What is "geelong"

Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital, Melbourne. It is the second largest Victorian city, with an estimated urban population of 184,182 as at June 2014, having grown 1.4 percent since June 2013.

Geelong runs from the plains of Lara in the north to the rolling hills of Waurn Ponds to the south, with Corio Bay to the east and hills to the west. Geelong is the administrative centre for the City of Greater Geelong municipality, which covers urban, rural and coastal areas surrounding the city, including the Bellarine Peninsula.

Geelong City is also known as the 'Gateway City' due to its central location to surrounding Victorian regional centres like Ballarat in the north west, Torquay, Great Ocean Road and Warrnambool in the southwest, Hamilton, Colac and Winchelsea to the west, and the state capital of Melbourne in the north east.

Geelong was named in 1827, with the name derived from the local Wathaurong Aboriginal name for the region, Jillong, thought to mean "land" or "cliffs". The area was first surveyed in 1838, three weeks after Melbourne. The post office was open by June 1840 (the second to open in the Port Phillip District). The first woolstore was erected in this period and it became the port for the wool industry of the Western District. During the gold rush, Geelong experienced a brief boom as the main port to the rich goldfields of the Ballarat district. The city then diversified into manufacturing, and during the 1860s, it became one of the largest manufacturing centres in Australia with its wool mills, ropeworks, and paper mills.

It was proclaimed a city in 1910, with industrial growth from this time until the 1960s establishing the city as a manufacturing centre for the state, and the population grew to over 100,000 by the mid-1960s. During the city's early years, an inhabitant of Geelong was often known as a Geelongite, or a Pivotonian, derived from the city's nickname of "The Pivot", referencing the city's role as a shipping and rail hub for the area. Population increases over the last decade were due to growth in service industries, as the manufacturing sector has declined. Redevelopment of the inner city has occurred since the 1990s, as well as gentrification of inner suburbs, and currently has a population growth rate higher than the national average.

It is known for being home to the Geelong Football Club, the second oldest club in the Australian Football League.

Today, Geelong stands as an emerging health, education and advanced manufacturing hub. The city's economy is shifting quickly and despite experiencing the drawbacks of losing much of its heavy manufacturing, it is seeing much growth in other sectors, positioning itself as one of the leading non-capital Australian cities.

Geelong is a city in Victoria, Australia.

Geelong may also refer to:

• HMAS Geelong, two ships of the Royal Australian Navy, named after the above city
• Geelong (ship), a ship owned by the Blue Anchor Line, and then by P&O, which transported soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force to World War I
• Geelong Football Club, a member of the AFL, based in Geelong

Geelong was a ship which was owned by the Blue Anchor Line, and after 1910 by P&O. It was constructed in 1904 by Barclay, Curle and Co. Ltd, Glasgow. When originally constructed, the vessel had accommodations for 120 saloon passengers and 200 third-class, and also carried cargo. Its tonnage was 7700 tons and it was 450 feet long, powered by triple-expansion steam engines and capable of 14 knots.

In August 1909, Geelong participated in the search for its sister ship Waratah , which had disappeared without trace close to the South African coast, and was thought to be possibly disabled and drifting.

During World War One, Geelong was one of the ships leased by the Australian Government to transport the Australian Imperial Force to the Middle East and Europe.

HMAT A2 Geelong departed on its first voyage on 22 September 1914, carrying 440 soldiers from Melbourne, consisting of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade, the 3rd Field Company Engineers, and some members of the 12th Infantry Battalion. It proceeded to Hobart where it picked up another 912 soldiers, consisting of the 12th Infantry Battalion and the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. It eventually left Hobart, bound for Egypt, on 20 October 1914.

Its second voyage left Adelaide on 31 May 1915, transporting 1264 soldiers of the 27th Infantry Battalion and the 7th Field Ambulance unit. It also picked up another 252 soldiers, who were reinforcements for various other units, from Fremantle on 7 June 1915.

Its final departure from Australia was on 18 November 1915, carrying 1362 soldiers including the 32nd Infantry Battalion and some reinforcements for other units. The ship was wrecked shortly after disembarking the men in Egypt.

HMAT A2 Geelong weighed 7,951 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 km/h. It sank after a collision with SS Bonvilston, an Admiralty store ship, in the Mediterranean Sea near Alexandria on 1 January 1916. There was no loss of life.