The area between Johnstone Park and Ryrie Street to the west of the shopping and business district of Geelong is known as the Geelong Arts Precinct. This area is also home to the Geelong Town Hall, which is the main council offices of the City of Greater Geelong.
The city is currently seeking funds for a radical overhaul of the precinct where the current facilities will receive a substantial redevelopment. There are also plans for some pretty innovative landscaping and street works which will bring the area into line with the rest of our recently rejuvenated city. This massive renovation will make the precinct one of the best arts and cultural precincts in the state. The scale of the project put the cost of the whole redevelopment in the vicinity of over 130 million dollars.
The Geelong Art Gallery is attached to the Geelong Town Hall, and it houses a magnificent and varied collection of artworks. Two paintings in particular are extremely special to our Gallery, first being the “View of Geelong” which was painted by Eugene von Guerad in 1856. This painting was bought recently by the museum from legendary English musical creator Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. “A Bush Burial” by Fredrick McCubbin, painted in 1890 is another of the gallery’s most precious works.
GPAC, or the Geelong Performing Arts Centre as it is known in long hand, has been the centre for outstanding theatre productions and all aspects of the performing arts. The venue is a popular live venue for many national and international artists touring through the region. GPAC consists of several different size and style theatres where they hold just about any type of theatre performance.
The GPAC venue is currently undergoing a massive redevelopment with a multi story tower under construction in Ryrie Street. The redevelopment will totally transform the centre with state of the art theaters and facilities.
GPAC also manages the magnificent Costa Hall which is located in the Deakin University Wool store Campus on the Waterfront. This magnificent venue can seat 1500 people and is used for large scale concerts, conference meetings and lectures.
The beautiful Art Deco building on the corner of Gheringhap Street and Little Malop Street was once home to the Geelong Court House, before it moved to modern facilities on Railway Terrace opposite Johnstone Park. Today the building is simply known as Courthouse Arts; it is home to a terrific youth based centre where music, theatre and all aspects of art are celebrated. This innovative centre is a springboard for local youth to gain valuable skills and exposure in the arts. Courthouse Arts have a wide range of events, shows and programs which are not only held at the centre but locally in the region. The venue is also a host to shows and productions that tour nationally. The Courthouse Cafe in front of the centre is well regarded as one of Geelong’s best coffee shops and is extremely popular, especially in the mornings.
The huge domed Geelong Library and Heritage Centre is one of the most recognisable icons on the Geelong Skyline and is one of the must sees for anyone visiting our city. The centre opened in 2015 and is not only an architectural masterpiece it is a brilliant library and the Heritage Centre. The Heritage Centre is home to Victoria’s largest regional archive, it preserves and catalogues a vast array of items relating to the Geelong region’s history and heritage, including, its people and its places with a huge collection of written works, photographs, film, and other cultural artifacts and memorabilia.
