Best things to do & places to go in Geelong with kids. Playgrounds, pool, library, museum, wildlife sanctuary, theme park, beach, cafes & more!
One of the most delightful tourist attractions along the Geelong's Waterfront Esplanade is the beautifully restored 1892 portable steam driven, hand-carved wooden carousel. Constructed around 1892, the Armitage-Herschell portable steam driven, hand-carved wooden carousel one of only 200 in operation around the world. It features thirty six Charles Dare horses (twenty-four of which are original) and two dragon chariots (both faithful replicas). The horses still have their original real horse hair tails! There are forty eight original artworks adorning the carousel's boards, inspired by the legend of King Arthur. Each painting has a Holy Grail, and the artist's initials JMC hidden within it. The carousel can be traced back to the Mordialloc Pier where it operated after the Great War through until the 1950s. It was purchased by the Steampacket Place Development Board in 1996 and painstakingly restored. Each horse alone took over three hundred hours to restore as forty layers of paint were stripped back to reveal the brilliant original colours. All in all the restoration took three years and cost thirty million dollars to achieve. The time, effort and money has been well invested I think, as you cannot help but smile when you see the carousel in action; with or without playful children on board. The Allan Herschell Company Incorporated was established in 1873 as a general engineering shop. Later it became the North Tonawanda Engine and Machine Company. In 1876 the name of the company was changed to the Armitage-Herschell Company. The first carousel built by the company was in 1883. By 1891 over one hundred carousels had been manufactured. Despite the commercial success, poor investments saw the company placed in receivership in 1899. Consequently, Allan Herschell and his brother-in-law, Edward Spillman, bought the ailing company and formed a new firm called the Herschell-Spillman Company. They went on to become the largest carousel manufactures in America. It is believed that the horses were hand-carved by the American master carver, Charles Dare, which makes them very rare. I spent a delightful, if rainy, Saturday with the Famous Flickr Five+ Group along the Geelong Waterfront where we walked from central Geelong Esplanade to the Art Deco Eastern Beach. Geelong is a city southwest of Melbourne, Australia. Lining its bay, The Waterfront Esplanade has a Nineteenth Century American carousel, a curved art deco boardwalk and sea bath at Eastern Beach, and scattered along the waterfront are more than one hundred bollards painted as colourful sculptures chronicling city history by artist Jan Mitchell. The Geelong Botanic Gardens lie at the eastern end of the bay. The central National Wool Museum hosts changing exhibitions, concerts and entertainments.
DESIGN FEATURES
Geelong Travel Guide (A Local Perspective) They say you have to travel the world to truly appreciate home. For us, there couldn't be truer words said. We've lived in Geelong Australia our entire
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Don't miss these fun & exciting Geelong attractions for the whole family to enjoy. Discover the stunning waterfront, museums, theme parks & more!
An icon of Geelong, 100 bollards line the waterfront from Rippleside to Limeburners Point. Jan Mitchell sculptured the bollards out of huge old wooden pylons and hand-painted them to depict people and events of Geelong.
Do you love the bright and lively vibes of colourful weddings? The combination of bold and vibrant hues along with flamboyant blooms looks so fun and captivating. Your wedding day is an embodiment of your style and personality. So, if you are a creative and fashion-forward duo, adding a pop of vibrant and eye-catching colour […]
This redevelopment is a striking, translucent building that dramatically reveals a once-hidden Heritage church on the site. The façade wraps a translucent veil around the different functions, to provide privacy while celebrating movement in the rehearsal studios.
We visited Geelong while on holidays and I loved these Bollards. I think I took photos of every singel one which I plan to use at a later date. Over 100 sculptured bollards are installed around the Geelong waterfront. The bollards chronicle characters from the city's past and present, including dapper young ladies in neck-to-knee bathing costumes, 1930s lifesavers, a Geelong footballer, jaunty sailors, fishermen and a town band. If you look close enough you can see that the lifesaver at the front has a black eye. They were all pretty quirky
Click here to discover all the best Geelong events. From food and wine, to music, art, culture, and sport, we list them all in this up-to-date post.
Cameron Mooney of the Cats celebrates a goal during the round 19 AFL match between the Geelong Cats and the Melbourne Demons at Skilled Stadium on July 30, 2011 in Geelong, Australia.
A walk along the Geelong Bollards Trail always results in meeting some interesting characters. The Geelong Bollards are painted wooden bollards representing over 100 historic Geelong characters, and are one of the main attractions for people visiting Geelong. Located along the waterfront beaches from Limeburner's Point to Rippleside Park, the 100+ bollards are situated at 48 sites and consist of lifesavers, families, footballers, sailors, town bands, fishermen and more. Artist Jan Mitchell was commissioned by the City of Greater Geelong in 1995 to transform reclaimed timber pier pylons into these remarkable works of art. Following the Bollard Trail, you will meet some of the unique characters who played a part in Geelong's history, from the original Indigenous inhabitants to more contemporary characters. The Waterfront Geelong Bollards Trail is a one-way trail and is best started near the Geelong Botanic Gardens or at Rippleside Park.
Planning to visit Geelong, Australia? If yes, in this post you can find a Geelong itinerary for 3 days including the best things to do in Geelong. Just an hour's drive south of Melbourne, Geelong is a beautiful waterfront city. Although it's a popular destination for domestic travellers this
Don't miss these fun & exciting Geelong attractions for the whole family to enjoy. Discover the stunning waterfront, museums, theme parks & more!
The Synergy is all about improving the interaction between the kitchen, living and outdoor areas, allowing you to maximise both indoor and outdoors.
Cameron Guthrie of the Cats kicks during the NAB Challenge AFL match between the Carlton Blues and the Geelong Cats at Etihad Stadium on March 22, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.
Dubbed the "big brain," the form of ARM's Geelong Library recalls the tradition of great domed buildings as a civic symbol.
