City of Greater Geelong
Encyclopedia
The City of Greater Geelong is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia.
It is located in the western part of the state, south-west of Melbourne
. It has an area of 1,240 square kilometres. In 2006 it had a population of 191,000. The council chambers are located at the Civic Conference and Reception Centre, a part of the Geelong Town Hall
in central Geelong.
It is an amalgamation of parts or wholes of the former municipalities
of the Shire of Barrabool
, Shire of Bannockburn
, Shire of Bellarine, Shire of Corio
, City of Geelong
, City of Geelong West
, City of Newtown
, and City of South Barwon
that was created in 1993.
Sourced from Appendix V, A Journey to Destiny 1890-1990 - 100 Years of Cement Manufacturing at Fyansford by Australian Cement Limited .
Each ward is represented by one elected Councillor.
for all councils, Saturday 29 November 2008. A postal ballot was held for the City of Greater Geelong, conducted in the week prior to ballots closing at 6.00 pm on Friday 28 November 2008.
Forty-three individuals stood for election to the twelve vacancies available on the council. Lou Brazier and Tom O'Connor were the only sitting councillors of the ten members contesting the election to lose. Tony Ansett (Windermere Ward) and Peter McMullin
(Buckley Ward) did not stand for re-election.
Councillors Abley, Farrell, Harwood, Katos, Kontelj, Macdonald, Mitchell and Saunderson were all re-elected. Joining them on the new council are former Queenscliff
councillor John Doull
, Kylie Fisher, electorate officer Cameron Granger and Andy Richards.
John Doull defeated sitting councillor Tom O'Connor in Coryule Ward. Doull led by 127 votes after first preference
s but won by a considerable margin. O'Connor had caused some controversy after first being elected to Council in November 2004 when he claimed that he had not spoken to prominent Geelong businessman and (then) Geelong Football Club
President, Frank Costa
. Costa later confirmed that he had met and spoken with O'Connor.
Kylie Fisher defeated sitting councillor Lou Brazier in Corio Ward. Fisher, Council President of the North Shore Primary School, second preferenced Brazier in the election and polled 1086 fewer first preference votes than Brazier. After the distribution of preferences, Fisher defeated Brazier by 541 votes.
Immediately prior to the election, Brazier became embroiled in controversy regarding a possible conflict of interest issue resulting from two votes taken at council meetings. Brazier's re-election prospects were damaged by these latest matters, which followed on from the conflict of interest issues that arose from the 2004 council elections and became more commonly known throughout the community as "Costa-gate", which dogged the 2004-2008 council and led to a municipal investigation by Merv Whelan.
Former Mayor 'Stretch' Kontelj claimed the most primary votes of any candidate with 6,180 votes. Councillors Farrell, Katos, Macdonald and Mitchell were all re-elected unopposed.
councillor candidates, received a donation for the 2004 elections from developer Lascorp. Saunderson admitted in the Geelong Magistrates' Court in November
2009 that he was "stupid and foolish" not to declare a conflict of interest during a vote at a meeting of the city council in April
2009 involving the developer. Saunderson pleaded not guilty in court, but was found guilty and fined $18,000 ($3,000 fine and $15,000 in costs). His conviction requires the city to call a by-election
for the Cowie ward seat.
Councillor Cameron Granger was also involved in conflict of interest charges in 2009. He appeared before a Geelong Court and was cleared.
councillor Vinko Ljubanovic (1,135).
, who had won the State seat of South Barwon
at the November
2010 Victorian
State election, will be held on Saturday 5 March
2011.
Ten candidates have nominated for the vacancy, including Phil Baulch, nurse Amber Jeffreys, Angelo Kakouros, Ron Nelson
, lawyer David O'Brien
, Matt Podvinsek, Cassandra Syddall, Rick Westgarth, Craig Whimpress and Kimberley Young.
Kakouros, Nelson and Podvinsek have been previous nominees for council seats. Kakouros has also been a nominee for both State and Federal seats.
has its headquarters on the grounds of Avalon Airport
in Avalon
, City of Greater Geelong.
, China
Izumiotsu, Japan
It is located in the western part of the state, south-west of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. It has an area of 1,240 square kilometres. In 2006 it had a population of 191,000. The council chambers are located at the Civic Conference and Reception Centre, a part of the Geelong Town Hall
Geelong Town Hall
Geelong Town Hall is a civic building located on Gheringhap Street in central Geelong, Victoria. It was originally built for the City of Geelong, which became the City of Greater Geelong in 1993.-Construction:...
in central Geelong.
It is an amalgamation of parts or wholes of the former municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of the Shire of Barrabool
Shire of Barrabool
The Shire of Barrabool was a Local Government Area located about southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1853 until 1994.-History:...
, Shire of Bannockburn
Shire of Bannockburn
The Shire of Bannockburn was a Local Government Area located about west-southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1862 until 1994.-History:...
, Shire of Bellarine, Shire of Corio
Shire of Corio
The Shire of Corio was a Local Government Area located between Geelong and Werribee about southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire, which included all of Geelong's northern suburbs, covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1993.-History:Corio was first...
, City of Geelong
City of Geelong
The City of Geelong was a Local Government Area located about southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1849 until 1994.-History:...
, City of Geelong West
City of Geelong West
The City of Geelong West was a Local Government Area located about west of the regional city of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1875 until 1994.-History:...
, City of Newtown
City of Newtown
The City of Newtown was a Local Government Area located about west of the regional city of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1858 until 1994.-History:...
, and City of South Barwon
City of South Barwon
The City of South Barwon was a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, which contained some Geelong suburbs south of the Barwon River, and extending to Torquay in the south and Barwon Heads to the east...
that was created in 1993.
History of former municipalities
- 1838 - Geelong (Aboriginal word for 'Ocean') region declared a TownTownA town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
. - 1849 - Geelong Incorporated as a Town.
- 1843 - BarraboolShire of BarraboolThe Shire of Barrabool was a Local Government Area located about southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1853 until 1994.-History:...
declared Road DistrictDistrictDistricts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
. - 1854 - BellarineRural City of BellarineThe Rural City of Bellarine was a Local Government Area located to the southeast of the regional city of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, and covered most of the Bellarine Peninsula. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1853 until 1993.-History:...
declared Road District. - 1857 - South BarwonCity of South BarwonThe City of South Barwon was a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, which contained some Geelong suburbs south of the Barwon River, and extending to Torquay in the south and Barwon Heads to the east...
a separate District. - 1858 - Newtown and ChilwellCity of NewtownThe City of Newtown was a Local Government Area located about west of the regional city of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1858 until 1994.-History:...
a BoroughBoroughA borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
. - 1862 - BannockburnShire of BannockburnThe Shire of Bannockburn was a Local Government Area located about west-southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1862 until 1994.-History:...
a Road District. - 1863 - South Barwon a Borough.
- 1864 - Corio and Bannockburn made ShireShireA shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
s. - 1865 - Bellarine a Shire.
- 1872 - South Barwon a Shire.
- 1875 - West Geelong a Borough.
- 1910 - Geelong a CityCityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
. - 1915 - MeredithMeredith, VictoriaMeredith is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Midland Highway between Ballarat and Geelong.Meredith Post Office opened on 1 November 1854 and the railway came to the town with the opening of the Geelong-Ballarat line in 1862, with the local railway station opened soon after. Now only...
added to Bannockburn Shire. - 1922 - West Geelong a Town.
- 1924 - Newtown and Chilwell a Town.
- 1929 - West Geelong a City.
- 1959 - Newtown and Chilwell a City.
- 1963 - Queenscliff and Pt Lonsdale separates from Bellarine to form the Borough of QueenscliffeBorough of QueenscliffeThe Borough of Queenscliffe is a municipality in Victoria, Australia. It is situated on the south coast, south-east of Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsula south of Swan Bay and next to the Port Phillip Heads, the entrance to Port Phillip Bay from Bass Strait.The Borough has an area of...
. - 1967 - Newtown discarded Chilwell from its title as a city.
- 1974 - South Barwon a City.
- 1993 - City of Greater Geelong formed
Sourced from Appendix V, A Journey to Destiny 1890-1990 - 100 Years of Cement Manufacturing at Fyansford by Australian Cement Limited .
Wards
- Austin, named after Elizabeth AustinElizabeth AustinElizabeth Austin is an American writer living in Oak Park, Illinois. Austin has lived in the Midwestern United States all her life. After beginning her journalistic career at the now-defunct City News Bureau of Chicago, she has written articles for national news magazines such as Newsweek and Time,...
, civic benefactor of homes and hospital; - Beangala, named the homeland of the Bengali clan of the Wathaurong people;
- Brownbill, named after Fanny BrownbillFanny BrownbillFanny Eileen Brownbill was an Australian state politician, serving as the Labor Party Member for Geelong, Victoria, serving from 1938 until her death in 1948...
who was the first female local member of the Legislative AssemblyLegislative AssemblyLegislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a legislature, or to one of its branch.The name is used by a number of member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as a number of Latin American countries....
(1938–1946); - Buckley, named after William BuckleyWilliam Buckley (convict)William Buckley was an English convict who was transported to Australia, escaped, was given up for dead and lived in an Aboriginal community for many years....
, an escaped convict from SorrentoSorrento, VictoriaSorrento is a township in Victoria, Australia, located on the shores of Port Phillip on the Mornington Peninsula, about one and a half hours south of Melbourne...
who lived with the local aboriginals; - Cheetham named after Richard Cheetham, salt pioneer;
- Corio, an aboriginal name for the area. (Aboriginal word for 'land');
- Coryule, named after the home of Anne Drysdale, a pioneer squatter in this area;
- Cowie, named after James Cowie an early land owner;
- Deakin, named after Deakin UniversityDeakin UniversityDeakin University is an Australian public university with nearly 40,000 higher education students in 2010. It receives more than A$600 million in operating revenue annually, and controls more than A$1.3 billion in assets. It received more than A$35 million in research income in 2009 and had 835...
; - Kardinia, the aboriginal name for sunrise and the home of Alexander ThomsonAlexander Thomson (pioneer)Dr. Alexander Thomson was elected as the first mayor of Geelong and held the position on five occasions from 1850 - 1858...
, first elected Mayor of Geelong; - Kildare, an earlier name for the area of the ward;
- Windermere, named after the home of the FairbairnFairbairnFairbairn is a surname, and may refer to:* Andrew Fairbairn * Bill Fairbairn , Canadian ice hockey player.* Bruce Fairbairn , Canadian musician, songwriter and producer....
family, pioneers of the area.
Each ward is represented by one elected Councillor.
2008 Council elections
The 2008 Victorian Council elections, were for the first time in history held on the same day throughout VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
for all councils, Saturday 29 November 2008. A postal ballot was held for the City of Greater Geelong, conducted in the week prior to ballots closing at 6.00 pm on Friday 28 November 2008.
Forty-three individuals stood for election to the twelve vacancies available on the council. Lou Brazier and Tom O'Connor were the only sitting councillors of the ten members contesting the election to lose. Tony Ansett (Windermere Ward) and Peter McMullin
Peter McMullin
Peter McMullin was the Mayor of Geelong in 2006 and Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne between 1996 and 1999. McMullin served as a Councillor of the City of Geelong since 2004 and served as a Councillor of the City of Melbourne from 1996 to 1999...
(Buckley Ward) did not stand for re-election.
Councillors Abley, Farrell, Harwood, Katos, Kontelj, Macdonald, Mitchell and Saunderson were all re-elected. Joining them on the new council are former Queenscliff
Queenscliff, Victoria
Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia, south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe...
councillor John Doull
John Doull
John Doull was a lawyer, judge and politician. He represented Pictou County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly as a Conservative member from 1925 to 1933....
, Kylie Fisher, electorate officer Cameron Granger and Andy Richards.
John Doull defeated sitting councillor Tom O'Connor in Coryule Ward. Doull led by 127 votes after first preference
Preferential voting
Preferential voting is a type of ballot structure used in several electoral systems in which voters rank candidates in order of relative preference. For example, the voter may select their first choice as '1', their second preference a '2', and so on...
s but won by a considerable margin. O'Connor had caused some controversy after first being elected to Council in November 2004 when he claimed that he had not spoken to prominent Geelong businessman and (then) Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
President, Frank Costa
Frank Costa
Frank Costa OAM is an entrepreneur, 1997 Order of Australia Medal recipient, and philanthropist. The Geelong native has been a prominent figure in the region for more than four decades, after inheriting the family's produce business in the late 1950s...
. Costa later confirmed that he had met and spoken with O'Connor.
Kylie Fisher defeated sitting councillor Lou Brazier in Corio Ward. Fisher, Council President of the North Shore Primary School, second preferenced Brazier in the election and polled 1086 fewer first preference votes than Brazier. After the distribution of preferences, Fisher defeated Brazier by 541 votes.
Immediately prior to the election, Brazier became embroiled in controversy regarding a possible conflict of interest issue resulting from two votes taken at council meetings. Brazier's re-election prospects were damaged by these latest matters, which followed on from the conflict of interest issues that arose from the 2004 council elections and became more commonly known throughout the community as "Costa-gate", which dogged the 2004-2008 council and led to a municipal investigation by Merv Whelan.
Former Mayor 'Stretch' Kontelj claimed the most primary votes of any candidate with 6,180 votes. Councillors Farrell, Katos, Macdonald and Mitchell were all re-elected unopposed.
Conflicts of interest
David Saunderson, along with four other LaborAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
councillor candidates, received a donation for the 2004 elections from developer Lascorp. Saunderson admitted in the Geelong Magistrates' Court in November
November
November is the 11th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with the length of 30 days. November was the ninth month of the ancient Roman calendar...
2009 that he was "stupid and foolish" not to declare a conflict of interest during a vote at a meeting of the city council in April
April
April is the fourth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one of four months with a length of 30 days. April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar, before January and February were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC...
2009 involving the developer. Saunderson pleaded not guilty in court, but was found guilty and fined $18,000 ($3,000 fine and $15,000 in costs). His conviction requires the city to call a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
for the Cowie ward seat.
Councillor Cameron Granger was also involved in conflict of interest charges in 2009. He appeared before a Geelong Court and was cleared.
Cowie Ward By-Election 2010
The 2010 Cowie ward by-election, caused by the forced vacation of the seat by former Cr David Saunderson, was contested by several candidates over the weekend of 6 and 7 March 2010. Eddy Kontelj, brother of sitting councillor 'Stretch' Kontelj, won the seat with 5,665 votes from Matt Podvinsek (2,391) and former Shire of CorioShire of Corio
The Shire of Corio was a Local Government Area located between Geelong and Werribee about southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire, which included all of Geelong's northern suburbs, covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1993.-History:Corio was first...
councillor Vinko Ljubanovic (1,135).
Deakin Ward By-Election 2011
The 2011 Deakin ward by-election, caused by the vacation of the seat by former Cr Andrew KatosAndrew Katos
Andrew Katos is an Australian politician, and has been the member for South Barwon in the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2010.-References:...
, who had won the State seat of South Barwon
Electoral district of South Barwon
South Barwon is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria. Located in a mixed urban and rural area south of the Barwon River, it covers an area of 621km², including the Geelong suburbs of Belmont and Grovedale, Waurn Ponds and part of Highton, the coastal...
at the November
November
November is the 11th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with the length of 30 days. November was the ninth month of the ancient Roman calendar...
2010 Victorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
State election, will be held on Saturday 5 March
March
March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
2011.
Ten candidates have nominated for the vacancy, including Phil Baulch, nurse Amber Jeffreys, Angelo Kakouros, Ron Nelson
Ron Nelson
Ron Nelson is a composer of both classical and popular music and a retired music academic.-Biography:A native of Joliet, Illinois, Ron Nelson was born December 14, 1929. He studied composition at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester earning a bachelor's degree in 1952, a...
, lawyer David O'Brien
David O'Brien (politician)
David Roland Joseph O'Brien is an Australian politician representing the National Party of Australia in the Victorian Legislative Council....
, Matt Podvinsek, Cassandra Syddall, Rick Westgarth, Craig Whimpress and Kimberley Young.
Kakouros, Nelson and Podvinsek have been previous nominees for council seats. Kakouros has also been a nominee for both State and Federal seats.
Current council
The council is composed of twelve councillors, each elected to represent one of the twelve existing wards.- Barbara Abley (Brownbill Ward) (Elected March 2001)
- John Doull (Coryule Ward) (November 2008)
- Jan Farrell (Beangala Ward) (November 2004)
- Kylie Fisher (Corio Ward) (November 2008)
- Cameron Granger (Windermere Ward) (November 2008)
- Bruce Harwood (Kardinia Ward) (February 2003)
- Ron Nelson (Deakin Ward) (March 2011)
- Eddy Kontelj (Cowie Ward) (March 2010)
- 'Stretch' Kontelj (Kildare Ward) (March 1998)
- Rod MacdonaldRod MacDonaldRod MacDonald is an American folk singer/songwriter. He was a "big part of the 1980s folk revival in Greenwich Village clubs," performing at the Speakeasy, The Bottom Line, Folk City, and the Songwriter's Exchange at the Cornelia Street Cafe for many years. He co-founded the Greenwich Village...
(Cheetham Ward) (November 2004) - John Mitchell (Austin Ward) (November 2004)
- Andy Richards (Buckley Ward) (November 2008)
Mayors
- Gerry Smith (1995–1998)
- Ken Jarvis (1998–2000)
- Michael CrutchfieldMichael CrutchfieldMichael Crutchfield is an Australian politician. He was formerly the member for South Barwon in the Victorian Legislative Assembly.-Early life:...
(2000–2001) - Srechko 'Stretch' Kontelj (2001–2002)
- Barbara Abley (2002–2004)
- Ed Coppe (2004)
- Shane DowlingShane DowlingShane Dowling is an Australian politician. He was Mayor of Geelong from December 2004 to November 2005, and Mayor of South Melbourne from 1989 to 1991....
(2004–2005) - Peter McMullinPeter McMullinPeter McMullin was the Mayor of Geelong in 2006 and Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne between 1996 and 1999. McMullin served as a Councillor of the City of Geelong since 2004 and served as a Councillor of the City of Melbourne from 1996 to 1999...
(2005–2006) - Bruce Harwood (2006–2008)
- John Mitchell (2008–present)
Deputy Mayors
- John Mitchell (2007–2008)
- Rod MacdonaldRod MacDonaldRod MacDonald is an American folk singer/songwriter. He was a "big part of the 1980s folk revival in Greenwich Village clubs," performing at the Speakeasy, The Bottom Line, Folk City, and the Songwriter's Exchange at the Cornelia Street Cafe for many years. He co-founded the Greenwich Village...
(2008–2010) - Cameron Granger (2010–present)
Chief Executives
- David Niven (1995)
- Michael MaloufMichael MaloufMichael Malouf is a former Chief Executive Officer of the Carlton Football Club. On the 23rd of March 2007, it was announced that the then-current CEO at the Collingwood Football Club, Greg Swann, would replace Malouf in this position....
(1995–1997) - Geoff Whitbread (1998–2003)
- Kay Rundle (2003 - 1 May 2009)
- Stephen Griffin (1 May 2009 -)
Economy
Jetstar AirwaysJetstar Airways
Jetstar Airways is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. It is a subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by low-cost airline Virgin Blue...
has its headquarters on the grounds of Avalon Airport
Avalon Airport
Avalon Airport is the second busiest of the four airports serving Melbourne and is located in Avalon, Victoria, Australia, which is north-east of the city of Geelong and to the south-west of the state's capital city of Melbourne....
in Avalon
Avalon, Victoria
Avalon is a locality situated north east of Geelong, Victoria. Its Local Government Area is the City of Greater Geelong and its Ward is Windermere...
, City of Greater Geelong.
Sister cities
Geelong has sister city relations with the following cities: LianyungangLianyungang
Lianyungang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. It borders Yancheng to its southeast, Huai'an and Suqian to its south, Xuzhou to its southwest, and the province of Shandong to its north...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Izumiotsu, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
See also
- List of Mayors of Geelong
- List of Geelong suburbs
- List of localities (Victoria)