entertainmentgeelong.com
About Geelong
Geelong is Victoria's second largest city, home to some 220,000 people. It is situated two bays from state capital Melbourne. The distance is 70km by road, 50 minutes by rail. There isn’t a ferry. In the picture above, Geelong is to the left, Melbourne's skyline centre-right - and those foreground yachts were racing at Geelong's Waterfront Festival January regatta.
Geelong keeps a relatively low profile, with a deep-seated reputation as an industrial centre with a winning AFL football team. The Geelong Cats were AFL Champions 2007 and 2009, beaten favourit
es 2008 and 2010, and our principal media, The Geelong Advertiser is cheerfully and unapologetically footy-fixated. But amid the footy hype and factories - Shell, Alcoa & Ford are still big corporate entities dominating our skyline - Geelong has wonderful assets including a stunning north-facing waterfront, a truly amazing 1920s sea-swimming enclosure and 'People's Playground' at Eastern Beach (left) and a historic Botanic Gardens with a 21st Century drought-proof wedge. All are free entry, and within a short, easy walk from the city centre.
There are a dozen golf courses within 20 minutes drive, scores of shopping centres and the region has no less than 29 Art Galleries and 15 Theatre groups. Geelong may be an industrial town - but it has a rich and vibrant cultural heart.
Residents know Geelong as a deceptive, unassuming place. It markets itself as a city to drive past - 'Gateway to the Great Ocean Road' 'Gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula', 'Gateway to the Otway Rainforest' - and in 2009 it opened a new by-pass ring road. But in fact the city of Geelong has a long, deep fascinating history, both from its indigenous aspect - home to the Wathaurong nation - and also since European colonial settlement. So it's well worth a visit, and a stay.
Geelong still has buildings that were constructed by convicts housed in hulks; it's wealth for more than a century came from wool; so it is home to Australia's National Wool Museum. It grew rich from the gold rushes and made even more from Australia's industrial growth. But now it's a 21st Century centre of global education - and a tourist destination with an 'edgy bohemian feel' - to quote the Lonely Planet guide.
Geelong keeps a relatively low profile, with a deep-seated reputation as an industrial centre with a winning AFL football team. The Geelong Cats were AFL Champions 2007 and 2009, beaten favourit
There are a dozen golf courses within 20 minutes drive, scores of shopping centres and the region has no less than 29 Art Galleries and 15 Theatre groups. Geelong may be an industrial town - but it has a rich and vibrant cultural heart.
Residents know Geelong as a deceptive, unassuming place. It markets itself as a city to drive past - 'Gateway to the Great Ocean Road' 'Gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula', 'Gateway to the Otway Rainforest' - and in 2009 it opened a new by-pass ring road. But in fact the city of Geelong has a long, deep fascinating history, both from its indigenous aspect - home to the Wathaurong nation - and also since European colonial settlement. So it's well worth a visit, and a stay.
Geelong still has buildings that were constructed by convicts housed in hulks; it's wealth for more than a century came from wool; so it is home to Australia's National Wool Museum. It grew rich from the gold rushes and made even more from Australia's industrial growth. But now it's a 21st Century centre of global education - and a tourist destination with an 'edgy bohemian feel' - to quote the Lonely Planet guide.
So come and enjoy Geelong - and please use this website to discover the top-quality entertainment you'll find here.
And if you have a comment to make, contacting us is easy.
