Geelong’s original owners are the Wathaurong People who called the bay “Jillong” and surrounding land “Corayo”. The name Jillong has a meaning similar to “a place of the sea bird over the white cliffs”. Somehow we got it mixed up and now call the land Geelong and the bay Corio.
Alcoa Point Henry Smelter
Located on Point Henry at the entrance of Corio Bay to the west of the city centre is the giant manufacturing site of Alcoa. This…
Belcher’s Corner
Only months after losing the Band of Hope and Mechanic’s Institute buildings to make way for the new GPAC redevelopment, Geelong’s Ryrie Street looses another…
City by the Bay Concept – 1981
The City by the Bay concept was the first major plan for the then relatively unused Geelong waterfront. The wool stores had pretty much all…
Constructing Geelong’s Waterfront
The Geelong Waterfront was redeveloped from virtually a wasteland into one of the country’s most beautiful waterfront precincts in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s….
Corio Villa
Proudly sitting in lush gardens above Easter Beach and taking in the sweeping views of the Geelong waterfront and Corio Bay, Corio Villa is one…
Cunningham Pier
Cunningham Pier is probably the most iconic structure on our magnificent waterfront. Opening in the mid 1850’s, the pier was a vital part of our…
Ford in Geelong
The Ford Motor Company began its Australian manufacturing in Geelong back in 1925 and although times have and are constantly changing, Ford is still today…
Geelong – a brief history
The Wathaurong People were Geelong’s first residents and they originally called the bay “Jillong” and the surrounding land “Corayo”. The name Jillong has a meaning…
Geelong – Historic Photo Gallery
Take a nostalgic journey through our historic photo gallery, which has some interesting shots of Geelong and region as it once looked.
Geelong and the rabbit invasion
The Geelong region has the notoriety of introducing one of the greatest environmental catastrophes onto Australia; the rabbit. The story of the rabbit in Australia…
Geelong Grammar School
Located on Limeburner’s Bay on the northern shoreline of Corio Bay is one of Australia’s most magnificent buildings and one of the world’s finest and…
Geelong Pub and Nightclub History
Over the years, Geelong’s pubs and nightspots have had a lot of changes; some good and others, well… didn’t last that long. We take a look back at some of the more memorable moments.
Geelong Railway Station
The Geelong Railway Station has served our city for nearly 160 years with the first line opening in November of 1856. The Geelong Line originally…
Geelong Trams
Although you can hardly tell today, Geelong once had a large tram network that was the envy of many other regional towns across Australia. Since…
Geelong’s Cinema & Theatre History
Geelong has a vibrant theatre scene, but a lot has changed throughout the decades. We have lost many magnificent theatres to changing tastes, technological progress…
Geelong’s Great Twister of 1926
Fortunately the Geelong region is not normally prone to tornadoes or twisters as they are commonly known. They are usually associated with the mid lands…
Geelong’s Guggenheim Museum Bid
In the early 2000s, Geelong set its sights on a grand ambition: to host a Guggenheim Museum. Inspired by the extraordinary success of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, had the potential to transform Geelong into a global cultural hub.
Henry the Elephant Seal
There have been a few seal sightings recently so we though we would dig out our story on one of the most popular seal visitors…
International Harvester
Corio Quay at North Shore where the huge wood chip mountain now stands was once home to International Harvester, a manufacturer of agricultural equipment in…
M. Donaghy and Sons Ropeworks
Kinnear’s Ropeworks or M. Donaghy and Sons Fairview Ropeworks as it was earlier know, was a huge industrial site towards the northern end of Pakington…
Myths, Legends & Tales of the Geelong Region
The Geelong and surrounding region has a rich heritage of myths, legends and tales, some true, some not so true and many well who knows?…
National Wool Museum
Wool was the foundation of Geelong’s prosperity and brought much wealth to our town. The National Wool Museum celebrates the hardships and trumps of this natural fibre and its lasting legacy on Australia.
Osbourne House
Located on the St Helen’s shoreline overlooking the city and Corio Bay is the magnificent 1858 Osborne House. The grand bluestone building with sweeping verandas…
Planes, trains and ships named Geelong
There have been several aircraft, marine craft and locomotives named in honour of Geelong, many of which have a rich and colourful history. Qantas’s Boeing…
Region History
Much of our region was inhabited by the Wathaurong people for centuries before European visitors came to our shores. Many of our towns have maritime tales of shipwreck, exploration and conquering the harsh land.
Sleepy Hollow
During the Gold Rush era, towns like Ballarat and Bendigo were swelling in numbers with miners and others flocking to find their fortune. Many more…
St Mary’s of the Angles
With maybe the possible exception of the Kardinia Park light towers, St Mary’s Basilica is the most dominant structure on the Geelong skyline. Located on…
Steampacket Place – 1995
By the time the third go at rejuvenating the city and waterfront had come around, quite a bit had happened. The new shopping centres of…
T&G Building Geelong
One of the most notable buildings on Geelong’s skyline is the beautiful Art Deco and heritage listed T&G building. This iconic building has stood on…
The Bay Link Concept – 1988
The City By The Bay concept of 1981 didn’t quite take off as was hoped, but the major CBD shopping areas were redeveloped and became…
The Bay Steamers
Residents of Corio and Port Philip Bay are often envious of Sydney’s superb ferry network, but there was a time when ferries ruled our bays….
The Bow Truss Building
The Bow Truss Building, once stood on the site of the TAC Buiding in Brougham Street. It was a world renowned cement pillar less building with expansive concrete roof.
The Catarmaran Eye Spy
Today there are two ferries operating on our waterways providing service for passengers from Melbourne to Geelong and Portarlington. These services started from around 2018…
The Corio Distillery
Today Geelong is known for making some great craft beer, but did you know we were once home to one of the world’s biggest whisky…
The Cressy Trading Co. Building
Located on the corner of Yarra and Malop Streets diagonally opposite the modern glass shard of Westfield Shopping Centre, the Corio Chambers or Cressy Building…
The Geelong 500
There has been plenty of grand plans for major attractions or events in Geelong. While some have remained the fantasy of the local media on…
The Geelong Cement Works
Operated by the Australian Portland Cement Company under the brand name of Geelong Cement, the Fyansford cement works was a major industry for the Geelong…
The Geelong Football Club
As the team song says Geelong is the greatest team of all. The Geelong Football club has over 150 years of rich heritage and is one of the most successful teams of the Australian Football League.
The Geelong Ovoid Aqueduct
One of the more fascinating and relatively unknown nationally significant landmarks in our region is the unloved and deteriorating Geelong Ovoid Aqueduct. This historic structure…
The Geelong Peace Memorial
The Geelong Peace Memorial in Johnstone Park is one of Geelong’s most moving and sacred sites. Built as a memorial to the soldiers who served…
The Gordon Institute
The Gordon Institute has been at the forefront of architecture in the city, and that is evident today with their new campus at East Geelong….
The Hovercraft Courier
Many Geelong locals have long had a fascination with seeing some sort of ferry return to our bay. As soon as the idea is floated,…
The Iron Store
The Iron Store is an interesting building on the corner of Mercer and Gin Streets on the northern entrance to the city centre. This building…
The Old Geelong Gaol
Explore one of Geelong’s darker sides with a visit to the Old Geelong Gaol, which has recently been reopened, not for prisoners but for tourists….
The Ritz Flats
Probably not notable but more notorious, the Ritz Flats on the corner of Bellerine and Corio Streets have become one of the city’s most controversial…
The Valley Worsted Mills
What we now know as Little Creatures Brewery in South Geelong was once known as the Valley Worsted Mills. This historic textile mill has played…
The Wyndham Explorer
The Wyndham Explorer was the name given to a ferry that started servicing Wyndham Harbour in Werribee South to Docklands in early 2016. The operators…
Yarra Street Pier
Early last century Geelong’s waterfront was abuzz with ships and cargo sailing across the bay. Yarra Street Pier was one of the busiest ports, transporting…