In the same year that the Geelong Historical Society was formed – 1944 – the owners of the big Geelong Department Store, Solomons Pty Ltd created the first volume of a history series. They called it Geelong – Do You Remember. In the forward to the series the editor acknowledged that the inspiration for the series came from the very formation of our society.The editor wrote, “In the hope that it will exercise a constructive influence towards the consumption of those ideals that inspired the formation of the Geelong Historical Society, this book is dedicated to Geelong – as we remember it and as we visualise it in the future.
In this post I have reproduced the first two articles. Each article follows the same format, first an iconic image from old Geelong and then a few paragraphs about the changes that long time residents may well remember.
In these two articles the reader is taken back to 1912, just 32 years previous, to consider the changes that have taken place at the centre of the city. It had me wondering about the changes that have taken place in our city since 1992. What photographs would you use if you have to do something similar?
This book is dedicated to Geelong – as we remember it and as we visualise it in the future
from the Solomon’s history of Geelong
Market Square as it was in 1912
The text explaining how Solomons came to be at Market Square
A ‘facelift’ for the 102 year old Regent The Regent was not King Charles’ representative, but one of Geelong’s oldest theatres. Do you remember when the Regent Theatre was showing movies? It was a prominent Geelong landmark at the corner of Little Malop and Union Streets. Peter Fogarty, a current Committee and longtime member of our Society,…
Annual General Meeting. The Annual General Meeting of the Geelong Historical Society Inc. will be held on Wednesday April 2, 2025 at 7:30pm. The venue for the meeting is the Virginia Todd Hall, 9 Clarence Street, Geelong West. The AGM will be followed by our monthly lecture and the regular monthly meeting. The AGM will…
Explore our new member only section Harry Roberts, our new Geelong Historical Society president, provides a short 4 minute overview to the society’s updated website and its Member Only section.As is explained in the video, this member only section, will provide a range of resources and opportunities for members to post material that they believe…
“Don’t focus on the obstacles rather look for the opportunities around them“. Andrew Caddy and Graham Harrison gave a most engaging talk on the history of the Western District Car Club. Both men are long-time members of their club that, like ours, was created in the 1940s and continues strongly today. Quite a few of…
Hubcaps to Creative Hubs – Part 1 The RS&S Mill, at the river end of Pakington Street, provides a classic example of the opportunities that the buildings left behind by industrial decline can provide communities, that are creative enough to invest in them, with dynamic and vital spaces. The Mills were opened in 1921 to…
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