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UT & ABOUT GALLERY No 6:

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                 

Our Visit to the Serendip Sanctuary at Lara - March 2021.

Our Visit to the Serendip Sanctuary at Lara - March 2021.

   

Our Visit to the Serendip Sanctuary at Lara - March 2021.

Our Visit to the Serendip Sanctuary at Lara - March 2021.

   

Our Visit to the Serendip Sanctuary at Lara - March 2021.

Our Visit to the Serendip Sanctuary at Lara - March 2021.

   

Our Visit to the Serendip Sanctuary at Lara - March 2021.

Our Visit to the Serendip Sanctuary at Lara - March 2021.

   

Our Visit to the Serendip Sanctuary at Lara - March 2021.

Our Visit to the Serendip Sanctuary at Lara - March 2021.

   

Our Visit to the Jirrrahlinga Wildlife Park at Barwon Heads - May 2021.

Our Visit to the Jirrrahlinga Wildlife Park at Barwon Heads - May 2021.

   

Our Visit to the Jirrrahlinga Wildlife Park at Barwon Heads - May 2021.

Our Visit to the Jirrrahlinga Wildlife Park at Barwon Heads - May 2021.

   

Our Visit to the Jirrrahlinga Wildlife Park at Barwon Heads - May 2021.

 
   

Corio Bay Luncheon Cruise on the Hygeia - Febuary 2022.

Corio Bay Luncheon Cruise on the Hygeia - Febuary 2022.

   

Corio Bay Luncheon Cruise on the Hygeia - Febuary 2022.

Corio Bay Luncheon Cruise on the Hygeia - Febuary 2022.

   

Corio Bay Luncheon Cruise on the Hygeia - Febuary 2022.

Corio Bay Luncheon Cruise on the Hygeia - Febuary 2022.

   

Corio Bay Luncheon Cruise on the Hygeia - Febuary 2022.

Corio Bay Luncheon Cruise on the Hygeia - Febuary 2022.

 

Corio Bay Luncheon Cruise on the Hygeia - Febuary 2022.

 

Corio Bay History Map.

CORIO BAY HISTORY.

Probus Cruise.

Corio Bay is part of a sunkland that was once dry. The sunkand was drained by a river system which formerly cut through the middle of Port Phillip via a deep valley cut in Pleistocene dunes . The bay is very shallow

Prior to western settlement, the land was home to the Wadawurrung people.  They called the bay ‘Corayo’.

European settlement of the Corio Bay & Geelong in April 1836, when a small vessel, the ‘Francis Freeling’ landed a number of sheep at Point Henry.

This was because there was a sandbar between Pt Henry and Pt Lillias. It was then possible to walk, at low tide, between the two Points. Due to this sandbar large ships had to anchor at Pt Henry and unload cargo into smaller boats called Lighters to reach Geelong.

Geelong was proclaimed on 26th October 1838 and so the Port of Geelong developed.

In the 1850’s Geelong was a major port for transporting of Gold and incoming goods for the Gold fields, many goldminers also disembarked. Many sailors jumped ship to join the gold rush.

1841 a bay service between Geelong and Melbourne was established. Cost 1 pound and took 2 days.

Sailors Rest was built in 1912 to provide welfare services for visiting sailors and was a temperance shelter. It is now a restaurant.

The following is a brief history of industries and developments around Corio Bay. Numbers related to numbers on the map.

1.           Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC).

RGYC was est. 1859 and is home to the largest regatta in the Southern Hemisphere, the Festival of Sail, held around Australia Day each January. It also hosts the Wooden Boat Festival in March. It provides save moorings, learn to sail school as well as a café. It is about to have a major redevelopment.

 

2.          Piers

  (a) Yarra St Pier.

  Built in 1850 but demolished in 1988 when fire destroyed the Cargo Shed at the of the Pier. The area was the developed into Steam Packet gardens, wharf shed and marina.

  (B) Moorabool St Pier.

  Built in 1862 and demolished in 1950’s for the waterfront development and Carousal.   This was a general cargo wharf, wheat, wool, cool etc.

  (C) Cunningham Pier.

  Originally named Railway Pier, as it was built by Geelong Railway Company in 1855, to allow coal to be unloaded for the Company’s steam trains. Hence the rail tracks on the pier and rail line to Geelong. Was used for general cargo.  Prior to 1860 it was lite by Kerosene lamps then converted to Gas Lamps. Now in private ownership. Several restaurants have called the Pier home, notably “Smorgy’s” and “The Pier”.

3        3 WOOLSTORES.

(A) Denny Larcelles Est. 1872 now the National Wool Museum.

(B) Strahan 7 Co. Est. 1889 now Westfied Shopping Plaza.

(C) Dalgety & Co. Est. 1891 now Deakin University.

4     Boat building and slipway plus Western Beach Sailing Club.

5     Rippleside swimming enclosure, park and playground.

6     Geelong Harbour Trust pier, workshops and slipway. Buildt in 1905 and enlarged                     in 1955 to include tugs and dredges. Now a marina and luxury apartments.  

7      St Helens swimming enclosure, boat ramp and Coast Guard.

8      Osborne House built in 1885 as a private house.

  1900 became Victoria’s Governor’s summer residence.

  1913 a Royal Naval training college and in WW1 a military hospital.

  1919 – 24 a Submarine training base.

  1939 Army training college.

  1945 – 94 Corio Shire Offices.

1995. Due to council amalgamation it became community hub, housing, Vietnam       Vets, a Maritime Museum and offices.

9      Old Geelong Power Station, now an art facility.

10    Federal Woolen Mill.

Est 1915 as a government industry making uniforms and blankets for WW1.       Privatised in 1923 and steadily increased production during WW2 employing 900 1968 it became Class Weave and made uniforms for Qantas pilots and crew. Closed in 1972. Now a Business and Innovation park and Heritage park.

11   Corio Distillary. Est. 1929 producing Dry Gin and Wisky. Closed in 1989.

12   Grain Corp. Est. 1936 exporting local and interstate grain.

13   Corio Freezing Works & Jackson Meat Works. Est 1909 and still operating.

14   Corio Quay. Future site of the Spirit of Tasmania.

15   International Harvester. Est 1939- 1982.

           Manufacturing farm machinery eg tractors, harvesters, headers and trucks. In its hay day employed 2600. In WW2 assembled Kitty Hawk fighters and trucks. The late 70’s drought caused a downturn in production, so closed in 1982.

16   Ford Motor Company. Est. 1926-2016

             Produced the first Model T.  Now ceased production but continues its product development, design and testing operations.

17   Midway Woodchips. Est 2003 on the old Harvester site. Chipping logs from the Western District and exporting woodchips.

18    Pivot Phosphate & Fertilizer. Est 1950  til now.

Processing phosphate from Nauru to make fertilizer.

19   Shell (Viva) Refinery. Est. 1954 til now. Refining crude oil for petrol, oils and Diesel. Now only a storage facility and gas producer.

20  Geelong Grammar School Founded in 1855 and relocating to Corio in 1914.

21  Grammar School Lagoon, Boat ramp, Yacht club and wetlands.

22  Hopetoun Channel. Dredged and opened in 1893 and allowed large vessels to enter Corio Bay.

23  Point Henry Signal Station. Est. 1940-2000 to control all the shipping entering leaving Corio Bay.

24   Alcoa Aluminium Smelter. Est. 1963-2014

25  Stingray Bay. A shallow bay, good for catching Whiting and Flathead.

26  Cheetham Saltworks. Est1888-2000. A series of large evaporative ponds to produce salt, harvested and a small train transported raw salt to factory to produce table salt. Now a Ramsar wetlands.

27   Limeburners Point and Lime Kilms. Est. 1830-80. After closure was used by local lads as a switchback for bike riding and swagman used the old kilms for shelter plus clay target shooting. Now a boat ramp.

28   Parkside Swimming Enclosure and Mineral Spring. Est. 1857-1960.

29   Eastern Beach. Est 1850 and redeveloped in 1930 by Ian McDonald (city surveyor).

30   Site of Hylite Park (1956-85). Now a Ferris Wheel.

1912-20’s it was the site of the “Joy Ark” Pavilion showing silent movies, then roller skating. When it was demolished part of the building was used to construct the Palais Royal in Moorabool Street.