Railway Hotel

Photographer

Known locally as the upside-down building, the unusual design of Geelong’s State Government Offices tends to attract equal amounts of awe, indifference and derision.

Brutalist architecture is not often seen in Geelong but just a few doors down you will find the Geelong Performing Arts Centre, another exposed concrete structure.

The ‘futuristic’ design of the offices was a collaborative effort by the Victorian Public Works Department, the shape of which was described by the Chief Architect as reflecting ‘the strong social influences we are all subject to, and which reach out from the past to include the present, and foreshadow the future’.

Victorian Premier, Rupert Hamer opened the Offices 22 March 1979, on the site previously known as ‘Geelong No. 6 Car Park’. It was planned that 21 government departments and authorities would move in.

Housing an extraordinarily intricate glass mosiac depicting the early history of Geelong and Australia, the upside-down building itself is anything but ordinary.

The ABC Cafe opened in Geelong in December 1913 at a time when only a handful of such establishments existed. Newspaper articles at the time report that it was built almost exclusively from Geelong sourced materials, and by Geelong tradespeople.

Tragedy struck during construction when a plasterer fell from a scaffold to their death.

The cafe was expanded with a second level added in 1927.

The Geelong Heritage Centre holds a dinner set from the cafe in its collection. You can also see several photos of the ABC cafe here:

https://catalogue.grlc.vic.gov.au/client/en_GB/public/search/results?qu=abc+cafe&te=ASSET

Geelong West began under the name of Ashby in the year 1875 as the result of overcrowding of classes being conducted by Church organisations. The first School Committee was officially elected in 1911. In 1968 Ashby was a Special Class school.

Purchased by Cheetham Salt Company c.1920s

The Australian Women’s National League aimed to promote anti-socialist ideas to Australian women who had been given the right to vote in Australian federal elections in 1902.

Their tenets were loyalty to the throne, counteracting socialist tendencies, educating women in their political responsibilities and safeguarding the interests of the home, women and children.

Lady Janet Clarke was elected the inaugural president in 1904.

In 1912, the Liberal Prime Minister Alfred Deakin described the lobby group as "fierce and unceasing" in their political demands.

At its peak in World War 1, the AWNL had 500 registered branches and more than 54,000 members across Australia including a Geelong branch.

Back to Back Theatre is a pioneering contemporary theatre company based in Geelong with a full-time ensemble of eight actors considered to have an intellectual disability.

They are one of Australia's most successful theatre companies. Their 2011 hit 'Ganesh Versus the Third Reich', has toured in 35 cities and 18 countries - taking Geelong based actors around the world.

The Bannockburn Yellow Gum Action Group (BYGAG) was a community group founded in 1997 to protect local woodland that contained many Yellow Gum. At the time, Barwon Water planned to bulldoze the woodland for a sewerage farm.

After a long community campaign including protests and a blockade, ultimately the group was unsuccessful in protecting the trees. The trees were cut down on 19 August 1997.