GEELONG

Last Wednesday we went for a drive from Bacchus Marsh to Geelong. It was a beautiful day, so made the most of it. 

Geelong is a Port City located on Corio Bay and is the second largest Victorian city, with an estimated population of 260 thousand. 

Geelong has over 60 suburbs.

Post WW2 years, heavy industry established itself, industries such as The Shell Refinery on Corio Bay ( where my Dad worked when he immigrated from England with Mum & my Brother in 1953,  and continued to work up until his retirement in 1984)

Residential development grew in those early years and spread to Norlane & Corio, where The Shell refinery offered housing to many of their workers, including us.

Geelong has many lovely beaches, with The world famous surfing beach “Bells Beach” being one of them. 

The City of Geelong Council have done a great job of rejuvenating The Waterfront. 

This is Eastern Beach, which is along the Waterfront, and a just a short walk from the city centre.

If you can see that little girl in the bottom right hand corner...she is carrying a flattened cardboard box up the hill. When she gets up to the top...she sits on it and comes sliding down at a fast pace...many a child ( and adult) has done that.

Now back in my day....we would also come flying down that hill on blocks of ice!

Good times!!!

All around the bottom of this promenade is shark proofed...but the water is so cold...

Also along the Waterfront you will find a beautifully restored steam-driven 1892 Carousel. Less than 200 carved wooden Carousels still exist in the world.

It’s housed in here....so can be ridden in all weather. 

Also along the Waterfront are over 100 Baywalk Bollards and comically reflect local history. 

I can’t show them all so just picked a few...but they where all lovely. 

The conductor has a little white rabbit painted on his foot. These rabbits are dotted on a few of the bollards and the kids are encouraged to “spot the rabbits”

Rabbits where first brought to Australia to Geelong...for the menfolk to hunt.

A fun fact I learnt!

Each bollard has an interesting story to it, and some are quite humorous and scandalous for their time!

The “booby ladies”

After a quick lunch, we headed off to the coast....Point Lonsdale & Queensliff.

But I shall make that another blog as there’s more photos. It was a big day!