CHANGING CHANNELS

GEELONG’S economy has relied heavily on its port facilities, but restricted access to the port due to a sandbar across the bay from Point Lillias to Point Henry only allowed small ships to enter the inner harbour.

Larger ships berthed at a pier at Point Henry, and goods and passengers were transferred to smaller craft or road transport for the final leg of their journey to the town.

The first channel through the sandbar was not started until 1853, 15 years after Geelong was proclaimed a town, but it only had a depth of less than 4m.

The channel was straightened and dredged to a depth of 6m in the 1860s, but the real breakthrough had to wait until 1893, and the opening of the Hopetoun Channel, named after the then Governor of Victoria.

Initially the port activities were centred at the gateway to the town, with Yarra St Pier and Cunningham Pier, initially known as the Railway Pier, providing berths for the larger vessels and Moorabool St Wharf, in between the two, serving the bay steamers.

The Geelong Harbor Trust was a relative latecomer, being formed in December 1905. It was responsible for the port’s activities and shipping channels, and has overseen continued deepening and dredging of the Hopetoun Channel and other channels.

The port authority oversaw the expansion of the port’s activities to North Geelong, including Lascelles Wharf, Corio Quay and the explosives pier at Point Wilson.

In the 1950s and 1960s the arrival of the Shell Refinery and Alcoa at Port Henry saw even greater activity.

The authority was privatised by the State Government in 1996. The Moorabool St Wharf had been demolished in the 1950s, while Yarra St Pier burnt down in 1988. Cunningham Pier was decommissioned in the 1980s, Cunningham Pier later hosted a Smorgy’s restaurant. It remains as a dining and function venue. Contact: peterjohnbegg@gmail.com

Bags of wheat arriving at Yarra Street Pier in January 1914.

Sailing ships lined up at Yarra St Pier in the 1800s. The You Yangs can be seen in the background.

The bay steamer Edina (right) at Moorabool St Wharf with a large cargo vessel (far left) berthed at Cunningham Pier. A tram can be seen in front of Moorabool St Wharf.