Images of Geelong
Over recent weeks the Society has been fortunate to receive several intriguing photographic collections, each with its own mystery, each offering a fresh window into Geelong’s past. One arrived from Toowoomba via the Ballarat Historical Association; another came from a member’s family archive; and the third emerged from a mis‑labelled image in the National Library of Australia’s collection.
1. The Toowoomba–Ballarat Collection
We recently received a small group of photographs of Geelong taken in what appears to be the late 1940s or early 1950s. The images were originally held by the Toowoomba RSL before being passed to the Ballarat Historical Society, where President Marion Littlejohn kindly forwarded them to us.
No personal details accompanied the photographs, and no provenance survives. Even so, they offer a fascinating glimpse of mid‑century Geelong. Members with a sharp eye for period motor vehicles may be able to help us narrow down the decade more precisely.
2. The Oates Family Collection
This second set was generously supplied by Society member Margaret Oates. The photographs belonged to her grandmother and have remained safely tucked inside their original envelope for many years. Most appear to show the Cement Works above Fyansford and the surrounding landscape. One additional image seems to depict a coastal scene, possibly Aireys Inlet.
We would welcome members’ help in dating these photographs and confirming the seaside location.
3. Solving a Mislabelled Mystery
Some months ago, Society member and Pivot Tree editor Carollyn Williams encountered an image in the National Library’s collection labelled as “early Melbourne.” Her instincts suggested otherwise. She began a wide‑ranging search for corroborating evidence, and her detective work paid off.
In her January Pivot article on the Geelong sea baths, Carollyn wrote: This is a photo of sea baths purported to be Melbourne in the 1880s.
[picture]
NLA https://nla.gov.au:443/nla.obj-148822765
While searching the State Library of Victoria catalogue for an unrelated topic, Carollyn discovered a second photograph, this time within a Portland collection. The two images are unmistakably of the same scene, taken at roughly the same time.
They show the Western Beach Bathing Company and Fitzgerald’s Victoria Baths, which were operating jointly in 1873.
Nicholls, G. J., photographer
SLV https://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/4157952
Note: This article was amended on April 3.
