89-470: Gala Day is a one-day festival held in many towns over the world. One of the biggest is held in the city of Geelong , Victoria , Australia . The festival raises money for the Geelong Hospital , and was known for the street parade through central Geelong which featured local community groups, amusement rides in the main street, a sideshow alley , and showbag stalls. The first Gala Day
178-594: A temperate oceanic climate ( Cfb in the Köppen climate classification ) with dominant westerly winds, variable clouds, moderate rainfall that tends to fall lightly, mild to warm summers, and cool winters. February is the hottest month and July is the coldest. The highest temperature recorded was 47.4 °C (117.3 °F) on 7 February 2009 during a two-week-long heat wave, with the lowest of −4.3 °C (24.3 °F) recorded on 24 July 1997. The city gets around 37.6 clear days annually. The average annual rainfall
267-507: A Victorian record 891 mm (35.1 in) at nearby Tanybryn. The Western District was well-populated by Aboriginal Victorians at the time colonisation began. For example, the ancestors of the Gunditjmara people lived in villages of weather-proof houses with stone walls a metre high, located near eel traps and aquaculture ponds at Lake Condah and elsewhere - on just one hectare of Allambie Farm, archaeologists have discovered
356-668: A base for low-cost airline Jetstar to serve the Melbourne and Geelong urban areas. Geelong is planned to expand towards the south coast, with 2,500 hectares of land to become a major suburban development for 55,000 to 65,000 people, known as Armstrong Creek. In 2006, construction began on the Geelong Ring Road , designed to replace the Princes Highway through Geelong from Corio to Waurn Ponds. It opened in 2009. More than AU$ 500-million-worth of major construction
445-857: A brewery in 1856 to build a machine that cooled beer. The Geelong Hospital was opened in 1852, and construction on the Geelong City Hall commenced in 1855. Development of the Port of Geelong began with the creation of the first shipping channel in Corio Bay in 1853. The Geelong-to-Melbourne railway was built by the Geelong & Melbourne Railway Company in 1857. Rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859 by Thomas Austin , who imported them from England for hunting purposes at his Barwon Park property near Winchelsea . One of Geelong's best-known department stores, Bright & Hitchcocks ,
534-431: A continuous line of trees via Malop Street. The redevelopment of Malop street will see the installation of separated bike lanes from both pedestrians and local traffic by greenery, the design is an Australian first. This project includes the installation of art sculptures and street art throughout the city centre. Major redevelopments are also occurring at Johnstone Park, with a new raingarden installation, and Lt Malop Street
623-563: A group of 70-80 Aboriginal people (men, women & children) living in 9 large huts on the Werribee River, killing an unrecorded number. In spite of this, in May 1837, Henry Batman "...was appointed acting Commissioner of Crown Lands, the official charged with overseeing the squatters." Earlier, on 4 March 1837, Governor Bourke in his visit to Melbourne addressed 120 Aboriginal people, "...whom he exhorted...to good conduct and attention to
712-558: A major industry in the wetter southern parts during this period, as was the cultivation of potatoes and onions on the best soils. In the Otway Ranges, forestry became the major industry, especially after the building of the Great Ocean Road which opened up these very wet areas. Because of the change in focus since the late 1960s to woodchipping , many timber mills are now defunct as jobs have moved to Geelong. Tourism
801-474: A nearly flat volcanic plain created by a number of quite recently active volcanoes , the best known being Mount Eccles , Mount Richmond and Mount Gambier. Whilst some of them (e.g. Mount Richmond) have given rise to cemented pyroclastic rocks that do not produce fertile soils , others have given rise to fertile andisols that make the district the best grazing land in Australia, as well as highly suitable for
890-549: A number of modern apartment buildings on the Waterfront and central business district planned or under construction. On 10 July 2008, approval was given for a $ 100-million twin-tower apartment complex of 16 and 12 floors to be built on Mercer St in the city's western edge. The towers will become the tallest buildings in the city, taking the title from the Mercure Hotel. Further highrise developments are planned as part of
979-618: A series of clashes known as the Eumeralla Wars , in which both they and colonists experienced violent deaths. The Gunditjmara resistance became overwhelmed by the colonisers who brought in the Native Police - an organisation consisting of highly skilled Aboriginal men dedicated to keeping the peace in their native land. The historian Jan Critchett has documented this conflict in her 1990 book, A distant field of murder: Western district frontiers, 1834-1848 . The colonisation of
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#17327938960481068-560: A small boat with six men to explore. Led by John Bowen , they explored the immediate area, returning to Lady Nelson on 4 February. On reporting favourable findings, 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 the bay Port King, after Philip Gidley King , then Governor of New South Wales . Governor King later renamed
1157-445: A waterfront footpath as well as beach restoration and a boat dock expansion. Recently new high rise buildings are being built giving Geelong more jobs and housing. Worksafe Victoria opened up a new 14-storey building on Malop Dt. It opened in mid-2018 and was the tallest building until it was announced that two residential high rises would be built and completed in late 2019. They are called The Mercer and Miramar Apartments. Geelong
1246-801: A week constitute easily the heaviest falls in the district. In winter, temperatures typically range from minima of around 5 °C (41 °F) to maxima of 12 to 13 °C (54 to 55 °F), and rainfall is very frequent and reliable, averaging from 550 mm (22 in) in the driest area around Lake Bolac to 832 mm (32.8 in) at Portland. In the Otway Ranges , summers are mild, averaging around 20 °C (68 °F), whilst winters are cold and very wet, with maxima averaging around 9 to 10 °C (48 to 50 °F) and rainfall averaging about 2,250 mm (89 in) with extremes in June 1952 as high as 538 mm (21.2 in) at Weeaproinah and
1335-407: Is around 525.2 mm (20.7 in), which makes Geelong one of the driest cities in Australia, owing to the pronounced rain shadow of the Otway Ranges to the south-west. Within the city, rainfall shows a strong gradient from south to north, so that the southernmost suburbs can receive around 700 mm (28 in) whilst more northerly Lara receives as little as 425 mm (17 in), which
1424-417: Is located on the shores of the western tip of Corio Bay, a southwestern inlet of Port Phillip Bay . During clear weather, the distant Melbourne skyline is visible from higher areas of Geelong when viewed across the waters of Port Phillip. The Barwon River flows through the southern fringe of the Geelong city centre before entering Lake Connewarre and the estuary at Barwon Heads before draining into
1513-675: Is now held in Johnstone Park , and has been accused of being "watered down" from the old event by some. In 2008, the event was again changed, with the Gala Day Parade and Family Fun Day moved to a Saturday. Schools, community groups and corporate groups can enter a float in the parade. The Family Fun Day returned to the city's spectacular waterfront at Steampacket Gardens, featuring market and food stalls, rides, show bags and roving performances from local artists, including renowned interpretive dance duo Barnes and Tommy, who received
1602-611: Is regarded as the "Gateway City" due to its critical location to surrounding western Victorian regional centres, providing a transport corridor for surrounding regions to the state capital Melbourne. It is also home to the Geelong Football Club , the second-oldest club in the Australian Football League . The name Geelong comes from Djilang , used by the Wadawurrung traditional owners of
1691-447: Is seeing more upgrades. In the suburbs Geelong West's Pakington Street is seeing major upgrades to its street appeal, with new plantings and upgrades to many of the shops. Manifold Heights' Shannon Avenue will see redevelopment to make it more pedestrian friendly. To Geelong's north, Rippleside is undergoing major changes, with the ongoing development of Balmoral Quay which will see Rippleside Park and nearby St Helens Park connected via
1780-597: Is the lowest rainfall in southern Victoria. Western District (Victoria) The Western District comprises western regions of the Australian state of Victoria . It is said to be an ill–defined district, sometimes incorrectly referred to as an economic region ,. The district is located within parts of the Barwon South West and the Grampians regions; extending from the south-west corner of
1869-678: The Bass Strait . The city is situated just east of the gap between the Otway Ranges and Brisbane Ranges , and commands the only lowland passage between the Werribee Plain and Western Volcanic Plains . Geologically, the oldest rocks in the area date back to the Cambrian period 500 million years ago, with volcanic activities occurring in the Devonian period 350 million years ago. In prehistoric times water covered much of
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#17327938960481958-579: The Eastern Maar people, the Gunditjmara people were recognised to be the native title-holders of almost 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of Crown land in the Yambuk region, including Lady Julia Percy Island , known to them as Deen Maar . Wheat was grown in the drier northern part of the district for some time until more easily managed soils in the Wimmera were developed. Dairying was developed as
2047-648: The Federal Court . However, the Gunditjmara took the matter to the High Court of Australia where they were successful. High Court Chief Justice Gibbs judged that: "The appellants have an interest in the subject matter of the present action which is greater than that of other members of the public and indeed greater than that of other persons of Aboriginal descent who are not members of the Gournditch-jmara people. The applicants and other members of
2136-407: The Great Ocean Road was opened in 1932, and in 1934, the T & G Building opened on the most prominent intersection in the city, the corner of Ryrie and Moorabool Streets. By 1936, Geelong had displaced Ballarat as Victoria's second-largest city. In 1938, one of the last Port Philip Bay steamers , Edina , made its final trip to Geelong, ending a period of seaside excursions and contests for
2225-601: The Kulin nation . The modern name of Geelong, first recorded in 1827, was derived from the local Wadawurrung name for the region, Djilang , thought to mean "land", "cliffs" or "tongue of land or peninsula". The area was first surveyed by the European settlers in 1838, three weeks after Melbourne. During the 1850s Victorian gold rush , Geelong experienced a brief boom as the main port to the goldfields of central Victoria. The town then diversified into manufacturing, and during
2314-528: The Market Square in the middle of the city, a clock tower was erected in 1856, and an Exhibition Building was opened in 1879. The gold rush had seen Ballarat and Bendigo grow larger than Geelong in terms of population. Melbourne critics dubbed Geelong 'Sleepy Hollow', a tag that recurred many times in the following years. A number of industries became established in Geelong, including Victoria's first woollen mill at South Geelong in 1868. In 1869,
2403-531: The city centre to the suburbs until their demise in 1956. The first of many stores on the Market Square was opened in 1913, and the first Gala Day festival was held in 1916. Geelong's industrial growth accelerated in the 1920s: woollen mills, fertiliser plants, Ford's vehicle plant at Norlane , and the Corio whisky distillery were all established in this period. The Geelong Advertiser radio station 3GL (now K-Rock ) commenced transmission in 1930,
2492-613: The clipper Lightning caught fire at the Yarra Street pier and was cast adrift in Corio Bay to burn, before being sunk by artillery fire. Improvements to transport saw Geelong emerge as the centre of the Western District of Victoria, with railway lines extended towards Colac in 1876, and to Queenscliff in 1879. Construction of the Hopetoun shipping channel began in 1881 and completed in 1893. The Geelong Cup
2581-598: The lowlands that are now Geelong, with the Barwon River estuary located at Belmont Common , the course of the river being changed when Mount Moriac erupted and lava was sent eastwards towards Geelong. To the east of the city are the Bellarine Hills and the undulating plains of the Bellarine Peninsula . To the west are the sandstone-derived Barrabool Hills and basalt Mount Duneed , and
2670-580: The sloop Cumberland and mapped the area, including the future site of Geelong, but reported the area was unfavourable for settlement and returned to Sydney on 27 February. In October of the same year, HMS Calcutta led by Lieutenant Colonel David Collins arrived in the bay to establish the Sullivan Bay penal colony . Collins was dissatisfied with the area chosen, and sent a small party led by First Lieutenant J.H. Tuckey to investigate alternative sites. The party spent 22 to 27 October on
2759-425: The 1860s became one of the largest manufacturing centres in Australia with its wool mills, ropeworks, and paper mills. During the city's early years, inhabitants of Geelong were often called Geelongites or Pivotonians, derived from the city's nickname of "The Pivot", referencing the city's role as a shipping and rail hub for the area. Geelong was proclaimed a city in 1910, with industrial growth from this time until
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2848-721: The 1860s, owing to its being a rail and shipping hub for western Victoria . The town of Geelong officially became a city on 8 December 1910. The city gained a number of essential services, with electric light supplied by the Geelong Power Station starting in 1902, the Geelong Harbour Trust was formed in December 1905, and the Geelong Waterworks and Sewerage Trust formed in 1908. Electric trams began operation in 1912, travelling from
2937-630: The 1950s. The banks of the Barwon River burst in 1952, inundating nearby Belmont Common . Geelong continued to expand with Corio, Highton , and Belmont growing at such a rate that in February 1967, Geelong accounted for 21% of private home development in Greater Melbourne. Private vehicles became the city's major mode of transport. The first parking meters in the city were introduced in 1961, new petrol stations were constructed and
3026-431: The 1960s establishing the city as a manufacturing centre for the state, and the population grew to over 100,000 by the mid-1960s. Population increases during the 21st century were largely due to growth in service industries, as the manufacturing sector has declined. Redevelopment of the inner city has occurred since the 1990s, as well as gentrification of inner suburbs, and currently has a population growth rate higher than
3115-817: The 1970s. Most woollen mills closed in 1974 and hectares of warehouse space in the city centre were left empty after wool-handling practices changed. The Target head office opened in North Geelong, Deakin University was established at Waurn Ponds in 1974, and the Geelong Performing Arts Centre opened in 1981. Later, the Australian Animal Health Laboratory was opened in 1985, and the National Wool Museum in 1988. Market Square ,
3204-586: The 1980s with the expansion of Westfield Geelong towards Corio Bay, and culminating in the Waterfront Geelong development. Gentrification of former working-class inner suburbs such as Geelong West, North Geelong, and South Geelong has also occurred. Today, the major residential growth corridors are north towards Lara, east towards Leopold , and south towards Mount Duneed as the Armstrong Creek Growth Area . Geelong has
3293-470: The 2015 GMHBA Encouragement Award for a spirited routine to John Farnham 's "Two Strong Hearts." Many cities that observe Gala Day in 2020 will go virtual on grounds of COVID-19 pandemic , as will 2021, especially in Geelong. Geelong, Victoria Geelong ( / dʒ ɪ ˈ l ɒ ŋ / jih- LONG ) ( Wathawurrung : Djilang / Djalang ) is a port city in Victoria, Australia , located at
3382-558: The Aboriginal population dispossessed of hunting grounds and their centuries-old management of fire having been disrupted for almost 15 years, the Colony experienced for the first time its largest ever bushfires, burning about 25% of the land area of Victoria on Black Thursday (1851) on 6 February 1851. Missionaries sought to relocate Gunditjmara people of the west to a mission established further east near Purnim in 1861, however,
3471-626: The CBD; and a new $ 30-million aquatic centre in Waurn Ponds. Major developments within Geelong are advocated by influential, non-government group the Committee for Geelong and the region's local government alliance, G21 Geelong Region Alliance . The City of Greater Geelong and four other local municipalities form part of the alliance which identifies the Geelong region's priorities, and advocates all levels of government for funding and implement
3560-606: The City of Greater Geelong's Geelong Western Edge strategic plan. A$ 17-million 11-story apartment tower has also recently been proposed to be built next to the Deakin Waterfront Campus. In 2012, a design competition for a "city icon" was run for the City of Geelong by Deakin University and Senia Lawyers. The recipient of the prize and winning design entry was JOH Architects and their design titled "The Sea Dragon". Geelong's new Library and Heritage Centre opened to
3649-514: The Corio Bay for port access, or the Barwon River for waste disposal. In the interwar and post-World War II years, heavy industry continued to establish itself in the flatter northern suburbs, where today industries such as the Geelong Oil Refinery and Ford engine plant reside. Residential development also spread to Corio and Norlane in the north, with new Housing Commission of Victoria estates built to cater for employees of
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3738-630: The Geelong area to prevent the spread of the pest, killing the industry until the 1960s. Between 1886 and 1889, the central business district's major banks and insurance companies erected new premises in a solid and ornate character. The existing Geelong Post Office was built during this time and the Gordon Technical College was established. Further industrial growth occurred, with the Fyansford cement works being established in 1890. The town became referred to as "The Pivot" in
3827-521: The Geelong population to grow to 23,000 people by the mid-1850s. To counter this, a false map was issued by Melbourne interests to new arrivals, showing the quickest road to the goldfields as being via Melbourne. The first issue of the Geelong Advertiser newspaper was published in 1840 by James Harrison , who also built the world's first ether vapour compression cycle ice-making and refrigeration machine in 1844, later being commissioned by
3916-1278: The Geelong region, most notably at Anglesea , where it has been mined to fuel Alcoa's Anglesea Power Station since 1969. Limestone has also been quarried for cement production at Fyansford since 1888, and Waurn Ponds since 1964. Geelong has over 60 suburbs, including the following: Anakie , Armstrong Creek , Avalon , Balliang , Barwon Heads , Batesford , Bell Park , Bell Post Hill , Bellarine , Belmont , Breakwater , Breamlea , Ceres , Charlemont , City of Greater Geelong , Clifton Springs , Connewarre , Corio , Curlewis , Drumcondra , Drysdale , East Geelong , Fyansford , Geelong, Geelong West , Grovedale , Hamlyn Heights , Herne Hill , Highton , Indented Head , Lara , Leopold , Little River , Lovely Banks , Manifold Heights , Mannerim , Marcus Hill , Marshall , Moolap , Moorabool , Mount Duneed , Newcomb , Newtown , Norlane , North Geelong , North Shore , Ocean Grove , Point Lonsdale , Point Wilson , Portarlington , Queenscliff , Rippleside , South Geelong , St Albans Park , St Leonards , Staughton Vale , Swan Bay , Thomson , Wallington , Wandana Heights , Waurn Ponds , and Whittington . Development in Geelong started on
4005-647: The Gournditch-jmara [ie, the Gunditjmara] people would be more particularly affected than other members of the Australian community by the destruction of the relics". On 30 March 2007, the Gunditjmara were recognised by the Federal Court of Australia to be the native title-holders of almost 140,000 hectares (350,000 acres) of Crown land and waters in the Portland area. On 27 July 2011, together with
4094-529: The Gunditjmara from the Portland region refused because of tension with rival Aboriginal clans from the eastern boundary of Gunditjmara country and beyond the Hopkins River . Five years later in 1866, 827 ha (2,043 acres) of Crown land at Lake Condah was set aside for use as an Aboriginal mission . This land was gazetted as a reserve in 1869 and an Anglican mission was established. In 1951,
4183-712: The Lake Condah reserve, with the exception of three small areas, was revoked and the land was handed over to the Soldier Settlement Commission . In 1980, the Gunditjmara launched Onus v. Alcoa, taking legal action in the Supreme Court of Victoria to prevent Alcoa of Australia Ltd from damaging or interfering with Gunditjmara cultural sites located on the same place as the proposed aluminium smelter at Portland. The Supreme Court dismissed their subsequent application for leave to appeal to
4272-626: The Missionary.' The Kulin were given blankets and four favoured men, who had been recommended for 'honorary distinctions' by [Police Magistrate Captain William] Lonsdale , were awarded brass plates." By 1839, large numbers of homeless Aboriginal people from surrounding pastoral districts, were "....surviving whenever and however they could on the geographic, social and economic margins of the town [ie, Melbourne]." When Chief Protector of Aborigines George Augustus Robinson arrived in
4361-580: The Western District had huge impacts beyond the immediate district. By January 1844, there were said to be 675 Aborigines resident in squalid camps in Melbourne. Although the British Colonial Office appointed 5 "Aboriginal Protectors" for the entire Aboriginal population of Victoria, arriving in Melbourne in 1839, they worked "...within a land policy that nullified their work, and there was no political will to change this." "It
4450-549: The area at the time of settlement. The area of Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula are the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung ( Wathaurong ) Indigenous Australian tribe. The first non-Indigenous person recorded as visiting the region was Lieutenant John Murray , who commanded the brig HMS 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
4539-466: The bay Port Phillip after the first governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip . Arriving not long after Murray was Matthew Flinders , who entered Port Phillip 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 January 1803, Surveyor-General Charles Grimes arrived at Port Phillip in
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#17327938960484628-707: The bay being called Djillong . Hume and Hovell had been contracted to travel overland from Sydney to Port Phillip, and having achieved this, they stayed the night and began their return journey two days later on 18 December. The convict William Buckley escaped from the Sullivan Bay settlement in 1803, and lived among the Wadawurrung people for 32 years on 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 this same year, Buckley surrendered to
4717-518: The boundary between the Western District and Port Phillip District. The climate is mild to warm and generally humid to sub-humid. Summer temperatures are warm, with February means ranging from 13.1 to 21.9 °C (55.6 to 71.4 °F) at Portland to 11.1 to 26.6 °C (52.0 to 79.9 °F) in the northern part of the plain. Rainfall in summer is not uncommon but is only rarely heavy; though in March 1946 rains of up to 300 millimetres (12 in) in
4806-518: The city by preventing the salty lower reaches from mixing with fresh water and pooling water. In 1839, Charles Sievwright , the newly appointed Assistant Protector of Aborigines (for the western district) sets up camp on the Barwon River near Fyans ford. The Geelong Keys were discovered around 1845 by Governor Charles La Trobe on Corio Bay. They were embedded in the stone in such a way that he believed that they had been there for 100–150 years, possibly dropped by Portuguese explorers . In 1849, Fyans
4895-512: The city's first supermarket, operated by Woolworths , opened in 1965. Later, support came for Cycling in Geelong with Australia's first bike plan in 1977. Industrial growth continued with a second cement works operating at Waurn Ponds by 1964 and the Alcoa Point Henry aluminium smelter constructed in 1962. Federal government policy changes on tariff protection led to the closure of many Geelong industrial businesses from
4984-591: The consent of the British Crown. With no legal recognition or protection of the Aboriginal inhabitants, some cases of violence occurred. For example, in August 1836, some Aboriginal people killed the squatter Charles Franks and an unnamed shepherd, at Franks' station on the Werribee River (near Melbourne). In response, Henry Batman (John Batman's brother) led an indiscriminate punitive expedition against
5073-537: The district are: Warrnambool , Hamilton , Colac , Portland , Casterton , Port Fairy , Camperdown , and Terang . Other cities and towns in or on the edge of the district include: Coleraine , Merino , Heywood , Dunkeld , Penshurst , Macarthur , Koroit , Allansford , Ararat , Willaura , Beaufort , Learmonth , Ballarat , Snake Valley , Skipton , Moyston , Linton , Derrinallum , Lismore , Mortlake , Noorat , Cobden , Timboon , Beeac , Cororooke , Birregurra , Apollo Bay , and Lorne . It consists of
5162-488: The eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay ) and the left bank of Barwon River , about 75 km (47 mi) southwest of Melbourne . With an estimated population of 282,809 in 2023, Geelong is the second largest city in the state of Victoria. It is the administrative centre for the City of Greater Geelong municipality, which is Port Phillip's only regional metropolitan area, and covers all
5251-584: The fastest trip. The Eastern Beach foreshore beautification and pool was completed in 1939 after almost 10 years of work. On the eve of World War II, the International Harvester works were opened beside Ford at North Shore , along with a grain elevator at nearby Corio Quay, and the Shell Australia oil refinery. Government housing was constructed in the suburbs of East Geelong , Norlane , North Shore , and Corio from
5340-427: The first enclosed shopping centre in the city, was opened in 1985, with neighbouring Bay City Plaza opened in 1988. The Pyramid Building Society , founded in Geelong in 1959, collapsed in 1990, leaving debts of AU$ 1.3 billion to over 200,000 depositors, and causing the Geelong economy to stagnate. On 18 May 1993, the City of Greater Geelong was formed by the amalgamation of a number of smaller municipalities with
5429-433: The former City of Geelong. The Waterfront Geelong redevelopment, started in 1994, was designed to enhance use and appreciation of Corio Bay and in 1995 the Barwon River overflowed in the worst flood since 1952. In 2000, the Carousel Pavilion was opened as a landmark and symbol of the refurbishment of the Geelong waterfront. In 2004, Avalon Airport was upgraded to accommodate interstate passenger travel, providing
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#17327938960485518-421: The hinterland overrun by "...vast numbers of sheep and cattle.." and "...conditions in the countryside becoming intolerable, the blacks swarmed into Melbourne looking for food and blankets." Between 1836 and 1842, Victorian Aboriginal groups were largely dispossessed of hunting grounds larger than the whole of England . In the Portland area in the 1840s, the Gunditjmara fought for their hunting grounds in
5607-423: The national average. Today, Geelong stands as an emerging healthcare, education and advanced manufacturing centre. The city's economy is shifting quickly and despite experiencing the drawbacks of losing much of its heavy manufacturing, it is seeing much growth in other tertiary sectors, positioning itself as one of the leading non-capital Australian cities. It is now Australia's second fastest-growing city. Geelong
5696-440: The new industries. From the 1960s, residential growth spread to the Highton hills in the south and North Geelong following prosperous industries like the gasworks, followed by Grovedale in the 1970s. A number of light industrial areas were also established in Breakwater , Moolap and South Geelong . Changing cargo-handling methods at the Port of Geelong left woolstores in inner Geelong unused, redevelopment beginning in
5785-417: The north shore of Corio Bay, where the first Aboriginal death at the hands of a European in Victoria occurred. The next European visit to the area was by the explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell . They reached the northern edge of Corio Bay – the area of Port Phillip that Geelong now fronts – on 16 December 1824, and it was at this time they reported that the Aboriginals called the area Corayo ,
5874-404: The party led by John Helder Wedge and was later pardoned by Lieutenant-Governor Sir George Arthur , and subsequently given the position of interpreter to the natives. In March 1836, three squatters , David Fisher, James Strachan , and George Russell, arrived on Caledonia and settled the area. Geelong was first surveyed by Assistant Surveyor W. H. Smythe three weeks after Melbourne, and
5963-419: The production of vegetable crops. Away from the volcanoes, soils are of moderate to low fertility and many are sandy, supporting heathland flora like the Grampians . Drainage is very poor and most rivers flow only after prolonged periods of steady rain, resulting in remarkably variable flow when the low variability of the climate is taken into account. The major mountain range is the Otway Ranges , which straddle
6052-407: The projects. G21 developed 'The Geelong Region Plan - a sustainable growth strategy' Archived 4 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine which was launched by Premier Brumby in 2007. It was the approved strategic plan for the Geelong region. In addition, major projects such as the Geelong Ring Road Connections and duplication of the Princes Highway West obtained funding due to the combined efforts of
6141-416: The public in November 2015. The new addition to Geelong offers new research facilities, display areas and hosts Geelong's extensive heritage, modern and Indigenous. The new library was awarded the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture in 2016. Currently Geelong is undergoing a major revival effort, the Green Spine Project. The Green Spine project will connect Johnstone Park to the Botanic Gardens by
6230-426: The region's municipalities. As at May 2017, a further 13 Priority Projects are planned for the Geelong region. The Victoria Government announced the relocation of the Transport Accident Commission headquarters from Melbourne to Geelong in October 2006, which created 850 jobs and an annual economic benefit over $ 59 million to the Geelong region. The construction of the $ 80-million Brougham Street headquarters
6319-441: The remains of 160 house sites. Pioneer Edward Henty wrote in his diary on 3 December 1834: Pulled [rowed] over in the whale boat to Dutton's River. Light wind from the N.E. Very warm. Arrived at 6 p.m., made the boat fast in the middle of the river, and started three days' walk in the bush accompanied by H Camfield, Wm Dutton, five men, one black woman and 14 dogs, each man with a gun and sufficient quantity of damper to last for
6408-477: The shores of Corio Bay in what is now the inner city. Development later spread to the south towards the Barwon River, and the hill of Newtown and Geelong West . Major development south of the river in Belmont did not start until the 1920s, stimulated by the construction of a new bridge over the river in 1926, and the extension of the Geelong tramway system in 1927. Industrial areas were traditionally located on
6497-459: The site of the area of present-day Fyansford . Fyans arranged the first muster of the Indigenous population and 275 Aboriginal people were found to be living in the area. Fyans distributed blankets, sugar and flour to these people but soon ordered his soldiers to "click their triggers" at them when a lack of blankets caused anger. Fyans constructed a breakwater to improve the water supply to
6586-702: The state to Ballarat in the east and as far north as Ararat . The district is bounded by the Wimmera district in the north, by the Goldfields district in the east, by Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean in the south, and by the South Australian border in the west. The district is well known for the production of wool . The most populated city in the Western District is the Ballarat region, with 96,940 inhabitants. The principal centres of
6675-798: The town in the winter of 1839, "four to five hundred blacks of the Port Phillip tribes" were gathering at a camp site on the south bank of the Yarra River , suffering hunger and disease. By 1840, Robinson still "....had no stores allocated to him..." by Captain Lonsdale, the Police Magistrate in Melbourne , even though "...it was patently obvious that the Aborigines were starving, and many were ill and near death..." With land in
6764-465: The urban, rural and coastal reserves around the city including the entire Bellarine Peninsula and running from the plains of Lara in the north to the rolling hills of Waurn Ponds to the south, with Corio Bay to the east and the Barrabool Hills to the west. The traditional owners of the land on which Geelong sits are the Wadawurrung (also known as Wathaurong ) Aboriginal people of
6853-704: The volcanic plains to the north of Geelong extend to the Brisbane Ranges and the You Yangs . Soils vary from sandy loam, basalt plains, and river loam to rich volcanic soils, suitable for intensive farming , grazing , forestry , and viticulture . Many materials used to construct buildings were quarried from Geelong, such as bluestone from the You Yangs and sandstone from the Brisbane Ranges. A small number of brown coal deposits exist in
6942-532: The voyage. In the 5 December entry Henty wrote: On descending the hill we saw a native. He immediately ran on seeing us. He was busily employed pulling the gums from the wattle trees. Both the Henty brothers and Captain Griffiths (who settled at Port Fairy in 1836), combined whaling and farming. The district was explored by Thomas Mitchell in 1836 who identified the area's potential for grazing. Charles Tyers
7031-550: Was adopted as an annual event, the second festival being held on 2 November 1917. It was not until 1927 that the Geelong Hospital took over responsibility for running the festival. The festival was traditionally held on a Friday, and students at local schools were given a holiday. From 2006, the festival was changed, being renamed the Gala Appeal "Family Fun Day" and moved to the first week of December. The festival
7120-404: Was completed in late 2008. In November 2008, Ford Australia announced that its Australian-designed I6 engine would be re-engineered to meet the latest emissions regulations, and that consequently the engine manufacturing plant would be upgraded (however, all manufacturing of motor vehicles in Geelong and elsewhere throughout Australia ceased by 2017). A change to the city skyline is occurring with
7209-738: Was established in 1861, and the 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 Geelong West in 1869. In 1877, he switched to Geelong, which he represented until 1886, and served as Victorian Premier in 1875, 1877–1880, and 1880–1881. On
7298-492: Was first held in 1872, and Victoria's first long-distance telephone call was made from Geelong to Queenscliff on 8 January 1878, only one year after the invention of the device itself. Geelong was also the home of a prosperous wine industry until the emergence of the sap-sucking insect Phylloxera vastatrix at Fyansford in 1875, which led to the Victorian Government ordering the destruction of all vines in
7387-461: Was gazetted as a town on 10 October 1838. There was already a church, hotel, store, wool store, and 82 houses, and the town population was 545. By 1841, the first wool had been sent to England and a regular steamer service was running between Geelong and Melbourne. Captain Foster Fyans was commissioned as the local Police Magistrate in 1837 and established himself on the Barwon River at
7476-522: Was government policy to encourage squatters to take possession of whatever Aboriginal land they chose,....that largely explains why almost all the original inhabitants of Port Phillip's vast grasslands were dead so soon after 1835". By 1845, fewer than 240 wealthy Europeans held all the pastoral licences then issued in Victoria and became the patriarchs "...that were to wield so much political and economic power in Victoria for generations to come." With
7565-485: Was held on Friday, 3 November 1916, at the height of World War I , to raise money for the Red Cross Society . Described by the Geelong Advertiser as "the biggest fete the city had ever seen, the most perfectly planned function, the gayest spectacle, and the highest in patriotic purpose", the first parade raised 5500 pounds - a staggering amount for the day. After the success of the first festival, Gala Day
7654-533: Was nominated as the inaugural Mayor of the Geelong Town Council and renowned fly fishing author Alfred Ronalds engraved the town seal. An early settler of Geelong, Alexander Thomson , for which the area of Thomson in Geelong East is named, settled on the Barwon River, and was Mayor of Geelong on five occasions from 1850 to 1858. Gold was discovered in nearby Ballarat in 1851, causing
7743-465: Was said one could walk to Geelong without stepping on grass. Runoff after rainfall was rapid, and it was claimed that only after cattle had firmed the soil that the grass began to thicken. The regional climate also became much wetter. With pastoral land in the colony of Van Diemen's Land fully allocated to colonists, John Batman turned his attention to mainland land speculation at the vast grasslands of Port Phillip Bay , which began in 1835 without
7832-407: Was the first to survey the area in 1839. Sheep were first brought to the district in 1836 by Thomas Manifold at Port Henry, near Geelong , and rapidly occupied the whole district. By 1840 squatters occupied almost all the district. The first settlers avoided the Western District (preferring the forest country further west), as its countryside was then exceptionally dry: tussocks were so scanty it
7921-558: Was under way in 2007. Major projects include the $ 150-million Westfield Geelong expansion works, involving a flyover of Yarra Street, the city's first Big W store, and an additional 70 new speciality stores; the $ 37-million Deakin Waterfront campus redevelopment, and the $ 23-million Deakin Medical School; the $ 50-million Edgewater apartment development on the waterfront; a number of multimillion-dollar office developments in
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