium in North Geelong was used for basketball matches.
The developed Eastern Beach foreshore and nearby Eastern Gardens is regularly host to internationally televised triathlon events and annual sports car and racing car events such as the Geelong Speed TrialsGeelong Speed Trials website. Corio Bay is also host to many sailing and yachting events.
Geelong also fields teams in the Victorian Cricket Association's premier competition.
Geelong boasts many golf courses, sporting and recreation ovals and playing fields, as well as facilities for water skiing, rowing, fishing, hiking, greyhound racing, trots, and horse racing.
The Geelong Karting Club is based at the "Beckley Park International Racetrack".
Sister cities
Geelong has two sister cities. They are:
★ Lianyungang, China The Consulate General of the People's Repubulic of China, Melbourne
★ Izumiotsu, Japan Bimonthly Update for March/April 2005 from Australian Consulate-General, Osaka, Japan
See also
★ Committee for Geelong
★ History of Port Phillip and Victoria
★ List of Heritage listed buildings in Geelong
★ List of Mayors of Geelong
★ Poppykettle Festival
References
1. 2006 Census Data
2. City Statistics
3. Rail Geelong: Geelong Line Guide
4. Geelong and District : Timeline
5. Bureau of Meteorology - Southeastern Australia, June 1952
6. Plaque marking opening of Bay City Plaza
7.
8. Premier announces new TAC site in Geelong
9. The Ave - 'Move or move on, TAC workers told'
10. Geelong Australia - Traffic improvements to improve east west traffic flow
11. ABC News - Ford's Geelong plant to close, 600 jobs lost
12. The Age - 'Regions get new lease on lifestyle' - April 14, 2004
13. Australian Bureau of Statistics - 2006 Census QuickStats : Geelong (VIC) (Statistical District)
14.
15.
16. Climate Averages for Australian Sites
17. Image Plaque marking opening of Bay City Plaza.
18. Barwon Water - About Us
19. ''R. Arklay and I. Sayer'' - 'Geelong's Electric Supply' - September 1970
20. The Geelong Gas Company 1858 - 1958: 100 years of public service and progressive development
21. deListed: GEELONG GAS COMPANY LIMITED
22. The Town of Barwon Heads
23. The Town of Barwon Heads
24. Geelong Otway Region Domestic Visitation 2001
25. Geelong tramways — a short history
26. The Age - 'Network hits 50-year high as commuters crowd on'
27. V/line - First VLocity Services to Geelong
28. Electrification of the Geelong rail line not to proceed at this stage
29. Rail Geelong - North Geelong Yard
External links
★ Official Geelong Government Site
★ Local history of Geelong
★ Geelong Advertiser - newspaper website
★ Geelong - city guide
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