Geelong - Places to See

A Tale of Time offer guided walking tours which utilise elements of street theatre to provide insight into the city's past, tel: (03) 5221 6662 or (0419) 544 402.

Woolstores and Customs House
On the other side of Moorabool St is Bay City Plaza which is housed behind the original facade of Strachan's Woolstore, built in the English industrial style between from 1889 and 1925. Brougham St and Corio St (which runs parallel to Brougham just to the south) were the commercial hub of the old port.

On the other side of Brougham St to the Museum is Geelong's third customs house, built to a Georgian design of locally-quarried basalt rubble, clad in sandstone ashlar, in 1855-56. It is a three-storey structure fronted by a Tuscan portico.

Foreshore Walk
Walk along Moorabool St towards the bay. At the corner with Eastern Beach is the former Sailor's Rest, built in 1912 to provide non-alcoholic entertainment for sailors (it is now a restaurant and coffee shop). Cross over to Steampacket Gardens. This area was originally reclaimed from the ocean for industrial purposes. From 1859 ships docked in this area which was a popular spot for a promenade. Just to the west is Cunningham Pier. The foreshore area features about 100 bollards depicting historic

characters.

From Cunningham Pier walk east along the foreshore pavement then continue on around Fishermans Pier Restaurant, through Fairnie Park to Stony Pier. The town's first, it was built by a convict labour gang under Captain Fyans - the town's original police magistrate. Three workers were killed during its construction. Nearby is the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, established in1859.

Eastern Beach
Walk east along the pavement at the rear of the club then along Ritchie Boulevarde to Eastern Beach and the sea baths. The first baths (sexually segregated) were built here in 1844. The reconstruction of the foreshore at Eastern Beach took place from 1924 to 1940. The shark-proof enclosure was developed after a woman lost both arms in an attack. After a period of deterioration, the complex was restored in the early 1990s. The terraced lawns, palms and pools are very popular with bathers in summer. Climb the steps to the road, cross over to Garden St and enter the Botanic Gardens.

Geelong Botanical Gardens
The first promptings for the establishment of the Gardens took place in1848. A committee was formed for that purpose and the first curator appointed in 1857 when work on the gardens commenced, making them one of the state's oldest. A number of venerable trees date from this early period, including what is arguably the largest maidenhair in the country. The gunstock tree and Chilean plum fir are the only known examples in the state. Other rarities in Eastern Park (once part of the Gardens) are the

soledad, digger and nut pines. Specialty gardens are the Fern Glade, Cycad and Rose Gardens, the Camellia and Rhododendron Walk and the Viburnum Walk. The Gardens are scenically situated overlooking Corio Bay and are open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. There are free guided tours every Wednesday at 10.30 a.m. and Sundays at 2.30 p.m. during daylight savings, tel: (03) 5227 0387.

Limeburners Point is a headland at Eastern Park (near the Botanic Gardens). There is a boat ramp at the point (off Hearne Parade). Another boat ramp is located further north at St Helens. It lies at the end of Swinburne St (which runs east off the Princes Highway), north of Cunningham Pier (between St Helens jetty and the boat moorings).

Original Customs House
Located in the city's Botanic Gardens is Geelong's first customs house. This small prefabricated building is characterised by a steeply pitched shingle roof which was thatched until 1854 and is designed to look like a Gothic pavilion. It was erected in 1838 and thus is now the oldest building in Victoria. When a stone customs house was built in 1845 this old customs house briefly served as a telegraph office.

Merchiston Hall
Back in Garden St (no. 2a), by the corner with Eastern Beach Rd, is 'Merchiston Hall', a two-storey eight-room stuccoed stone Classical Revival mansion with colonnaded verandah built in 1856 for politician and businessman James Cowie. Before the foreshore alterations it looked directly over the bay. It is now private property.

Corio Villa
Walk west along Eastern Beach Rd to no.56 (at the Fitzroy St corner) where you will see 'Corio Villa', a house with an extraordinary history. Another prefabricated building it is now considered to be the finest example in the country. The building was originally commissioned by Geelong's Land Commissioner in 1854 but the poor man died before the prefabricated parts had arrived. A local magistrate, entrepreneur and bank director named Alfred Douglass purchased the parts at a reduced price. The building was completed in 1856. The building's uniqueness was ensured when a fire destroyed the Edinburgh factory and all the moulds soon after its exportation. Outstanding features are the delicate and intricate filigree work on the verandah and porch posts, eaves and bargeboards. The rose-and-thistle theme is crowned by the lion's head motif which forms a keystone to the verandah and porch arches.

The coach house, harness room, stables and hayloft also date from 1856. Today it is private property.

Geelong Walk Continued
Continue west along Eastern Beach Rd. Note the You Yangs in the distance, behind Corio Bay. At the Swanston St corner are two 1880 townhouses ('Jesmond' and 'Arlston').

Turn left into Swanston St then take the first right into Corio St. The mid-19th century cottages originally belonged to local fishermen (the side streets here feature a number of other modest early dwellings). Continue along Corio St. Its hotels and brothels were once infamously popular with raucous sailors.

Cross Bellarine St and turn left into Hays Place. Walk through to Malop St. At no.163 is the former Freemason's Hotel (1854) - a two-storey brick building with a stuccoed facade and attic dormers from the town's goldrush boom.

Return along Hays Place and turn left, back into Corio St. On the right is the bluestone facade of a malthouse (1851) associated with a brewery established in 1845. Adjacent is the Scottish Chiefs Tavern which displays old brewing equipment and next door to that is the former Scottish Chiefs Hotel (1848), now the Tavern's restaurant, tel: (03) 5223 1736. It is among the ten oldest licensed premises in the state.

Corio St ends at Yarra St. A power station once stood opposite. On the corner is the facade of the Electric Lighting and Traction Company's office (1900).

Turn right into Yarra St and left into Brougham St. On the left is the Geelong Club (1889) built in the Queen Anne style with a decorative facade.

At Moorabool St you return to the National Wool Museum. Turn left into Moorabool. 100 metres along, at no.51, is Savvas Restaurant, housed in a small but elegant bluestone building built in 1856.

Historic Buildings Walk Extension - Part 1
If you wish to continue your exploration of the town's historic buildings proceed along Moorabool St and turn right into Malop St. At 9-11 Malop St is the former London Chartered Bank - a two-storey Classical structure built in 1859 of basalt with a facade of local sandstone. Over the road, at 8 Malop St, is the former Colonial Bank - a two-storey Classical Revival bluestone building from 1857 with a stuccoed facade, Tuscan portico and fine detailing. No.2 Malop St was originally the Bank of Australasia (1859-60). It is a two-storey Classical building of local sandstone though the facade was covered with brick in 1956.

Turn right at the roundabout into Gheringhap St. At Gheringhap and Smythe is the three-storey Max Hotel (formerly the Golden Age Hotel). It was built in 1854 of brick on bluestone foundations.

Continue on towards the bay and turn left into Western Beach Rd. After 250 metres turn left into Cavendish St and take the immediate right into Malone St. At its end is St Peter and St Paul's Catholic Church, designed by William Wardell and built from 1864. It is a Gothic Revival structure in basalt with freestone dressings.

Turn right into Mercer St and proceed to the Ginn St corner where you will find the Bay View Hotel (formerly the Western Hotel) - a three-storey basalt building with sandstone facade erected in 1853.

Walk back along Mercer St. When you get to the Brougham St intersection turn right and walk through the subway to LaTrobe Terrace where you will see St Paul's Church of England, a Gothic church built 1850-55 of local bricks with freestone dressings. It is modelled on English parish church architecture.

Walk south along LaTrobe Terrace. At the corner with Ryrie St is St George's Presbyterian Church, a Gothic design built of basalt with freestone dressings c.1861. The transepts, vestibule, tower and spire were added in the early 20th century. The adjacent manse is a two-storey Gothic villa built of the same materials in 1865.

Historic Buildings Walk Extension - Part 2
There are a number of historic residences along LaTrobe Terrace, between Ryrie St and Buckland Avenue. 'Kooyong', a large brick villa opposite the church (cnr LaTrobe and Aberdeen St), dates from a building boom at the turn of the century, as does no.298 LaTrobe Terrace. Other buildings of interest are 'Kandahar' at no.280 (1872); 'Allington at 274 (c.1872) and 'Roslyn' at 272 (1855), while no.268 dates from 1852. 'Sarina' at 266-68 consists of a pair of typical two-storey Gothic villas built c.1854 with now rare iron roof tiles.

The Church of Christ (originally the Free Church of England) is near the corner with Little Myers St. It was built of random bluestone ashlar c.1858. Just along Little Myers St is the Free Presbyterian Church, built in 1859 with cement-rendered walls and arched windows.

There are numerous other Victorian villas in the area. No.256 is a two-storey house with dichromatic brickwork and elaborate ironwork built in 1872. Nearby 'Ingliston' is a single-storey brick villa with ornamental timber verandah built 1871-72 during a housing boom.

Turn left into McKillop St. At the Moorabool St corner is Christ Church, the state's oldest church in continuous use. It was built from 1843 to 1847 and designed by noted colonial architect Edmund Blacket to an early Victorian Gothic design with crenellated effects and stone window tracery. Slightly south of the church, at 310 Moorabool St, is an old bluestone hotel (1856).

Turn left into Maud St. At no.55 is the surviving two-storey south wing of the original Geelong Grammar School - a Gothic Revival building of cement-rendered basalt dating from 1857 with steep gables, attic dormers and ornamental bargeboards.

Continue on to Yarra St and turn left. Cross over McKillop St and to your immediate right is St John's Lutheran Church (formerly St Andrew's Presbyterian Church). This Georgian design is the oldest work of masonry in the region; being erected of local sandstone in 1841-42. The two-storey Classical building fronting the old church dates from c.1912.

Return to the intersection and turn left into McKillop St. At no.51 is Wintergarden, an historic building which now houses a restaurant and several shops. Turn right into Moorabool St and return to the Wool Museum.

Ford Discovery Centre
The Ford Discovery Centre is located at the corner of Gheringap and Brougham Sts. It is a large complex with static displays and interactive elements, focusing on the history of Ford motor cars in Australia and the facets of modern production. There is a mock design studio where you can find out how Ford approach the design process and design your own car. There are crash test dummy demonstrations, production robots, a museum display of old and new Ford cars, and other technological and educational exhibits. The centre is open every day except Tuesday from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel: (03) 5227 8700.

The Old Geelong Gaol
At the corner of Myers and Swanston St is the former Geelong Gaol - now a tourist attraction. It was designed after Pentonville prison in England and built of local basalt, in stages, from 1849 to 1864 to replace a log-walled prison in South Geelong where prisoners lived in appalling conditions. The construction was carried out by convicts who were slept in hulks on Corio Bay. It remained a high-security prison of ill repute until 1991.

The interior is forbiddingly bleak and the solitary confinement cells remain as they were in 1991. The three-storey central block is cruciform with the east and west wings serving as cells (some featuring interesting graffiti), north wing as administration and the south wing as kitchen/hospital/ablution rooms and tailoring workshop. A tour takes in all elements of the complex including security points, prisoners' murals, muster and exercise areas, watchtowers, and a gallows setting depicting the 1863 hanging of James Murphy for beating a constable to death with a hammer in the Geelong courthouse. It is open from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. on weekends, public and school holidays, tel: (03) 5221 8292.

The Geelong Art Gallery
The Geelong Art Gallery is considered one of the state's finest provincial galleries. Although the building dates back to 1913 the gallery was established in 1896. The collection of late 19th and early 20th century paintings by British artists and members of the Royal Academy reflects the prevailing taste of the time. There are works by Louis Buvelot, Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Rupert Bunny, E. Phillips Fox and Frederick McCubbin's 'Bush Burial'. Contemporary artists in the collection include Fred Williams.

In addition to paintings there are works on paper, contemporary Australian sculpture, Asian decorative arts, ceramics, a collection of colonial silver, and a continuous program of temporary exhibitions.

The gallery is located adjacent Johnstone Park in Little Malop St, between Fenwick St and Gheringhap St. It is open weekdays from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and from 1.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. on weekends and public holidays. Guided tours are available by appointment. There is a small entry fee, tel: (03) 5229 3645.

The Performing Arts Centre is located on the other side of the road.

Some Civic Buildings
Just along Little Malop St, at the corner with Gheringhap St, is Australia's oldest extant town hall. It is a grand two-storey Classical structure, with its imposing Ionic portico, and was built in 1855. It was finally completed until 1917.

Adjacent the post office is the former telegraph office - a single-storey freestone structure built in 1853. The tower once carried a time ball for shipping in Corio Bay. Just down the road, at Gheringhap and Ryrie, is the post office (1855).

Barwon Grange
Barwon Grange was built of brick in a Gothic style on the banks of the Barwon River in 1855-56. There are slate-tiled gables, attic dormer windows, fretted timberwork, a glassed-in fernery and verandahs backed by bay windows. The drawing room looks over the river and features an 1851 rosewood piano, a rare porcelain chandelier and fine chinoiserie. The residence is open from September to April on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 11.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. From May to August it is open by appointment only, tel: (03) 5221 3906. It is located at the end of Fernleigh St in Newtown, not far from the city centre.

Barwon Valley Park and Other Riverside Attractions
Behind Barwon Grange is a footbridge which leads across to Barwon Valley Park on the southern riverbank. It extends from the Moorabool St bridge to the Shannon Ave bridges. This large grassy expanse features an adventure playground and several old mills.

On the northern riverbank, extending northwards from the Shannon Ave bridge, is Balyang Sanctuary, a flora and fauna reserve with walking paths, wetland lakes and plenty of swans, ducks and pelicans. Within the sanctuary are the Yollinko Wetlands which features a diverse ecosystem, birdhides and boardwalks.

A little further north-west, on the southern riverbank, is Queens Park (access via Queens Park Rd which is an extension of Aphrasia St). Buckley Falls Rd heads off Queens Park Rd to a car park from whence there is a leisurely walk to the falls. The old Barwon Paper Mill is adjacent and you can continue on to the aqueduct if you choose.

A fine booklet entitled 'Industrial Heritage Track' details the bridges, water races, aqueducts, breakwaters, weirs and historic industrial features (mills, scouring works and tanneries) along the Barwon River in the Geelong area.

Armytage House
Armytage House was built between 1857 and 1860 for pioneer pastoralist George Armytage who settled in the area in 1837. This two-storey Regency style house features a lovely wrought-iron balcony and verandah. It is located on the western side of Pakington St, between Aphrasia and Aberdeen Sts, in Newtown.

The Heights
'The Heights', built in 1855, is an 18-roomed single-storey prefabricated timber mansion imported from Germany by merchant Charles Ibbotson. Later extended, it was built on an estate that originally stretched from Ruthven St to the river and from Queens Rd to Aberdeen St.

The original owner's daughter inherited the house and married sporting champion Louis Whyte. In 1939 the interior was remodelled and the roof reshaped although the exterior below the eaves is original. The house is surrounded by fine landscaped gardens with curved paths and stone fences. The outbuildings are linked by courtyards, including bluestone and timber stables, a harness room, groom's cottage, coach house and dovecote. Other features are a stone water tower with a lookout, a hand water-pump and a carved sundial. It is furnished with an antique collection, largely mid-Victorian, and is located at 140 Aphrasia St (corner of Ruthven St) in Newtown. It is open Wednesday to Sunday and public holidays from 11.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. or to groups by appointment, tel: (03) 5221 3510.

Shearers Arms Gallery
This art gallery is operated by the Geelong Art Society and is located in one of Geelong's first hotels (1847). Admission is free and it is open daily from 11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel: (03) 5223 1825. It is located at 202 Aberdeen St, Geelong West (opposite Safeway).

Narana Creations
Narana features Aboriginal arts, crafts, Dreamtime stories, didgeridoos, boomerang throwing, bush food, medicine plants, a gallery featuring Aboriginal artefacts, handcrafted jewellery, plates and decorative items, a native garden, modern rock art and a lake. It is open weekdays from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and is located at 410 Torquay Rd (the Surfcoast Highway), Grovedale, south-west of the city centre. Entry to the gallery and garden is free but there is a small charge if you wish to partake of the cultural demonstrations, tel: (03) 5241 5700.

Gabbinbar Animal and Wildlife Park
At 654 Torquay Rd is the Gabbinbar Animal and Wildlife Park. There is an albino kangaroo, along with emus, wallabies, exotic goats, camels, sheep, native birds, baby deer, monkeys and farm animals. They are open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., tel: (03) 5264 1455.

Wineries
Innisfail Vineyard, established in 1980, is located at Cross St, Batesford. Just follow the Midland Highway out of town (towards Ballarat) for 10 km. Cross St heads off the highway to the left, tel: (03) 5276 1258. Batesford is a market garden township with a winemaking history. The Sandstone Travellers Rest Inn (1849) is across the Moorabool River from the present hotel.

There are three wineries in Lemins Rd at Waurn Ponds. Follow the Princes Highway south-west of the CBD then turn left at the roundabout, opposite Deakin University, into Anglesea Rd. After 1 km turn right into Lemins Rd. Austins Barrabool Wineries is at 50 Lemins Rd. They make both red and white wines such as shiraz, chardonnay, riesling and cabernet sauvignon, tel: (03) 5241 8114. Waybourne Winery is at 60 Lemins Rd (tel: 03 5241 8477) and Prince Albert Vineyard, established in 1975, is at 92 Lemins Rd. They specialise in pinot noir, tel: (03) 5241 8091. The original Prince Albert was visited by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1867.

Brownhill Lookout
Brownhill Lookout is located in Drewan Park on Wandana Drive which heads south off Barrabool Hills Rd at Highton. It offers fine views of the You Yangs, the Brisbane Ranges, Corio Bay and the Bellarine Peninsula.

Serendip Sanctuary
Serendip Sanctuary offers an excellent experience of a wetlands environment rich in fauna with plenty of fun activities and educational guidance and an opportunity to observe native fauna at close quarters without making them aware of the human presence.

It features over 150 species common to the western plains of Victoria. Activities for children include a ponding site where they can catch invertebrates and a search through some bushland for six hidden wooden animals (designed to teach them that there are animals present in the bush if they are willing to look carefully enough). At the visitors' centre there are lizards on display, an 'underwater world', an activities room with a CD-ROM on the local wildlife and a theatrette featuring the mating dances of brolgas and other interesting footage.

From the centre nature trails lead past wildlife (such as free-ranging kangaroos, wallabies, emus and pademelons) in natural habitats and on to birdhides permitting close and unobtrusive observation among the marshes, lakes and billabongs. Here video cameras broadcast the view more widely. There is a ranger who conducts curriculum-based environmental education activities and a 'farm dam' which demonstrates the compatibility of farming and wildlife as well as providing a refuge and a linking corridor for migratory species. The sanctuary's captive breeding program creates an opportunity of viewing rare and threatened species such as brolgas, Australian bustards and magpie geese.

To get there follow the freeway towards Melbourne. Take the turnoff to Lara (into Forest Rd) about 12 km from Geelong's city centre (signposted for You Yangs Regional Park) then, after a further 6 km, turn right into Windermere Rd. The entrance is to your left, at 100 Windermere Rd, Lara.

Opening hours are 10. 00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. daily and entrance to casual visitors who are happy to wander about on their own is free. For those wishing to visit as a group and receive a guided tour, the cost is $4.50 per person. Those who want both the guided tour and a drive around the ring road, the cost is $5.60 per person. There are picnic areas with free electric barbecues and disabled access is provided. For further information ring (03) 5282 1584.

You Yangs
If you ignore the turnoff into Windermere Rd and continue north along Forest Rd for another 5 km there is a signposted right turn which leads by the entrance (to your left) of You Yangs Regional Park.

Mind you, it is not easy to miss the park as it is characterised by distinctive granite tors which, although they are not especially high (352 metres), emerge abruptly out of flat featureless volcanic lava plains (hence the term 'You Yangs' is from an Aboriginal phrase said to mean 'big mountain in the middle of a plain').

The entrance leads into the Turntable Drive which transports you to the main picnic areas while the unsealed scenic Great Circle Drive (10 km) roams at large. Some picnic areas have fireplaces, gas barbecues and tables. There are four main walks which are all signposted. The Flinders Peak Walk (3.2 km return) departs from the Turntable car park. It leads to the highest point of the You Yangs (348 m above sea-level) from whence you can see Mt Macedon, Geelong, Corio Bay and the Melbourne skyline. 150 m west of the picnic ground are some rock wells which were carved out of the granite by Aborigines to improve the local water supply.

The first European to visit and climb these granite peaks was Matthew Flinders in 1802. The establishment of farming and timbergetting saw native vegetation cleared and the introduction of sugar gum and brown mallet. The vegetation consists of manna gums, yellow gums, river red gums and a sparse undergrowth, although a prolific choking weed known as boneseed has become a considerable nuisance, particularly after a devastating 1985 fire burned more than 80% of the park. Since that time kangaroos, koalas, sugar gliders, possums and 200 bird species have been returning.

Spring and summer are the best times to visit the park. Nature studies, walking and picnics are popular. Mountain bikes and horses are permitted in selected areas. The visitors' centre at the park has interesting displays and information about the park. Ring 131 963 for further information.

Reedy Swamp and Lake Connewarre
South-east of Geelong, on the Bellarine Peninsula, are Reedy Swamp and Lake Connewarre which are important migratory bird habitats and hence are havens for waterbirds such as bitterns, swamp hens, ibis, spoonbills, egrets, cormorants and herons. There are mangrove swamps in Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve on the southern shore. Access is via a series of roads which run off the Bellarine Highway, the Geelong-Barwon Heads Rd and Wallington Rd.

Adventure Park
Set in 52 acres of picturesque parkland, Adventure Park has a wide range of activities for families, including a 115-metre raft waterslide, go-karts, jumping castles, volleyball, a merry-go-round, paddleboats, the Big Bouncer, flying foxes, an archery range, Adventure Island mini-golf, aqua bikes, moon bikes, juming jets and canoes, the Paddle Pop Express Train and the Adventure Playground. Facilities include a kiosk and cafe, undercover seating and wheelchair access. Gas barbecues and lockers are available for hire, birthday parties can be organised and group bookings are also available for corporate and social clubs.

Admission charges as of 2010 is $69.95 for adults and children, free for under 3s, for an unlimited summer pass. Day passes are $34 for adults and children over 1.2m tall and $28 for children under 1.2m tall.

Opening hours are from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily. Adventure Park is closed from May to September.

To get there, head south-east along the Bellarine Highway (towards Queenscliff) for about 16 km to Wallington then turn left into Swanbay Rd and the Park is at no.5, tel: (03) 5250 2756 or email, havefun@adventurepark.com.au. The web site is http://www.adventure-park.com.au. A site map is available from the admission centre.