The best place To Live - City of Greater Geelong

the
best place to
best
www.geelongaustralia.com.au www.geelongaustralia.com.au
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
www.geelongaustralia.com.au
The
place to live
Geelong
region
february 2009 the best place to live
1
FEBRUARY 2009
Leura Park Estate on the
Bellarine Peninsula offers
wine tastings and a unique
cellar door experience.
Life’s
better
“The quality of the wines and the calibre of the owners, winemakers, restaurateurs
and chefs is just remarkable.” Why Leura Park Estate co-owner Lyndsay Sharp
thinks the Geelong region is emerging as a food and wine destination: page 4
live 11
The easy commute
and Geelong’s
lifestyle benefits
inspire Melburnians
to make the move
learn 13
Parents of young
children have
plenty of choice
when it comes to
childcare
work 15
Geelong’s new
marine precinct
is expected to
deliver more
than 1200 jobs
invest 7
World-class events
call the Geelong
region home: plus
calendar of what’s
on, page 15
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication

the february best 2009 place to www.geelongaustralia.com.au the best place to live www.geelongaustralia.com.au
3
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
The Geelong region is the fastest
growing in Victoria and home to
the best surf beaches, gourmet food
producers and wineries as well as
internationally recognised major
events. With a healthy and diverse
economy, low unemployment, great
access to services, world-class
education and fabulous lifestyles
within easy reach of Melbourne, the
Geelong region is fast becoming the
best place to live.
geelong
colac otway
golden plains
colac
•
colac otway
shire
golden plains
SHIRE
apollo bay
•
Population
bannockburn
surf coast
SHIRE
• LOrne
Population growth (pa, %)
•
geelong
•
Area (km 2 )
city of
greater
geelong
barwon heads
torquay
Unemployment rate (%)
Travel time to Melbourne (mins)
melbourne
portarlington
•
Borough of
queenscliffe
•
• •
queenscliff
Median house price ($)
Residential building activity
(new dwelling approvals)
205,929 1.10 1,245 6.70 55 264,000 1,117
21,030 0.25 3,433 4.50 120 217,500 148
17,077 1.01 2,704 3.90 55 211,250 152
3,150 0.02 9 3.40 75 510,000 58
Contents
A place to
be tempted 4
Melbourne? I tried
living there... 5
It’s all happening
in Geelong 7
City strong on
retail therapy 9
Windows to the past,
present and future 10
Where the living
is easier 11
Affordable, accessible
real estate 12
Spoiled for
childcare choice 13
Bollard honours
local artist 14
Drawn to
the water 15
Lured by a
city’s charms 17
A relaxing start
to the day 17
Water Park makes
another big splash 18
In a class of
its own 19
surf coast
queenscliffe
the region’s major employers
CITY OF GREATER GEELONG
Barwon Health, Department of Education,
Ford Motor Company, Aerospace Activities
at Avalon, Deakin University, City of
Greater Geelong
COLAC OTWAY shire
Bulla Dairy Foods, Colac Area Health,
CRFco, AKD Softwoods, Fonterra,
Colanda Residential Services
For more information on ‘The Best
Place to Live’, see the next supplement on
Sunday 15 March.
Go to www.geelongaustralia.com.au and head
to ‘The Best Place to Live’
22,802 1.64 1,553 3.60 75 392,500 338
GOLDEN PLAINS shire
Golden Plains Shire Council, Bartter
Steggles, Happy Hens, Imerys Mines,
Porters Plant Hire, Bannockburn Residential
Aged Care
borough of QUEENSCLIFFE
Marine Discovery Centre, The Fort
Queenscliff (Department of Defence),
Bellarine Community Health Centre,
Beacon Big4 Holiday Resort,
Vue Grand Hotel, Peninsula
Searoad Transport
SURF COAST shire
Rip Curl, Quiksilver, Surf Coast
Shire, Barwon Health, Hesse Rural
Health
This feature is proudly
supported by:
Barwon Health
Borough of Queenscliffe
Central Geelong Marketing
Chamber of Commerce
City of Greater Geelong
Colac Otway Shire
Committee for Geelong
Deakin University
G21 – Geelong Region Alliance
Geelong Otway Tourism
Golden Plains Shire
Gordon Institute of TAFE
GP Association of Geelong
Provincial Victoria
Surf Coast Shire
Transport Accident Commission
Target Australia
Shell Geelong Refinery
V/Line
Victorian Regional Channels Authority
Publisher
Fairfax Media Custom Publishing
The Age Company Pty Ltd
(ABN 85 004 262 702)
250 Spencer Street,
Melbourne 3000
Editor, Fairfax Media Custom Publishing
David Clemson
Strategic Projects Manager
rosalind alexander
03 9601 2343
rosalind.alexander@fairfax.com.au
Account Manager
Kristen Kennedy
kristen.kennedy@theage.com.au
03 9601 2434
Photography in this publication:
RICHARD KUMNICK, Photoplay

4
the best place to live
www.geelongaustralia.com.au february 2009
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
A place to be tempted
Geelong is emerging
as a food and wine
destination, with the
revival of its wine
industry and spread of
fine restaurants
Leura Park Estate on the Bellarine Peninsula offers
fine wine and a unique cellar door experience with
hosts and directors Lyndsay and David Sharp.
If you ask Lyndsay Sharp, a director of
successful winery Leura Park Estate,
the Geelong wine region is an “uncut
diamond”. And that unadulterated
nature is one of the region’s biggest
attractions.
Mrs Sharp and her husband David took
over the Bellarine region winery, which
produces premium cool maritime climate
wines, in 2007. It had been established in
1995. They had immediate success, with
their hand-picked 2007 Shiraz winning the
Best Shiraz award in last year’s Geelong
Wine Show.
Although her husband’s background is
in agriculture, Mrs Sharp’s is in marketing,
particularly food and wine, giving her a
good eye for a region on the move.
“We feel this region is evolving all the
time, just bubbling along and ready to
really take off as an iconic food and wine
destination,” she says. “The quality of
the wines and the calibre of the owners,
winemakers, restaurateurs and chefs is
just remarkable.”
The Geelong area is no newcomer to
wine-making: the region produced Victoria’s
first commercial vintage in 1845.
But in the late 1800s, a combination of
politics, the 1890s recession, and a fatal
disease destroyed the vineyards. Phylloxera,
imported in vine roots, struck the region and
every vine in the area was uprooted.
A wine-making hiatus of nearly a century
followed. Then, in the 1960s, Daryl and
Nini Sefton replanted in the Moorabool
Valley on the site of an old vineyard. Other
winemakers followed, taking advantage
of soils and climates that had already been
proven to produce great wines.
Demand grew quickly for the pinot noir,
chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and shiraz
that are specialities of the region. The past
few years have seen an explosion of new
wineries, both small and large, and the
industry is flourishing again. The region’s
popularity with holidaymakers and day
trippers has further encouraged wineries to
open cellar doors and build restaurants with
views to the vines.
Lethbridge Wineries, north-west of
Geelong, is one of the most successful in
the region. The winery, which produces
European- accented wines, was the major
winner at last year’s Geelong Wine Show,
taking out the Williams and Jackson Best
Wine of the Show trophy with their 2007
Allegra Chardonnay.
The James Halliday Wine Companion
live:
2008 scored Lethbridge’s 2004 Indra Shiraz
96 points out of a possible 100 and labelled
it an “Outstanding Winery”.
Co-owner Ray Nadeson came to the
industry from an academic background
– researching and teaching neuroscience.
His passion for wine led him and partner
Maree Collis, together with physician friend
Adrian Thomas, to establish their own wine
company. They investigated the Mornington
Peninsula, the Yarra Valley and the Macedon
region before settling on Geelong.
“We quickly realised that Geelong was a
really great area with the best soils for cool
climate wines,” Mr Nadeson says.
“The region needs more investment in
the industry and to further promote itself as
a serious wine region in its own right. It’s
important that the wine is the focal point.”
Ms Robyn Fitzpatrick, chair of the
marketing and promotion committee for
the Geelong Wine Region and an owner of
Pettavel in Waurn Ponds, said the Geelong
region’s Surf Coast, Moorabool Valley and
Bellarine create a diverse wine region, unlike
anything else in Victoria.
“After so long without producing
wine, the region has done so well to get
going again in a relatively short time,” Ms
Fitzpatrick says. “It’s only in the past 25
years that Geelong has re-emerged as a wine
region. It’s important the wineries cooperate
‘We feel this region is
evolving all the time,
just bubbling along and
ready to really take off’
and market the region together. We’re all
family owned – there are no big corporate
players – which means the wineries all
have a personal touch. When visitors turn
up at the cellar door for tastings or to ask
questions, chances are they are asking one of
the winemakers or owners.”
Given there are many small players who
simply do not produce the volumes required
for export or to break into supermarkets and
liquor stores, cellar door and online sales are
the top ways to sell.
“In the past five years the number of
cellar doors has quadrupled so it was
important that we established a regional
association,” Ms Fitzpatrick says. “Tourists
heading down the Great Ocean Road are
often very wine savvy and are looking for
new regions to explore. We also have a lot of
day trippers and mini-bus visitors.”
Andrew Noseda is one of three partners
who own Otway Estate, about 10 minutes
from Colac to the south-west of Geelong.
Once just a vineyard, the estate now produces
wines, beers, ale, stout, cider, preserves
and sauces.
The trio took over the vineyard with 1.2
hectares of vines 10 years ago. Since then,
they have developed it into 5.2 hectares of
vines and added a café, conference facility,
winery with cellar door and shop, gallery,
cabin accommodation and micro-brewery.
“Finding recognition as a small winery
can be difficult amongst the bigger players,
so we’ve diversified and it’s working well,”
Mr Noseda says. “We have been mainly
selling through the cellar door and shop but
soon will be establishing an online retail as
well.”
Visitors who enjoy good wine usually
want good food as well. That demand is
being answered by Winchelsea couple Tony
During the past three years more than 960 northern suburbs primary school students have had the opportunity to meet the stars of the
Geelong Cats as part of the Shell Cats Heroes Series. This unique experience has been made possible through Shell’s sponsorship of the club.
Phelps and Rochelle O’Mara. He has a
business background, and she is a former
teacher with a passion for cooking and skills
in design and packaging. Their online and
retail business, A Taste of the Region, offers
quality local food and beverages.
“We’re always seeking new products
through visiting farmers’ markets and
new producers,” Mr Phelps says. “Our
makers create boutique, seasonal ranges
that are changing all the time. If people like
something, we encourage them to order it
because it might not be available next time.
Unlike mass producers, we can’t guarantee
availability or make large quantities. But
that’s what makes it special.”
The couple, who had been living
overseas, were keen to settle in the region
for family reasons. “We were looking for
something we’d both enjoy,” Mr Phelps
says. “Rochelle is a fine cook and we
researched various producers and how we
could source the products. We sell products
from Warrnambool to Ballarat to Geelong.
It makes all the difference dealing with the
producers – you just get a feeling for what’s
good and what’s not.”
Also doing well on the food front in
the region are the Highbury Tea Gardens,
30 minutes north-west of Geelong, which
featured in the RACV list of the top 101
things to see and do in Victoria, while
Matildas at Inverleigh won two major
categories in the Golden Plate awards for
the region. Chef Tyler Vakidis was highly
commended and judges noted that much
thought had gone into the creative and
adventurous menu at Matildas.
a www.winegeelong.com.au
(includes a map showing the location of
more than 50 wineries in the region)

the february best 2009 place to www.geelongaustralia.com.au the best place to live www.geelongaustralia.com.au
5
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Melbourne? I tried living there …
People often ask Brad Ivens why he doesn’t move
to Melbourne. But the 33-year old senior tax
manager at Ernst & Young wonders how people
live in Melbourne. “I just couldn’t see myself living up
there again,” he says.
Having grown up in Geelong and studied at Deakin
University, Mr Ivens did try living in Melbourne when
he first started work about 10 years ago. “I rented a
flat in Carlton for a couple of years but I was going
back to Geelong every weekend and quite often
during the week as well. It seemed pointless to live
in Melbourne.” So he and his wife bought a house in
Geelong and haven’t looked back.
Mr Ivens commutes to Melbourne by train which,
he admits, can be frustrating. But working in a fairly
specialised field, he puts up with the travel for the
sake of being able to enjoy the lifestyle – opportunities
for golfing and surfing in particular. The Bellarine
Peninsula boasts a number of five-star golf courses
including Barwon Heads, Thirteenth Beach and The
Sands at Torquay.
Mr Ivens is a member at Clifton Springs, where he
plays every Saturday. “During the year we might also
play at courses like Torquay, Anglesea or Queenscliff –
there are plenty of good courses close by.”
Another passion is surfing, and living in Geelong
means that Mr Ivens is only 20 minutes away from
several of the best surf beaches in Australia.
From the southern coast of the Bellarine Peninsula
some of the best surfing spots are Point Lonsdale,
Ocean Grove and Thirteenth Beach near Barwon Heads
– one of the closest surf beaches to Geelong and a
year-round favourite with surfing diehards. The most
famous is Bells Beach, where the Rip Curl Pro is held
every Easter.
“I’ve been surfing since I was six. I mainly go to
Winki Pop, next to Bells Beach, but also
anywhere round Torquay, Barwon Heads or
even Lorne, depending on the conditions.
They are all easy to get to from Geelong.”
With a one-year-old daughter,
Mr Ivens also thinks that
Geelong is a good place to raise
a family. “It has the benefits of
being small enough that a lot of
people know each other but big enough
that it has everything.”
learn:
More than 220 nationally accredited courses and 240 short courses are
on offer at the Gordon Institute.

the february best 2009 place to www.geelongaustralia.com.au the best place to live www.geelongaustralia.com.au
7
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
It’s all happening in Geelong
The Australian International
Airshow in March will
draw crowds from all
over Australia.
Geelong Major Events committee
member Nicholas Heath: “We want to
become renowned for being able to
host everything.”
Event organisers recognise the city’s attractions
In recent times, the Geelong region has
become a seachange haven, but moving
from the capital city does not mean
a life with little entertainment – the
area has become a major events mecca. Its
calendar is packed with events and festivals
simply because the area and its people have
so much to offer, says Geelong Major Events
committee member Nicholas Heath.
“There is a willingness in regional or
country areas to embrace events, which is
very important for an event to be successful,”
he says. “Events stumble and fall because a
portion of the community don’t want that
event; but in places like Geelong, people
accept minor inconveniences like temporary
road closures because as a community they
want to support their region and attract
people to the area.”
Not only is there community support, but
the region has the infrastructure, is an easy
commute to Melbourne and its airports, has
good venues and an abundance of natural
assets to attract organisers to the area.
“We have a good bank of accommodation
across the region for the huge numbers of
people expected to come for these major
events, everything from five-star hotels to
camping,” Mr Heath says. “We are blessed
with beautiful long beaches, the bay creates
a natural amphitheatre so we host a lot of
water-based activities, and our forefathers
gave us a lot of parks, which are great for
use as open sports fields. And it’s obviously
more cost-effective to host events in regional
areas.”
The region not only plays host to a
number of annual local events and festivals,
but also one-off international and national
events. “Where do we start?” Mr Heath
says. “There is Skandia Geelong Week,
which is obviously one of the biggest events
on the calendar. It’s a very old event that we
have grown and enhanced so it has become
much more than a sailing event. And this
year we are hosting the Australian Masters
Games, which will be huge and bring many
thousands to the area.
“Then there’s the 2010 UCI Road World
Cycling Championships, which will bring
the world’s best cyclists and huge crowds to
town, plus ironman events, the Pako Festa,
work:
music festivals and agricultural shows that
just seem to grow and grow. We’ve become
very adept as a region at managing any type
of event and want to become renowned for
being able to host everything.”
When it was decided the cycling
championships would be raced for the first
time in the southern hemisphere, the Geelong
and Melbourne bid won out against stiff
competition. Not only does Geelong provide
a picturesque backdrop for the event but it
also provides a challenging course for the
sport’s elite.
And the city has an impeccable major
events record so the decision-makers knew
Geelong could successfully host the world’s
most prestigious one-day cycling event,
says Michael Palmer, the general manager
of the 2010 Championships. “Geelong
was integral to the success of the bid. One
thing [that contributed to the successful
bid] was the enthusiasm of the various local
councils and the State Government. And I
think Melbourne and Geelong are able to
demonstrate a pretty superb track record of
running major events at the highest level.
“But I think one of the main things
that really won it was the race course. The
international federation came out to have
a look to see if it was challenging enough.
What really helped was that Geelong really
can deliver a world-class, very difficult road
race for the competitors. Without that it
would have been a hard sell to win the bid.
It’s very much in and around the city of
Geelong and really will highlight the area in
a spectacular way.
“Cycling is very much a European-based
sport, where all of the major cycling events
are held. These events are very rarely held
outside of Europe. In fact it’s the first time
this event has ever been held in the southern
‘As a community they
want to support their
region and attract
people to the area’
More than 650 staff now work for the TAC in Geelong in a new
state-of-the-art building in Brougham Street.
hemisphere so it really is, in some ways, a big
step for international cycling to have world
championships in Geelong.
“There are a lot of people who’ve been
involved in cycling for a very long time who
said they thought they’d never see the day.
The men’s and women’s road races on that
final weekend are the most significant singleday
events in world cycling so it really is an
extraordinary coup to host it.”
When the World Championships were last
held outside Europe, in Canada in 2003, an
estimated 267 million television viewers saw
the event. Mr Palmer expects about 200,000
to attend in 2010.
Another major event, the Australian
International Airshow, will also showcase the
Geelong region. This year marks the ninth
anniversary of Avalon’s biannual event. It is
one of the world’s top airshow spectaculars
and attracted more than 180,000 visitors
in 2007.
Avalon is an ideal venue for the event,
the chief executive of the Australian
International Airshow and Aerospace and
Defence Exposition, Ian Honnery, says.
“When a venue was being sought to host the
airshow, a number of places around Victoria
and Australia were looked at, but the most
suitable was the very under-utilised Avalon
airport,” he says. “We needed an aerodrome
capable of taking the largest aircraft in
the world that was not congested and
surrounded by an area that wasn’t built up.
In choosing Avalon, we found a space that
was very suitable operationally, was close to
a major capital city and airport and part of a
vibrant and progressive regional community.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that
regional communities such as Geelong have
a higher rate of community participation
and a very strong community spirit. They get
behind major events and exhibitions with an
enthusiastic sense of support and ownership.
“And the commitment from the City
of Geelong in particular has assured not
only continued support of the event but a
commitment for us to grow into one of the
leading events of its kind in the world.”
It is not only sporting events that
dominate Geelong’s events calendar. Last
year there were 73 entrants in the Pako Festa
Pako Parade and more than 100,000 people
attended the festival, which has become
Victoria’s largest multicultural event, says
Diversitat chief executive Michael Martinez.
“The Pako Festa grew out of an idea
from the traders and ethnic communities
more than 25 years ago,” he said. “We now
have about 30 cultural community groups
participating with up to 60 community
groups. It really is an opportunity to
celebrate multiculturalism. Most importantly,
it has helped to break down barriers and
brought together a wide range of cultural
groups to celebrate together.”

the february best 2009 place to www.geelongaustralia.com.au the best place to live www.geelongaustralia.com.au
9
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
Work scheme becomes a source of glass artwork
Expressing Aboriginal art in glass
is the focus for Wathaurong
Glass, a successful manufacturer
and retailer in North Geelong.
The company, which is owned
and operated by the Wathaurong
community – the original inhabitants
of the Geelong region – creates glass
art and functional glassware. It also
trains and provides employment and
returns any profits to the Wathaurong
community. The company employs five
indigenous glass artists.
The manager of Wathaurong Glass,
Mark Edwards, says the idea for an
indigenous glass art business grew
from a similar scheme run by the
Warburton community in central
Australia. “In the beginning, 10 years
ago, it was more about employment
and training needs, but we grew it
into a business,” Mr Edwards says.
The result is distinctive glassware,
including windows, doors and
splashbacks as well as platters and
bowls. As well as commissions for
large works such as glass panels for
the NBC studio during the Sydney
2000 Olympics and a bridge for RMIT’s
Brunswick campus, the company also
creates products for the architectural
and commercial market, such as
Hand-made
glass-making
in Geelong:
from left,
Catherine King, Luke Charles,
Alfred Oram and Mark Edwards.
splashbacks for domestic kitchens and
shower screens. “We supply products
for the domestic market all over
Australia,” Mr Edwards says.
A retail range of glass platters in
two sizes, about five different designs
and five colours and one-off glass
art pieces in a variety of colours
and designs are available from the
company’s North Geelong factory
shop, as well as other speciality
giftware shops in Geelong and
other cities. Each piece comes with
a certificate of authenticity that
contains the artist’s name, signature
and title of the work.
Mr Edwards hopes the company
will be able to expand enough to
open retail outlets in other places
but, meanwhile, Geelong residents
and visitors are fortunate to have the
unique shop on their doorstep.
a www.wathaurongglass.com.au
City strong on
retail therapy
The annual Central Geelong Sidewalk Sales
provides an economic benefit of more than
$1 million for Central Geelong retailers.
Whatever you’re shopping for,
you’re likely to find it in Geelong
Whether it’s shopping for your
favourite brands in the city centre
or browsing the boutiques and
speciality shops of Pakington
Street, Geelong has something for everyone.
Shopping in Geelong is bigger than ever,
with a vast array of chain stores, speciality
stores, entertainment and food outlets.
The size of the retail sector in the Geelong
region is reflected in the annual $2.4 billion
of retail spending by Geelong region residents,
according to a 2006 report commissioned
by the City of Greater Geelong.
Retail facilities include major shopping
centres in central Geelong, large centres
at Torquay and Waurn Ponds and a broad
network of smaller centres. The surf shops
and outlets at Torquay attract visitors from
around the world.
In 2008, a new-look Westfield Centre
was opened in central Geelong at a cost of
$200 million. The expanded centre includes
more than 170 stores.
Westfield marketing manager Chrissy
Finlay says the centre is delivering a new
standard of retail to the people of Geelong.
“The new-look centre has given shoppers
what they’ve been asking for; a Melbournestyle
shopping experience that is right on
their doorstep,” she says.
invest:
As well as the
major retailers –
Myer, Target, Big
W and Coles – the
centre includes 60
fashion and beauty
stores, a refurbished
food court, cafes and
restaurants with views
of the bay, and a
number of fresh-food
stores.
Ms Finlay says an
important element of
the centre’s development
was to attract
new retail brands to
the region and boost
the total retail offering
within central
Geelong.
The new tenants include a Borders store
– the first in the Geelong region, Mossimo,
Everlast, Edge Clothing, Hype DC and
Sportscraft.
“The centre has proved very popular not
only with local residents, but also as a key
destination for visitors to the region,” Ms
Finlay says. She believes visitors to Geelong
appreciate having all the stores they would
expect in a Melbourne shopping centre,
“whether it’s fashion, dining, fresh food, or
back-to-school needs”.
For visitors who want a different experience,
the popular “Pako” shopping strip in
Geelong West provides a more individual
type of retail therapy.
Many of the shop buildings are more than
100 years old and traders have maintained
the old facades. The president of the West
Geelong Traders’ Association, Victoria Henderson,
says the strip contains 225 businesses,
including everything from hair salons to
furniture shops and a new shopping centre
with supermarket and speciality food shops.
“It’s such an eclectic little area, we call it
the Brunswick Street of Geelong,” she says.
The street contains many cafes with outdoor
eating and stores that are mostly owner-operated.
“We’ve got beautiful fresh fruit and
vegetable shops and butchers that have been
established for years. The street has a great
community feel.”
A major drawcard for shoppers to Pakington
Street is the free parking. “It’s not
just on-street parking, most shops also have
car parks at the back, so you can always get
a park,” Ms Henderson says. “The other
advantage is the owner-operated businesses.
A lot of the time the owners are in the shops
themselves and they are able to source things
for you, where a chain store or manager
operated store couldn’t.
“If someone comes in to me and says ‘I
have a size 13 foot and I can’t get shoes’, I’ll
source the shoes for them,” Ms Henderson,
who owns the Gorgeous boutiques, says.
“We really try to offer personal service.
That’s what sets us apart.”
Construction of the $380 million Geelong Ring Road is well under way – linking Corio to Waurn Ponds and reducing travel times
to and from Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road. Construction is due for completion in late 2009.

10
the best place to live
www.geelongaustralia.com.au february 2009
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
Windows to the past,
present and future
The manager of the Geelong
Heritage Centre, Mark Beasley,
has a rich and colourful view of
Geelong’s cultural heritage.
There are 1.7 shelf-kilometres of
historical documents housed at
Geelong’s Heritage Centre, each
document telling a different story
and each providing a window to Geelong’s
cultural past. With newspaper archives, a
40,000-strong photo and image library, a
significant sale notices collection and maps
and plans of the region situated there, the
heritage centre is the place to go to tap into
the region’s history and taste a little of the
culture that the region offers in spades.
In recent times, the Geelong region has
clearly emerged as a destination of cultural
significance, with museums, theatres, galleries
and a thriving coffee lifestyle. And with
an ever-increasing multicultural population
choosing the region as its home, as well as a
growing artistic population finding inspiration
from Geelong and its surrounds, that
cultural identity is only intensifying.
The manager of the Geelong Heritage
Centre, Mark Beasley, says there has been a
surge of interest in people delving into their
cultural pasts, researching their histories
and tracking their family trees, making the
heritage centre a hive of cultural activity.
“The growth in genealogy and family
history is quite remarkable,” he says. “It
was thought that when things were digitised
and put online that people wouldn’t want
to come to reading rooms any more, but in
fact it’s gone the other way. I’d say probably
two out of every three people here would be
researching something to do with family or
their Geelong cultural history or something
of that nature.”
Mr Beasley says the Geelong region’s
community has embraced its cultural past
and wants it to be recorded for future generations,
thus increasing the patronage of the
heritage centre. “In terms of people wanting
live:
Geelong’s Heritage
Centre has become
the centre of thriving
cultural activity
to learn about and access the cultural history
of Geelong, I’ve found people here are really
interested in it,” he says. “Geelong has such
a diverse cultural history and a fantastic
depth of its history, and I’ve found that
people are passionate here about not only
depositing their history but accessing it for
the next generation.”
Geelong’s Heritage Centre is Victoria’s
largest regional archive and sits within
Geelong’s cultural precinct, as does the Back
to Back Theatre group, an ensemble-based,
avant-garde theatre group, whose work contributes
to Geelong’s cultural identity.
Back to Back Theatre artistic director
Bruce Gladwin, who writes and directs the
group’s productions, says being Geelongbased
is integral to its identity. “Our
company is made up of actors who have
an intellectual disability, so our work has
a unique social and political commentary
on contemporary society because it’s not a
mainstream voice,” he says. “Being a part of
Geelong definitely defines who we are.
‘Geelong is on the way
up and our multicultural
population has a lot to
do with that’
The Geelong Region has the highest number of General Practioners (GPs)
that surf in Victoria.
“We continue to make work for Geelong
and make work with people in Geelong.
All our actors from the company are from
Geelong, and who we are is really defined by
our base here in many ways.”
Mr Gladwin acknowledges that his
theatre group, which has been recognised
internationally for its work, is part of a
thriving cultural scene in Geelong. “The
harder it is for artists to support themselves
in cities like Sydney or Melbourne, the more
appealing it is for an artist to come and live
and work in regional centres like Geelong.
Having the City of Greater Geelong really
recognise and develop policy in regard to
arts and culture is really encouraging artists
to thrive in Geelong.
“We’ve seen that cultural rejuvenation
in the inner city of Melbourne in areas like
Fitzroy and Carlton but it’s often not viable
for artists to support themselves in those
areas, so people are looking further afield.
“The fact that there’s an arts and culture
department within the City of Greater
Geelong – and a lot of councils don’t have
one – and that they’ve been employing
people to support arts and culture and
recognising it as being a really important
dynamic to make the area an appealing place
to live and work in, is just fantastic.”
Michael Martinez, chief executive of
Diversitat, an organisation that provides
community services to the Geelong region in
the areas of immigration, welfare, community
development, youth, training, aged care
and employment, says the large multicultural
population that lives in the Geelong area
also contributes to the cultural identity of
the region, most notably through cuisine.
“What I love about Geelong is that it is
the home of so many varieties of food now,”
he says. “It’s all there: Japanese, Indian,
Greek, Italian and a whole lot more. There
are now 39 ethnic groups that create the
Geelong Ethnic Communities Council so we
are greatly influenced by this large multicultural
population.
“The biggest single community is the
Italians, who have had a fair bit to do with
the growing coffee culture here in Geelong.
And then there’s the Chinese and a growing
Indian population that is diversifying the
cuisine of the area, as well as a whole lot
more. The food is really changing.
“But a bit of the untapped story is the
emergence of the wine and fresh produce
industries outside of Geelong in the Bellarine
Peninsula and around Bannockburn, whose
red wines are regularly listed in the best
restaurants of Australia.
“Then you’ve got things like olive
production that is on the increase, and a
lot of boutique poultry and meat industry
establishments and many good restaurants
right down the coast. Geelong is on the way
up and our multicultural population has a
lot to do with that.”
The City of Greater Geelong’s manager
of arts and culture, Di Shaw, says the city
has indeed recognised the importance of
developing the Geelong region’s cultural
identity. “Our strategy is to develop Geelong
as a region of creative innovation,” she
says. “Some cities see that as a competitive
advantage, not of how people see the city
from observation, but how they engage
with the community – and that is what our
community does very well.
“Supporting creativity within the region
brings a real vitality to our community.”
a www.geelongaustralia.com.au
www.backtobacktheatre.com
www.diversitat.org.au

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11
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
Business leaders get together for Geelong’s future
In 2001, a group of Geelong business leaders
established the Committee for Geelong to
help make a positive contribution to the
long-term interests of the Geelong community.
The committee runs a Leaders for Geelong
program to equip a new generation of business
and community leaders with the skills,
knowledge and networks to manage the City
of Greater Geelong’s future responsibly and
sustainably.
One of the program’s participants is Anthony
Barnett, a regional manager in the Geelong
area for Telstra. As part of his development
through the program, Mr Barnett is driving the
establishment of a new community project.
“The time comes when you want to use the
things you feel passionate about to help make
positive change in the Geelong region,” he says.
One of Mr Barnett’s passions is education
for children. After consultation with key
government and community stakeholders,
Mr Barnett and his fellow participants were
inspired to inaugurate an annual Geelong
Children’s Literacy Festival aimed at promoting
awareness of the importance of early learning,
specifically reading.
“There are quite a lot of stand-alone literacy
and reading programs in Geelong, but they
are not linked,” Mr Barnett says. “We felt this
centrally coordinated initiative would be an
excellent idea.”
His group is in the process of drafting the
framework for the literacy festival, with plans
to present the proposed format to community
leaders, parents and potential implementation
groups in April this year. It will be recommended
that the inaugural Geelong Literacy Festival be
held in mid-2010.
The Leaders for Geelong program coordinator,
Jean Paul, says the program aims to develop
participants’ skills through exposure to business
and community leaders, interaction with other
participants and discussion of case studies.
Participants are introduced to issues relevant
to sustainability, prosperity and social cohesion,
she says. Themes covered include law and
order, water and sustainability, science and
technology, energy, ethics, welfare and poverty,
transport and logistics, education, health and
cultural diversity.
a www.committeeforgeelong.com.au
Where the living and lifestyle are easier
They might work
outside the region,
but they wouldn’t
live anywhere else
Radio personality Ian Cover
moved to Geelong as a lad
in 1963, the same year the
Geelong Cats won their
sixth VFL/AFL Grand Final.
“We had to wait 44 years for
another premiership, but it was
worth it,” he says. “You cannot
overestimate what winning did
for this town in 2007. No other
provincial city in Australia would
be capable of being the base for an
AFL team.”
Ian is Geelong through and
through. He was educated in Geelong
and his first job was as a reporter
for the Geelong Advertiser.
He also represented Geelong in the
Victorian Parliament from 1996 to
2002. “I grew up here. I can’t help
but like the place. I once lived in
Williamstown, but I called it North
North Geelong. You won’t get me
to cross the (Westgate) Bridge to
live,” he says.
These days his family is settled
at Barwon Heads, on the coast.
“Greater Geelong just offers such a
full range of services from education
to health to employment and,
of course, sport and recreational
facilities.”
He travels to Melbourne at
weekends for his role as one of
ABC radio’s Coodabeen Champions.
“The single most significant
infrastructure project in the past
10 years was the Geelong Road
upgrade and now we’ve got the
Geelong Ring Road too,” he says.
“They make Geelong even more
accessible for people who live and
work here.”
As general manager of Village
Cinemas Australia, Chris Shine
commutes to his Melbourne office
by train or car; and he works
outside peak times to avoid traffic
LEARN:
snarls. “And I use the Avalon Aiport
if I need to fly for work.”
The Shine family moved from
Melbourne to Geelong for the
relaxed lifestyle 10 years ago.
“My wife Lynne and I looked
around and we liked Geelong because
it was not a contrived town,
and it still had a provincial feel,”
Chris says. “We loved the civic design
with the glorious waterfront,
the accessibility to amenities and
the culture.”
And the property prices didn’t
hurt either. “We basically swapped
our living from a townhouse in
Kensington for a four-bedroom
home overlooking the Geelong
Botanic Gardens.” Chris estimates
they secured the Geelong home for
about half what it would have cost
in Melbourne.
The Shine family, which includes
two primary school children and
a dog, use the local beaches and
parklands extensively. Chris,
Chris Shine and
family love nothing
better than heading
to the beach; a
far cry from Chris’
office role as
general manager
of Village Cinemas
Australia based in
Melbourne.
who enjoys sea kayaking, can be
found at Ocean Grove or Torquay
on most weekends. “We would
use the waterfront in a social or
recreational way at least four times
a week.”
Cinematographer Ian Baker regards
his home on 1.2 hectares near
Lorne as a haven from the hurlyburly
of international film making.
He and his family live on a property
that faces the Great Ocean Road,
on the Melbourne side of Lorne.
In the Geelong region there are: 22,059 primary school students, 18,704 secondary students, 7061 university students
and 5195 TAFE students. (Source: 2006 census)
“It’s a rare bit of land, and we are
very lucky to be here,” he says.
Although he was Melbourne
born and bred, Ian always felt
drawn to the country. He bought
the Lorne property after his first
home at Mount Macedon was
destroyed in the 1983 Ash Wednesday
bushfires.
The film-maker, whose credits
include The Russia House, Evil Angels,
Roxanne and Japanese Story,
works on movies in all corners of
the world. “My family travel with
me but, when I am not on location,
our youngest daughter goes
to school locally, and my wife is
constantly involved in community
activities,” he says. “I am based
here when I am in Australia. It is
the perfect antidote to the big city
environment, and the high-pressure
world of film-making.
“I can relax, enjoy my garden
and perhaps have some meetings
or read. And I’m an avid gardener.
I only grow things you can eat, so
we have 20 fruit trees and a huge
vegetable garden.”
For footy legend Billy Brownless,
it’s the little things that make
living in Geelong special. “You
don’t get caught in traffic, and you
can usually get a park out the front
wherever you stop, often for no
charge,” he says. “If you do have to
pay to park somewhere, it doesn’t
cost you a fortune. I know it’s not
popular to say it, but Geelong is a
little bit country. I’m from Jerilderie
so I should know.”
Billy’s association with Geelong
started in 1986 when he first played
with the Cats. He finished playing
in 1997, but never considered
moving to Melbourne. “I married a
Geelong girl and we have four kids
at school and they are very settled.
I’ve lived in Geelong now for 20
years and I think I’m just about
regarded as a local.
“Geelong is the best of both
worlds, with Melbourne just an
hour away and Torquay and other
beach spots 20 minutes down the
road. And of course, this town has
a great footy team to support.”

12
the best place to live
www.geelongaustralia.com.au february 2009
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
Affordable,
accessible
real estate
First-home buyers and savvy investors
are discovering Geelong’s value
There are two words that seem to
crop up in every conversation about
real estate in and around Geelong –
affordability and accessibility. The
area, it seems, is strong on both.
Wayne Mackay of Hayden Real Estate
says buyers can get a good block of land,
near the centre of Geelong, for between
$115,000 and $185,000.
“Real estate is considerably more
affordable here, particularly in the fringe
areas around Geelong. Certainly it costs
much less than property in the fringe around
the Melbourne CBD.
“And, with the new Geelong Ring Road,
these outlying and suburban areas are only
10 to 15 minutes from the centre of town,”
Mr Mackay says.
First-home buyers and investors can buy
units for between $115,000 and $145,000,
depending on the size. “And $350,000 will
certainly get you a very nice house,” he says.
“With lower interest rates and the first
home buyers grant we are already seeing a
surge in land and home sales in the Greater
Geelong area.
“We are finding a lot of people in the
suburbs between Melbourne, Werribee and
Geelong are keen to buy into this area.
“And a lot of people have been buying
into the Geelong area due to the decision by
the TAC (Transport Accident Commission)
to locate their headquarters here.”
David Andrews, of Ray White Real
‘We are already
seeing a surge
in land and home
sales in the Greater
Geelong area’
Estate in the shire of Golden Plains, agrees
the local property market is healthy but still
affordable.
“The last couple of months have been
great for sales that have been triggered by
softening real estate prices and lower interest
rates,” he says.
In Bannockburn, which is the centre of
the Golden Plains area, new commercial
properties in the town’s shopping strip are
attracting interest from buyers who are keen
to invest.
“Most residential investment properties
are offering around a six per cent return,
which has been unheard of in real estate in
the last few years. And it also means good
potential for capital gains on developments,”
Mr Andrews says.
Home buyers are also in luck in the
greater Geelong area. “If you are looking
in Golden Plains, $320,000 buys a threebedroom
brick veneer with a study and
double garage. That’s better value than
Melbourne certainly, or even Geelong
proper.”
And a house out of town on about two
or three hectares will set you back about
$450,000.
David credits the new Geelong Ring
Road that extends along Geelong’s western
outskirts and links the Princes Freeway at
Corio to the Princes Highway at Waurn
Ponds, with improved accessibility. “It
means Bannockburn is now just 10 minutes
from Geelong, and it makes a drive to
Melbourne possible in under one hour.”
About 3000 housing lots have been
approved for development. “We currently
have 14 units in development to be built
around Bannockburn, and they are popular
with retirees because they are close to the
town centre, and offer low maintenance.”
But the undiscovered jewel, he said, is the
Moorabool Valley. “It is very picturesque
and in a good growing region with
plenty of wineries.”
New suburb a step ahead
Future residents of Geelong’s newest
suburb, Armstrong Creek, will be less than
a 10-minute walk from a park and shop,
regardless of where they are in the suburb.
Armstrong Creek’s planning recognises that
residential communities should be designed
around “walkability”, says Rob Anderson, senior
infrastructure engineer for the Armstrong Creek
Urban Growth Project. Providing “walkable
neighbourhoods” is vital in encouraging one-car
households, he says.
“If we provide a larger number of smaller
centres so that most homes are within a
comfortable walking distance – say 400 to 800
metres (or five to 10 minutes) of commercial,
community, recreation and education facilities,
people are far more likely to walk,” he says.
“Any further and people are inclined to drive.”
Public transport is equally important. “With
the Armstrong Creek project, we’re not waiting
until hundreds or thousands of people need a
bus or train service – the routes will already be
established and the railway lines and stations
planned for construction,” Mr Anderson says.
Armstrong Creek will emerge on the
paddocks between Geelong’s southern suburbs
and Mt Duneed over the next few years.
Although houses, schools, shops, cycling and
walking tracks are yet to be built, critical
infrastructure such as a sewer, water supply,
road links and a railway line already exist.
Between 55,000 and 65,000 people in about
22,000 residences are expected to live there
by 2030 and the suburb is likely to be home
to nine state primary schools and three state
secondary schools. Construction of a Lutheran
Prep to Year 12 school has already started.
The manager of planning strategy and
economic development for the City of Greater
Geelong, Terry Demeo, says given the need to
enhance residential land supply immediately,
the City and State Government are partnering
to hasten the delivery of land.
He says the area will be developed
into a sustainable community that sets
new benchmarks in best practice urban
development. Although residences will mainly
be conventional homes, there will also be some
medium and higher-density housing and shoptop
apartments to provide housing choice.
Mr Anderson says developers will use
the latest technology to ensure houses and
commercial buildings are as environmentally
friendly and healthy as possible, including
measures to minimise energy and water use and
strategies to mitigate the effects of stormwater
runoff.
Mr Anderson also hopes trends set by state
development agency VicUrban and projects
such as CH2 (the City of Melbourne’s Council
House 2 in Collins Street) will encourage
developers and an environmentally aware
community to use “next practice” technology
in an effort to achieve a truly sustainable
development.
“Developers and residents will be
encouraged to use clever ‘passive’ design
techniques such as house orientation, room
and window location and quality insulation
as well as solar panelling and household
rainwater tanks,” he says. “The position of
buildings will maximise solar access and
provide for the efficient use of land and
household energy.”
Low water-use gardens will be encouraged
and alternative water supplies such as
recycled water or the use of stormwater will
be explored.
Lifestyle is just what the doctor ordered
Dr David Unkenstein, a general
practitioner at Drysdale Clinic, has
been working in the area since 1989.
He settled in the Geelong region because
of the positive experience he had there as a
medical student and his desire to move into
general practice.
During his training Dr Unkenstein admired
the camaraderie among the resident
doctors and established some friendships for
work:
life. After his hospital training, his general
practice training in Drysdale and Lorne confirmed
his desire to live in the region.
Dr Unkenstein finds the variety of general
practice stimulating and appreciates the
support of the GP Association of Geelong,
which provides services in orientation,
continuing education and practice support to
all GPs. There is also a great network among
local specialists, Ambulance Victoria, community
health centres and other community
based organisations, he says.
Dr Unkenstein’s wife is also a GP and the
family loves living in the region. “Catriona
and I have been able to efficiently job-share,
creating a continual parental presence for
our children. Our three children enjoy our
semi-rural lifestyle, their schools, community
sports and beaches.
“I find the lifestyle to be brilliant with
Last year, Shell Geelong Refinery employees donated 560 hours of their time as part of the company’s corporate volunteering
program. Employees are offered one day per year of paid leave to volunteer.
short travel times to work, excellent local
health facilities, great primary, secondary
and tertiary education, fantastic beaches,
golf courses and wineries all at our doorstep
and our very own AFL side! Avalon
Airport provides convenient opportunity for
interstate travel and Melbourne is only 60
minutes away and an easy drive.”
a
www.gpageelong.com.au; 03 5222 0800

the february best 2009 place to www.geelongaustralia.com.au the best place to live www.geelongaustralia.com.au
13
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
Playmates
wanted
Michelle Roncon, director of the First Steps
Child Care Centre is proud of its reputation as
an excellent child care facility.
The First Steps Child Care
Centre is one of the new,
independent, privately
operated centres that has opened
their doors to meet demand in
Geelong. The facility, which opened
in April 2008, is so far operating
below capacity.
“We have six rooms and 90 fulltime
places with about 50 per cent
occupancy at present,” says the
centre’s director, Michelle Roncon.
“And we have just opened our fouryear-old
kinder room this year.”
The centre is located in a quiet
corner of the suburb of Whittington
close to the Gordon Institute of
TAFE in the eastern suburbs of
Geelong.
“We are not on a major
highway so we have placed some
advertisements through the local
media, but word of mouth spreads
the message,” she says. “Really,
it’s the parents who promote the
centre among their friends. Families
of the children here get to know us
and word spreads.”
Spoiled for childcare choice
Childcare in Greater Geelong has
grown as the area has expanded and
developed in recent years.
Frank Giggins, co-ordinator of
family services development with the City
of Greater Geelong, says 11 new childcare
centres, and more than 1000 additional child
care places, had been provided in the past
five years.
“We have quite a significant level of
population growth and, accordingly, there
has been expansion in the availability of
child care through new commercial centres
opening,” he says.
There have also been increases in the
availability of outside hours school care,
school holiday care, and other options that
provide families with a range of choice and
diversity. There are 34 long-day-care centres
in the municipality, which provide almost
2750 full-time places. Seven childcare centres
are operated by the City of Greater Geelong,
which also operates family day care, vacation
care and occasional care services.
Two new commercial childcare centres,
offering another 240 full-time places, are
scheduled to open by the middle of this year.
“We are certainly better supplied with
childcare than many other local government
areas, although availability of
childcare often depends on the individual
circumstances and requirements of parents,
and the capacity of services to meet those
requirements,” Mr Giggins says. “However,
Geelong has an excellent and really diverse
range of childcare services to accommodate
various family needs, and vacancies exist in
many of the childcare services located across
Greater Geelong.”
invest:
Parents of young
children have plenty
of options, thanks to
planners’ foresight
The Golden Plains Shire has responded
to the growing need for childcare and family
services in the region with a co-ordinated
approach.
“We provide family day care, kindergarten,
occasional care and long day care
services through a hub at the Bannockburn
Family Services Centre,” says Matthew
Dawson, team leader of Child and Family
Services in the shire.
The facility, which has been open for
two years, also provides maternal and child
health services and family support counseling.
“We deliver an integrated service for
families so they can some in and find all they
need under one roof. It’s what families have
been telling us they want.”
Population growth, and the need for
services, has been rapid. “Bannockburn and
surrounding towns are growing now, with
‘We are certainly better
supplied with childcare
than many other local
government areas’
young families moving in and buying homes.
Naturally, they are seeking good-quality
services,” Mr Dawson says.
The shire is pivotal in the provision of
children’s services in the area. There are no
privately operated childcare centres. The
areas’s six kindergartens – two in Bannockburn
and one each in Rokewood, Meredith,
Inverleigh and Teesdale – are operated as a
shire cluster.
“We take care of the onerous tasks such
as employment and licensee requirements so
volunteer parents can focus on fund-raising,
maintenance and supporting staff at the
kindergartens,” Mr Dawson says.
The shire also runs biannual training for
all kindergarten teachers, assistants, childcare
workers and maternal and child health
staff. “We run them together over two days
so everyone gets the same message, and they
also share ideas and experiences.”
As a volunteer parent at her local kindergarten,
Kathy Kelly welcomes the fact that
the Golden Plains Shire shoulders the burden
of kindergarten operations in her area. “It’s
a lot easier for the parents because we used
to have to take care of employment and the
salaries,” she says. “But the shire takes care
of all that now.
“And if a teacher is sick the shire can find
someone to fill in because they have access to
a lot of different teachers across the board.
So we as parents can take care of the fundraising
and organise working bees while the
shire takes care of the everyday running of
the kindergarten.”
Jan Keats is the co-ordinator of Geelong’s
Regional Parenting Service, which is committed
to improving the level of parenting
skills in the community by ensuring that
parents have access to high-quality parenting
information and support.
The service, which is funded by the
Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development and delivered by the City
of Greater Geelong, has been operating for
10 years. It provides support to parents of
children ranging from newborns to teens.
Some of the most popular programs offered
by the Service are: Triple P (Positive
Parenting Program) for parents of children
aged two to five years; 1-2-3 Magic for parents
of children aged six to 10 years; ABCD
parenting Young Adolescents; Understanding
and Parenting Adolescents; First Time
Grandparents; Fathering Under 3s; Toddlers
and Single mothers.
First-time grandparents are keen to
brush up on their technique, Ms Keats says.
“They find things have changed since they
were parents. These days there are different
approaches and new expectations around
children’s sleep patterns, foods – including
allergies – and even safety. The group helps
them develop confidence and establish networks
of other grandparents,” she says.
The service also runs programs for fathers
of children aged less than three years, and
sessions that focus on positive parenting.
“Managing behaviour is always a hot topic,
and the importance of play, and positive
parent-child relationships.”
The service runs up to 50 programs a
year, all provided at no cost to participants.
a www.geelongaustralia.com.au
has a full list and contact details of child
care centres in the City of Greater Geelong
Barwon Health’s new $26m Emergency Department at the Geelong Hospital includes a three-storey facility which will include 40-45 cubicles/beds
(up from the existing 28), improved consultation and resuscitation facilities, separate paediatric services and an area for mental health patients.

14
the best place to live
www.geelongaustralia.com.au february 2009
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
Bollard honours artist
The knitting tram conductor
slowly draws on her cigarette.
It’s almost as if this beautifully
rendered woman, once a piece
of timber in a now-demolished city pier
and today one of Geelong’s foreshore
bollards, is admiring the finely chiselled
physiques of the lifesavers and bathing
beauties on nearby bollards.
There are 111 of these huge painted
icons guiding visitors to Geelong along
the walking/cycling track from Rippleside
Park, through Waterfront Geelong
to Limeburners Point and the Botanic
Gardens. The bollards capture the character
of Geelong’s inhabitants past and
present – from the Wathaurong people
that walked Corio Bay long before white
settlement, to a Portuguese explorer,
lifesavers, families, a footballer, sailors, a
town band and fishermen.
There is, however, one figure missing
from these structures – that of Baywalk
Bollards creator Jan Mitchell. Ms Mitchell,
who died early last year, created her
first bollard art in Barwon Heads as part
of an artist-in-schools program. She took
the concept of the Baywalk Bollards to
Geelong city commissioners in 1994 and
the project was completed in 1999.
To acknowledge Ms Mitchell’s
cultural contribution she will be immortalised
next month as the final Baywalk
live:
Bollard – a fitting tribute to a remarkable
Geelong cultural identity, says the
manager of the National Wool Museum,
Gordon Johnston.
“The Baywalk Bollards are becoming
a symbol of Geelong,” he says. “There
are 111 of them along the Waterfront
and they represent a number of different
characters and historical figures from the
Geelong area. Sadly, the Baywalk Bollard
creator Jan Mitchell died last year, so to
commemorate the 20th anniversary of
the National Wool Museum and Jan’s
contribution to Geelong, we began the
Bollard of a Life exhibition in December.
During the exhibition, we are building
and painting the final bollard, that of Jan
Mitchell, and will take it to the waterfront
close to her workshop, to complete
the collection.”
Ms Mitchell had a diverse artistic
background and contributed significantly
to the culture of Geelong. She was a
painter and animator as well as a sculptor
and, through the Mitchell family,
her other significant works, including
her personal notes about the bollards,
early sketches and her wider artistic
endeavours, will be on display as part
of the exhibition at the National Wool
Museum’s Lower Gallery. The exhibition
will culminate in the Jan Mitchell bollard
taking its place among her creations.
The City of Greater Geelong recently unveiled the new $8.3 million
Bellarine Aquatic Centre in Ocean Grove.
Gordon
Johnston,
manager of
the National
Wool
Museum, with
bollards along
Geelong’s
Waterfront.

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15
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Drawn to the water
Boating is a focus of leisure – and employment – in Geelong
With its location on
Corio Bay and
the Barwon River,
Geelong is a great
place for messing about in boats,
whether your passion is sailing,
rowing or fishing.
The Royal Geelong Yacht
Club hosts an annual regatta
that is the oldest keel-boat regatta
in the southern hemisphere,
first held in 1844. Today known
as Skandia Geelong Week, it
attracts an estimated 100,000
visitors, more than 450 yachts
and 4500 competitors.
Rowing and fishing are important
local industries as well
as popular leisure activities.
Former Australian sculling
champion Jeff Sykes started
Sykes Racing in 1966 and the
company, now the largest rowing
boat builder in Australia,
has been manufacturing boats in
Geelong ever since.
The sales manager at Sykes,
Phil Gardiner, says the company
makes 250 to 300 racing boats
a year, which are sold mainly to
schools and the Australian and
state institutes of sport. They
also export boats, mainly to the
US, New Zealand and Japan.
“Around Australia, we are
easily the biggest supplier of
boats, with about 70 per cent of
the market,” Mr Gardiner says.
Staying ahead in this competitive
industry requires a focus
on research and Sykes has its
own research and development
section. The company employs
40 people, including four
apprentices. Staff tend to stay a
long time and many of them are
live:
involved in rowing outside work.
Mr Gardiner has been with
the company 17 years but
describes himself as a lifelong
rower. “I used to row with the
Barwon Rowing Club and I
coach at Geelong Grammar.”
Being in Geelong has definite
advantages for the company, one
of which is the relative affordability
of real estate. “We have a
5000-square-metre factory under
cover. If we had to get that in a
capital city it would be very expensive,”
says Mr Gardiner, who
believes it is easy to run an international
business from Geelong
while still enjoying the benefits
of a more relaxed lifestyle.
Boat builder Alf Stessl also
likes the relaxed atmosphere of
Geelong. An experienced boatbuilder
– Mr Stessl and his wife
founded Stessl Boats in Queensland
in 1975 – he moved only
recently to the region. In 2005,
son and daughter
Tim and Nicola Stessl
started a new company,
Makocraft, in
Queensland, building
aluminium boats.
“We needed to expand,”
said Alf Stessl,
who has come out
of retirement to help
in the venture, “but
Queensland wasn’t
conducive to expansion
because of the
shortage of labour.”
After looking at
several places, the
Stessls were attracted
to Geelong and were
successful in obtaining
a grant from the Geelong
Innovation Fund.
At its Moolap factory on the
outskirts of Geelong, Makocraft
manufactures aluminium boats
that are sold in Australia and
overseas. The factory will be
fully operational by mid-2009,
with plans for further expansion.
The company employs about 12
people and at full capacity will
increase that to about 70.
Another development that
will boost employment is a facility
to support the boating sector
in Geelong. The Osborne House
Marine Precinct will provide vital
manufacturing, maintenance
and servicing facilities to Corio
and Port Phillip bays.
The City adopted the Osborne
House Precinct Masterplan
in October 2007 after
consultation with the boating industry,
port industry, community
groups and other stakeholders.
Phil Gardiner, boat builder for Sykes Racing, coaching
Geelong Grammar School on the Barwon River.
Skandia Geelong Week: the biggest keel
boat regatta in the southern hemisphere.
The City’s manager of planning
strategy and economic
development, Terry Demeo,
says the facility will provide a
valuable, state-of-the-art, environmentally
friendly servicing
facility and, more importantly,
will create jobs in the manufacturing
sector. The $100 million
development is expected to
generate 298 direct jobs and an
additional 373 jobs throughout
the construction period, with a
further 902 permanent flow-on
jobs in marine and related sectors.
The City of Greater Geelong
is working towards a process to
select a preferred developer in
2009. This will lead into detailed
design, approvals and construction
stages.
a www.geelongweek.com.au
www.sykes.com.au
www.makocraft.com.au
Australia’s largest multisport festival, the Australian Masters Games, is now on in the Geelong region
and runs until 1 March 2009. More information: www.australianmastersGames.com
What’s On
Until March 1
What: 12th Australian Masters Games
Australia’s largest biennial multi-sports
festival, featuring 70 sports and thousands of
competitors.
Where: sites across the Geelong region
February 28
What: Pako Festa
Victoria’s biggest street-based multicultural
festival. Back-to-back performances over
five stages, a dedicated Freeza Youth stage,
a smorgasboard of food, workshops, art and
craft exhibitions, roving street performers and
a range of free activities for children including
the Giant Pako Festa Parade.
Where: Pakington Street, Geelong West
February 28–March 1
What: 2009 Victorian Lifesaving
Championships
Victoria’s best under-15 to open-age
lifesavers compete in the two-day event.
Where: Ocean Grove Surf Lifesaving Club
March 7–8
What: Geelong Classic Offshore
Powerboats
Corio Bay comes alive as national and
international professional ocean-racing speed
boats roar in for a round of the Australian
Offshore Powerboat Championships.
Where: Steampacket Gardens, Waterfront
Geelong
March 8
What: Geelong Highland Gathering
Where: Queen’s Park, Newtown
March 7–9
What: Golden Plains Festival
Premium event over the Labour Day weekend
featuring Mogwai, Tony Allen, Gary Numan,
Black Mountain, Of Montreal, The Church, You
Am I, Dan Deacon, The Drones and more.
Where: Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre,
Mt Mercer Road, Meredith
March 10–15
What: Australian International
Airshow
The largest and most comprehensive event
of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
Experience the grunt and thrust of the latest
military heavy metal, the roar of attack
helicopters and the zoom of vintage warbirds.
Where: Avalon, Geelong
March 15
What: Sanitarium Weetbix Kids
TRYathlon
Aimed at providing kids from seven to 15
years the opportunity to try the sport of
triathlon. The event promotes active lifestyles.
Where: Eastern Beach, Geelong
March 21–22
What: SYKES RACING Head of the
Schoolgirls Rowing Regatta
The pinnacle event for schoolgirl rowing in
Victoria. The two-day regatta features more
than 2000 year-9 to year-12 girls from 40
schools competing for championship trophies.
Where: Barwon River, Geelong
March 27–29
What: 2009 17th Apollo Bay Music
Festival
Three-day festival featuring workshops, events
and more than 70 performers.
Where: Apollo Bay foreshore and township
March 28
What: Great Ocean & Otway
Classic Ride
Exciting recreational ride for all levels
and ages of cyclists on some of the most
picturesque roadways in Australia.
Where: Elephant Walk, Torquay foreshore

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17
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
Lured
by a
city’s
charms
Cheryl Vardon is
part of the growing
band to recognise
Geelong’s appeal
Cheryl Vardon believes Geelong
is one of Australia’s bestkept
secrets. The head of the
Australasian Gaming Council
works in Melbourne five days a week but
lives in central Geelong. Ms Vardon has
maintained homes in both cities over the
years but will soon rent out her Melbourne
residence in favour of living full-time
in Geelong.
“Geelong does have more appeal, I
have adult children and grandchildren
here – and it’s just a short trip to Avalon
Airport,” she says. “I travel interstate
at least once or twice a week and I have
another child in Brisbane. In Geelong, I’m
only 20 minutes from the airport and that
makes the world of difference.”
Ms Vardon has noticed significant
changes in the city over the past 20 years.
“It was already a great place but there
have been huge improvements and a
general modernising of the area,” she says.
“And many people don’t appreciate the
fact it is a university town – a city with
wonderful education facilities.”
Ms Vardon, who enjoys kayaking, the
waterfront and the cycling and walking
tracks around town, is also a fan of some
lesser-known attractions of Geelong.
“I’ve compared the Geelong theatre
season to that of Melbourne and Brisbane
and it is equally good. There is alternative
cinema and there is increasing diversity
in dining options. And best of all – given
that I collect books – there is a growing
number of bookshops.”
Different attractions appeal to Sarah
John and Danny Russell of Grovedale.
The engaged couple choose to live between
their two workplaces – Colac and
Melbourne – and close to the surf beaches.
Ms John is in human resources at the
ANZ Bank in Melbourne while her partner
owns Champion Fitness, a gymnasium
in Colac.
“We both love to surf and our home is
just five minutes from Torquay,” Ms John
says. “We’re at the beach as much as
we can be and wouldn’t have it any
other way.”
Ms John lived in Melbourne while at
university but could not imagine living
there now. She drives to South Geelong
railway station and travels by train to the
city. The travel costs less than $60 a week.
learn:
“I use the travel time to read or study
for my MBA, while a lot of other travellers
sleep or use it as working time on
their laptops – it can be a really productive
time. And when I arrive back in
Geelong at the end of the day, I just seem
to shift down a couple of gears. It’s just a
relaxing place to be.”
Jeff and Fiona Harrison from Ocean
Grove couldn’t agree more. Sixteen years
ago, the couple and their baby were living
in Melbourne and uncertain of where
their future lay. They decided to spend the
weekend on the Bellarine Peninsula.
Mrs Harrison recalls with great clarity
gazing over The Rip at Point Lonsdale. “I
saw a woman – perhaps about 40 years
old – floating on her back in the green sea
near the pier and I remember feeling really
envious,” she says. “She looked as if she
didn’t have a care in the world. I said to
Jeff that I’d love to live and bring up our
children somewhere near here.”
Within a few months the couple had
sold their suburban home and moved to
Ocean Grove, initially in a rental property.
Today the family of four – their two
daughters are now teenagers – own a
home in the older part of Ocean Grove.
Ocean Grove has one of the most impressive
sweeps of beach in Victoria. From
the heads at Point Lonsdale, the unbroken
stretch of sand reaches the mouth of the
Barwon River. It is one of Victoria’s most
With 17,000 students and 24,000 enrolments annually, the Gordon Institute
of TAFE is Victoria’s largest regional TAFE.
Lifestyle, flexibility and
appeal prompted Cheryl
Vardon to live in Geelong.
popular ocean beaches.
Mr Harrison works in emergency
services and commutes about an hour to
work each day while Mrs Harrison works
in the legal field in Geelong – a 20-minute
drive. Neither would trade their situation
for a life back in Melbourne “It’s too busy,
there’s too much noise and everybody
wears black!” she says.
Their daughters went to primary school
in Ocean Grove and now attend secondary
school in Geelong.
The family moved to Ocean Grove
before the SeaChange phenomenon hit.
The town next to Ocean Grove, Barwon
Heads, found fame in the popular ABC
TV series from 2003. It popularised the
expression “sea change” for city-dwellers
making the move to the coast.
“Things have developed since then –
it’s sad that a lot of old beach shacks are
being demolished – but it’s still a great
community,” Mrs Harrison says. “I love
that I’m a local, that people say ‘hello’
in the main street and that it’s a fantastic
place to raise a family.”
The Harrisons have been involved with
local surf lifesaving, cricket, football and
netball clubs. But for Mrs Harrison, the
beach is her favourite place – and the only
place to be on Boxing Day.
“After the madness of Christmas Day, I
head to the beach with a hat, a book and
a chair and just sit.”
The 7.17 commute,
a relaxing way
to start the day
Susie Hornsey spends three hours a day on the
train travelling to and from work in Melbourne.
But the personal assistant doesn’t mind. She
lived for six months in a central Melbourne apartment
and although she loved the vibrance of the city, she
believes the benefits of life in her own Highton home
outweigh the advantages of being close to her work at
Origin Energy.
“This way, I have the benefits of living in Geelong
– including being close to my daughters – and I still
have the buzz of working in a big city,” she says.
Ms Hornsey usually catches the 7.17am train from
South Geelong, then boards a city loop train at North
Melbourne, arriving at work about 8.30am. “I travel
with one of my work colleagues and you get to know
other regulars,” she says. “I tend to chat or read a
magazine – it’s a relaxing start to the day.”
Ms Hornsey would not consider driving to
Melbourne for work, citing the stress and the expense.
On the train, a full fare date-to-date ticket is $50.30
a week from Geelong station to Melbourne or about
$5 a trip if travelling twice a day, five days a week.
Date-to-date tickets allow unlimited travel between
two set dates.
“Not only is this a lot cheaper than driving, the
fares are actually still cheaper than 2002 prices
following the fare cuts in 2007,” says the general
manager of V/Line, Ursula McGinnes.
Fares on all V/Line services were cut significantly
in 2007. Fares between Geelong and Melbourne were
reduced by about 20 per cent and by up to 50 per cent
for some long-distance trips.
About 250,000 trips are taken on trains to and
from Geelong every month – an increase of about
50 per cent in the past two years. Before this,
patronage grew on average by about three per cent a
year. V/Line tickets also include metropolitan travel on
zone 1 trams, trains and buses.
About 2000 people commute between Geelong and
Melbourne daily and more than 350 services operate
between Geelong and Melbourne each week.
“New trains have been introduced, making the
travelling experience more comfortable and enjoyable
and additional carriages are being added to cater for
the booming demand on peak services,” Ms McGinnes
says. “Geelong trains are now the biggest shortdistance
passenger trains in Victoria.”
Most commuters come from between Marshall
on the south-west fringe of Geelong and Lara to
the north-east of Geelong. There are also regular
commuters from towns further along the line
including Winchelsea, Colac, Terang and even
Warrnambool.
A morning peak train from Geelong station to
Southern Cross can take as little as 49 minutes while
an afternoon peak service from Southern Cross to
Geelong takes as little as 45 minutes.
Commuters drive, cycle and walk to stations and
good bus links also exist. Parking is available at all
stations in Geelong. Last year, Lara railway station was
upgraded to provide more than 350 car parks and the
Marshall car park will soon be upgraded.
The most significant recent upgrade of the Geelong
rail line – which is now 151 years old – was as part of
the Regional Fast Rail project. Finishing in September
2006, it allowed trains to travel at up to 160 km/h.
As part of the Victorian Transport Plan released in
December, the State Government committed to a new
rail link between West Werribee and Southern Cross.
This new section of track will be solely for regional
trains, potentially doubling the number of services
that can operate between Melbourne and Geelong.
a www.vline.com.au

18
the best place to live
www.geelongaustralia.com.au february 2009
A Fairfax Media Custom Publication
Water Park makes
another big splash
Victoria’s first water park is proving a
popular attraction for Geelong locals and
visitors. In November 2007, the 13-yearold
Adventure Park at Wallington launched Water
Park stage one.
Last year, after launching the second stage,
the park hosted about 200 corporate Christmas
parties, many of them for Melbourne companies.
School groups are another big market, with buses
bringing students from all over the state.
The Adventure Park general manager/
marketing, Leanne Salmon, says the aquatic
playground launched in stage one, known as
Bonito’s Bay Water Play, had proved so popular
that last year a second playground was added,
this one designed especially for under sevens.
Other attractions include a giant six-lane
water slide, where people can race head first at
up to 40 km/h, and a 300-metre-long “river” with
super-charged waves that runs around the park.
Altogether, the park has 21 rides and, on busy
days, it can host 5000 people in its 20-hectare
area.
Picnic tables and barbecues are available so
people can bring their own food and the park
also has eight food outlets. It provides jobs
for nearly 200 people during the six months
it is open. These include 13 full-time staff
who go into operational mode over summer
and use the winter months for planning,
work:
budgeting, development,
construction and
maintenance.
Ms Salmon says staff
had spent the past two
winters building to
launch the new food
outlets and rides in
summer.
“It was all built using
local contractors,” she
says. “We brought in
engineers and architects
from Queensland with
experience in building
water parks – it’s a
quite unique endeavour
so we had to bring in
people with the right
background who knew
what we required.”
The water park uses
a modern filtration system which is 90 per cent
water-efficient. “The only water we need to
replace is what evaporates off guests or comes
off their clothing,” says Ms Salmon.
The water filtration system uses Neptune
Benson filters, which are used by most of the
water parks in the US and Canada.
The same filters were first installed in Australia
at Dreamworld’s ‘Whitewater’ water park on the
Gold Coast. The filters can remove much smaller
particles than traditional sand filtration systems,
enabling a much higher percentage of water to
be recycled.
“We have invested heavily in water-saving
technology and made sure we used all water
conservation techniques available,” Ms Salmon
GPs working in the Geelong Region have ongoing support from the GP Association of Geelong,
including access to peer groups, networking and continuing professional development.
As the summer heats soars, hundreds head
to Victoria’s only water park, Adventure
Park, for a refreshing day out.
says. “A third-party consultant was used to
ensure that we were aware of everything that
was available to be used in the water park’s
design, such as stormwater drainage plans.
“We are proud to be one of the most efficient
water facilities operating in Australia.”
a www.adventurepark.com.au

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Coastal scenery doesn’t come much more
picturesque than Apollo Bay.
A great place for a walk
Ancient rainforests and spectacular coastal
scenery are a winning combination for
bushwalkers in the Otways. And since 2006,
a spectacular new coastal walk has been attracting
more walkers to the region. The 91-kilometre Great
Ocean Walk hugs the coastline from Apollo Bay to
Glenample Homestead, Princetown, near the Twelve
Apostles. Hikers can do the walk in stages, allowing
for short, day or overnight hikes. Attractions along
the way include the towering cliffs, pristine sandy
beaches and magnificent views.
The Geelong Bushwalking Club has organised
a couple of walks along the Great Ocean Walk,
staying at the purpose-built camp sites and in
accommodation provided by a range of private
operators along the way. The club, formed in 1973,
has more than 300 members. It also offers activities
such as canoeing, mountain bike riding, crosscountry
skiing and abseiling. Activities are planned
for every weekend as well as most public holidays.
The club also has a large group of midweek walkers,
such as Point Lonsdale resident Beth Neyland.
Mrs Neyland, who is nearly 80, has been a
member of the club for 27 years and distributes
the club’s popular guide Walking the Otways, now
in its third edition. Her Thursday walks may be as
far afield as Apollo Bay, Daylesford or the Wombat
State Forest or as close as the Bellarine Rail Trail.
The Anglesea heathlands and the Brisbane Ranges
are among her favourites.
The 103,000-hectare Great Otway National Park
provides plenty of opportunities for summer walkers
to escape the crowds at the busy coastal resorts.
Through ancient mountain ash forests through
to the drier forest and diverse heathlands around
Anglesea, many of the walks follow old timber
tramways used in logging days. Other tracks were
built late in the 19th century, making them among
Victoria’s earliest tourist developments.
a www.greatoceanwalk.com.au
www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
Geelong Bushwalking Club: http://users.
pipeline.com.au/~peterm
In a league of their own
If you’re the active
type, the Geelong
region is for you
Whether your interest is dragonboat
racing or darts, archery
or athletics, you will find it in
Geelong. The city has 600 sport
and recreation clubs, with at least 1200
in the whole Barwon region, according
to local community sports organisation
Leisure Networks. Its acting chief executive,
Caroline Jordan, says Leisure Networks tries
to increase opportunities for people to be
more active through sport and recreation.
“We are trying to reduce barriers for
people who would like to participate but
struggle to get on board with sport,” she
says. “Our sports access program is about
providing support to young people who can’t
afford to get involved in sport. A wealth of
sport and recreation opportunities exist out
there, from traditional football and netball to
things such as underwater hockey, equestrian
activities, water polo and canoeing.”
The general manager infrastructure and
recreation for the City of Greater Geelong,
Dean Frost, says the City has invested heavily
to ensure Geelong’s local sporting clubs
are of a high standard. As well as the strong
network of sporting clubs, the Geelong
region also boasts a number of world-class
facilities, such as the Geelong Baseball Centre
at Waurn Ponds, which includes international-standard
and artificial-turf diamonds,
and the Geelong Arena, which provides a
venue for local basketball as well as hosting
a range of national and international sporting
events.
Local football teams have the good
fortune to play regularly at Skilled Stadium,
home of the Geelong Football Club.
“Many people don’t realise that as well
as the Cats’ home games, the ground also
hosts more than 50 community football
matches a year, including the Geelong
invest:
Football League finals,” Mr Frost says.
For swimmers, a number of pools are
available the region. Kardinia Pool is the key
one with two 50-metre pools used for highlevel
competition as well as providing a place
for local swimmers to train and compete.
Mr Frost says one of the advantages of
living close to the bay is that the natural features
of the area lend themselves to activities
such as cycling and triathlons. “We are very
pleased to be hosting the 2010 UCI Road
World Cycling Championships,” he said. The
council is investing in new cycling infrastructure,
including a cycling criterion track.”
The chief executive of Geelong Football
Club, Brian Cook, appreciates the range of
activities available in the area, both for himself
and because it makes it easier to attract
players to the club. He moved from Perth
10 years ago to join the Cats. Since then he
has lived in Geelong, Ocean Grove and now
Anglesea, where he enjoys being close to
both the surf and the Otway forests.
Once it might have been hard to attract
players to Geelong but, Mr Cook says, not
Bringing the community
together: Skilled Stadium.
any more. “Things are really moving here
– with the waterfront, Deakin University’s
expansion into the medical area and the
special events in Geelong, like sailing week
[Skandia Geelong Week] and the triathlon
season, there is really a lot of activity going
on,” he says. “It’s a really dynamic city.”
Away from organised sports, the region
offers plenty of opportunities to explore the
natural environment. Bruce Jackson and
Marita Kennedy of Otway Ecotours take
groups platypus-spotting at Lake Elizabeth,
near Forrest, run guided walks and hire out
mountain bikes.
The dawn and dusk platypus tours by
canoe take about four hours and are almost
sure to include at least one sighting. “We
have a 95 per cent success rate and usually
see more than one individual,” Ms Kennedy
says. “The dawn tour is the best time as we
usually see three or four platypus feeding
while we paddle from one end of the lake to
the other. Dawn on the lake is stunning.”
After communing with nature, visitors
can use up some energy by exploring the
During the past 18 months the Shell Geelong Refinery’s Employee Community Grants Committee
has allocated almost $70,000 to local not-for-profit organisations.
many mountain bike trails around Forrest.
The Department of Sustainability and
Environment, Parks Victoria and Colac
Otway Shire have developed a network of
trails. Michael Cosgriff, economic development
officer with Colac Otway, says the 15
tracks range from easy to very difficult. They
are gaining recognition in the mountain-bike
world with a couple of international events
held in the area. Last year more than 1200
competitors, including many from overseas,
took part in the Otway Odyssey mountain
bike marathon over a 100-kilometre course
from Apollo Bay to Forrest. Another big
event, the Kona 24-hour endurance race,
was held last November.
For those not interested in racing, the
Beechy Rail Trail provides a more sedate
ride. It follows the rail line from Beech Forest
to Colac and, like the popular Bellarine
rail trail from Geelong to Queenscliff, it is a
track that people can do in sections, such as
from Beech Forest to Gellibrand.
a http://otwayecotours.com