Geelong Museums & History

Geelong Museums
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.

Museums & History

Alcoa Point Henry

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…


Belchers Corner Geelong

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…


Geelong Waterfront

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 Geelong

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 Geelong

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…


Bandt Ute

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…


historic geelong

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.


Thomas Austin introduced the rabbit into Australia

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

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 yearsGeelong’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 station red rattler

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 Village Theatre

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…


Henry the seal

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 tractor

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…


Geelong Ropeworks

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…



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.


Osborne House Geelong

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…


qantas vheaj

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…


historic geelong

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.


geelong-historical

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 Marys Geelong

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

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 and g building

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…


Hygeia Bay Steamer 1905

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….


Bow Truss Building Geelong

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.


eye spy ferry

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…


corio distillery

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…


Geelong Cressy Buiding

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…


Geelong 500 race

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…


Geelong Cement works demolition

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…


kardinia park

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…


Geelong Peace Memorial

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

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….


Hovercraft Courier

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

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…


old geelong gaol

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 Geelong

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…


Valley Worsted mill Geelong

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 Geelong

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…