PHOTOGRAPHY CAPTURES GEELONG’S EYE The 1863 Geelong Industrial Exhibition captured Geelong’s attention with thousands attending. One of the exhibits captured the attention by improving the quality of photographic images. It also served to draw attention (more…)
Geelong celebrates as it gets a day off work! In 1863 the Geelong community embraced the celebrations of the future Edward VII’s marriage: with a day off work, flowers, marches and in the evening fireworks (more…)
Two nights of grand operatic entertainment. The Geelong Chronicle of February 1863 was very supportive of a local musician’s efforts to bring a program featuring the latest works to Geelong. First performed at the Theatre (more…)
On New Year’s Day 1863 Geelong bridged its differences. In 1862, as it is today, it is not always possible for a community to pull together on important issues, even when common benefit is at (more…)
BARBER SHOP OR WELLNESS SPA? Daryl Wight continues to intrigue us with his choice of articles drawn from the 1860s pages of the Geelong Chronicle. This article’s unnamed author eschews the prosaic and favours a (more…)
MR KREITMAYER’S MUSEUM OF ILLUSTRATIONS. In this article Daryl Wight highlights an amazing travelling show that comprised a number of wax figurines depicting points in the history of European exploration and exploitation of our continent. (more…)
HURLING IN GEELONG: From the pages of the Geelong Chronicle Hurling became hugely popular in Geelong in 1863. The sport had been played in Ireland for many years. A similar game, shinty, was played in Scotland. (more…)
HERR CHRISTOFF THE TIGHTROPE-WALKING WONDER 160 YEARS AGO IN GEELONG: From the pages of the Geelong Chronicle Herr Christoff, the renowned tightrope walker, was one of the star attractions when Gardiner’s American Circus came to (more…)
In 1863, there were two main breweries in Geelong: Volum’s Geelong Brewery, in Corio Street and Powell’s Corio Brewery, in Little Malop Street. Other breweries had come and gone over the previous twenty years or so (more…)
ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTERS. It was a big year for the Ancient Order of Foresters in Geelong in 1863. Three new branches (called Courts) were established that year – at Belmont, Breakwater and Ashby. The Order (more…)
of Yarram Yarram and Osborne House By Daryl Wight Robert Muirhead (1813? – 1862), shepherd and squatter, was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, son of John Muirhead. He was already ‘accustomed … to the management of sheep’ (more…)
Did you know that Queenscliff had a Grammar School in the 1860s? It was certainly operating in 1864 when an advertisement in the Geelong Advertiser announced that the Queenscliff Grammar School would be re-opened after (more…)