Geelong

Geelong is a city located 70 km to the south west of Melbourne on Corio Bay which is part of Port Phillip Bay. Geelong is the west of Melbourne and the second largest city in Victoria, first settled in 1838. The port provided early wealth helped by the export of wool. In 1925, the Ford Motor Company established a plant in Geelong. Other industries followed including an oil refinery, aluminum smelting and cement manufacture. Trains from travel from Geelong to Melbourne every hour. To the south Geelong is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road and close to many coastal towns, bays and beaches.

Bellarine Peninsula
Close by is the Bellarine Peninsula part of encircling of Port Phillip Bay. This is a great scenic drive from Geelong, where long stretches of beaches, scuba diving and fishing locations can be accessed.

Eastern Beach
Eastern Beach has art deco pools, beach side promenades, cafes and summer carnivals. The botanic gardens are a short walk past Eastern Beach.

Ford Discovery Centre
The Ford Motor Company has strong ties with Geelong with it's main plant operating here. This centre has a history of the design of cars over the years as well as displays of motor engineering. Gheringhap Street (03 5227 8700).

Geelong Botanic Gardens
An old garden with some very well established trees and includes the largest maidenhair in Australia.

Geelong Gallery
A collection of late nineteenth and early 20th Century paintings mainly by British artists.

National Wool Museum
This old bluestone wool store plays host to history of Australian wool and sheep farming. Wool auctions are also held here. Moorabool Street (03 5227 0701).

Old Geelong Gaol
Old Geelong Gaol opened in 1853 and remained in service until 1991 and there is a recreation of the hanging of James Murphy in 1863.

Port of Geelong Maritime Museum
This museum is a chronological maritime history lesson of the shipping in and around the Corio bay and Port Phillip bays. Eastern Beach Road (03 5277 2260).

Serendip Sanctuary
Just out of Geelong and attracts a diversity of birds that breed in the park.

Geelong's Waterfront