Driving Geelong’s change
EARLY maps of Geelong show the fledgling township comprising two town centres — one beside the bay and another next to the Barwon River.
It was not until the rapid growth of the gold rush years that the city centre expanded to include areas such as Little Malop and Ryrie streets.
Slowly the centre of activity moved from Corio St to Ryrie St and beyond. At one time Ryrie St became known as Great Ryrie St as it shared the title of main thoroughfare with the north/south-running Moorabool St.
The name for Ryrie St is believed to have come from the Ryrie family of pastoralists, which included William Ryrie, the first to produce wine in Victoria. Geelong was quick to establish itself as one of the early leaders in the wine industry before the disease phylloxera had seen an order that all vines be destroyed in 1885.
Ryrie St soon attracted some of the town’s major institutions, including the first hospital in the form of the Geelong Infirmary and Benevolent Asylum, the first post office on the corner of Gheringhap St, and the Mechanics’ Institute housing the town’s first library — although this was only open to members. Geelong’s first free library opened in Moorabool St in 1876.
Ryrie St’s position as the town’s main east/west thoroughfare was reinforced when the electric trams were introduced in 1912. The trams to Geelong West and Newtown both travelled along Ryrie St and then Aberdeen St before going their separate ways at Pakington St.
When the tram service was extended to East Geelong in 1923, it travelled along Ryrie St to Garden St before crossing to Ormond Rd.
The service was also extended further down Ryrie St past Geelong High School in 1930 to take Cats fans to their team’s old home ground at Corio Oval. As discussed last week, the army required Corio Oval for training during World War II, the Cats eventually settling on Kardinia Park as their new home.
Ryrie St remains the main east/west route through the city, but it is undergoing transformation. The redeveloped Geelong Arts Centre is nearing completion and the Geelong Quarter on the former Trans Otway site will soon follow.