Geelong Facts & Worksheets

Geelong is one of the oldest cities in Australia. Its location make it ideal for trading and tourism. It was once tagged as the “Gateway City” because of its proximity to the regional and historically significant centers of Ballarat, Torquay, and Warrnambool. The city had become famous for its wool but now boasts its manufacturing and tourism industry. 

See the fact file below for more information on Geelong, or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Geelong worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Background

• The city of Geelong is situated in the southwestern Australian state of Victoria, Australia. The port city has a population of about 200,000 people, making it the second-largest city in the state after Melbourne. 
• Its name came from the Aboriginal word jillong, which means similar to “a place of the sea bird over the white cliffs.” The city has also been called ‘Gee-eac’n’ and ‘Gee-Vee’ because native speakers of English often find it hard to pronounce its name correctly. 

History of Geelong

• Geelong is one of the oldest cities in Australia. Archaeological evidence shows that the Wathaurong Aboriginal people lived in the Geelong area for about 30,000 years and were part of the mainland population. 
• The first Europeans to visit the area were Lieutenant John Murray, who commanded the brig HMS Lady Nelson, and his crew. Lady Nelson entered Port Phillip on February 14, 1802, and claimed the entire area for Britain. Although John Murray first named the port, Port King after Philip Gidley King, the succeeding governor changed it to Port Phillip, after the first governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip. 
• On April 27, 1802, Matthew Flinders sailed into Corio Bay to chart the area. In January 1803, Surveyor-General Charles Grimes arrived at Port Phillip and mapped the area, including the future site of Geelong. The latter reported that the area was unsuitable for living. 
• Colonel David Collins arrived in the bay through the HMS Calcutta with a plan to establish a Sullivan Bay Penal Colony but was dissatisfied with the area and asked First Lieutenant J.H. Tuckey to investigate an alternate site.
• Explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell were the next Europeans to reach the northern edge of Corio Bay, the area of Port Phillip that Geelong fronted, on December 16, 1824. They noted that the Aboriginals called the area Corayo and the bay Djilong. 
• Several Europeans began to settle in the area. First was a Sullivan Bay escaped convict, William Buckley, who lived with Aboriginals for 32 years. John Batman, an Australian grazier, entrepreneur, and explorer who also discovered Melbourne, used Indented Head as his base camp in 1835 and left several employees while he was away to Tasmania to get his family and more supplies. 
• James Strachan, David Fisher, and George Russell arrived in Caledonia and settled the area in March 1836 as squatters. Geelong was declared a town on October 10, 1838. 
• By this time, Geelong’s population was 545, and it already had a church, hotel, store, wool store, and 82 houses. Their first newspaper, the Geelong Advertiser, was first published on November 21, 1840. On April 10, 1858, Geelong’s first rail link commenced, and Geelong Club was set up in 1859. 
• Geelong became a city in 1910. After World War 2, the manufacturing industry in this city boomed but later suffered from economic loss due to the change in markets and modern needs. However, it rebounded and now is an advanced manufacturing center.  

Geography and Climate

• Geelong is located on the eastern end of Corio Bay, part of Victoria’s southern coastline in southeastern Australia. 
• The city is about 260km southwest of Melbourne and about 405km southeast of Sydney. Geelong is also situated near the Great Ocean Road.
• The city of Geelong has a temperate oceanic climate. Summers in Geelong are warm and humid, while winters are mild to cool. 
• It is prone to storms, floods, and cyclones due to the city’s location in the southwest corner of Australia.

Demographics

• Geelong has an approximately 269,508 population based on the 2021 census. Around 80% of them are Australian-born. Other nationalities who settled there are the English (3.6%), Italians (1.1%), Croatian (1.0%), Dutch (0.9%), and Scottish(0.8%). 
• The most notable ethnic group is the Croatian community, who came to Geelong in 1850 and had grown after World War II. There are also German settlers who escaped repression in Prussia for their Lutheran faith and founded Germantown (now Grovedale) in 1849.
• English is the most spoken language in Geelong, with around 14.2% of households speaking another language. 
• The city has several traditional Christian and Orthodox Christian churches in the northern suburbs, as around 30% of its residents practice Catholicism as their religion.

Livelihood

• Geelong’s economy began to prosper by trading wool. It started when a pioneer settler named James Rogers started sheep farming near Geelong in 1835.
• Then the first of many wool mills opened in 1868. The city was dubbed the wool center of the world as there are many wool stores to be found on the Geelong waterfront. 
• Aside from wool, Geelong benefited from its location as part of Victoria’s southern coastline in southeastern Australia, resulting in the establishment of the Port of Geelong, the sixth-largest in Australia by tonnage and Victoria’s second biggest port. 
• The port handles more than 10 million tonnes of product and deals with around 600 vessel visits annually.
• Geelong also suffered from economic sabotage started by its neighboring town Melbourne. The latter ran a campaign calling Geelong “a sleepy hollow,” which became the town’s reputation for 100 years. 
• When gold was discovered near Ballarat, the population in Geelong increased to 23000. However, Melbourne released a false map pointing that the location of gold was via their town, resulting in people turning their interest in Melbourne. 

Famous Destinations

• Geelong’s location made it a fantastic tourist spot for all beach lovers. The variety of what one can do in this city helped them generate more revenue for the government and its residents. 
• The Geelong Waterfront is a beautiful place to stroll, with plenty of restaurants set on scenic piers, plus historical landmarks and 19th-century structures. There is also the Geelong Waterfront Carousel overlooking the harbor with amazing views out to Corio Bay. 
• The Eastern Beach is the perfect way to cool off during summer as it was a popular swimming and recreation area with a 1930s art deco bathing pavilion.
• The Geelong Art Gallery and Museum was established in 1901 and is home to an extensive collection of artworks and artifacts from Australia and around the world. 
• The Geelong Botanic Gardens are situated near the shores of Corio Bay and are one of the oldest gardens in the state of Victoria. 
• The Geelong Arts and Cultural Precinct is an entertainment and cultural hub in the city. 
• The Narana Aboriginal Cultural Center and the National Wool Museum were other popular destinations in Geelong that tell its history.

Geelong Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Geelong across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Geelong, which is one of Australia’s oldest cities. Originally famous for its wool industry, it now boasts vibrant manufacturing and tourism industries. 

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

• Geelong Facts
• Geelong City
• Infos About Geelong 
• The Early Geelong
• Fact or Bluff
• Prospering Geelong
• The People in Geelong 
• Geelong Destinations
• Wools in Geelong 
• Geelong and Melbourne
• A False Report 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Geelong known for?

Geelong is recognized worldwide for its sports and leisure, with Australia’s second oldest Australian Football team and a wide range of sporting activities to choose from. Geelong provides everything you need to balance work and life.

How did Geelong get its name?

It is named for the Aboriginal word jillong, which means “the site of the native companion,” alluding to a long-legged water bird.

Is Geelong rural or urban?

Greater Geelong is a rural, residential, resort, industrial, and commercial area. Geelong is Victoria’s major commercial center for southwestern Victoria, as well as the state’s largest regional city. Over two-thirds of the population live in towns.

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