Welcome

The Geelong Heritage Strategy is being updated so that it is relevant for today and the future, reflecting values that are important to Traditional Owners and our diverse and thriving community.

As we collaborate with you to shape the sustainable future of heritage in Geelong, we invite you to consider its meaning and significance to our cultural and design landscape, and your views on challenges and opportunities. We want to hear your ideas for engagement with our rich and evolving heritage through events, experiences and interpretative information onsite, and online.

Examples of heritage include spaces and traditions significant to our Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, Wurdi Youang (the You Yangs) and places such as Gordon Technical College (opened 1887), a hub built by a migrant community, the Corio Bowls skatepark, and spaces that have played a part in gender equality and LGBTIQA+ history.

Help shape the future of heritage in Greater Geelong. Your valuable feedback will help inform our roadmap of medium and long-term heritage priorities for Greater Geelong.

Please help us by completing our short survey, sharing your favourite existing and potential new heritage places, or attending one of our drop-in sessions where you will meet our Heritage team.

We look forward to your contribution!


Background

We've provided some background to get you started on your Geelong Heritage Strategy 2025-35 feedback.

Our heritage is a part of who we are. It’s what we inherit, appreciate today and think is important to protect and pass on to future generations.

Heritage can be something that you can see and feel, like buildings and objects, or something that is non-physical and abstract, like traditions and beliefs.

Did you know?

  • Heritage is more than just buildings
  • Heritage is not always old
  • Heritage can seem ugly to some and pleasing to others
  • Heritage can include places and objects used in everyday life

Heritage places connect us to our past and future, fostering cultural awareness, continuity, and inspiration.

It's time to update and renew our Heritage Strategy 2017-21 because it has expired, and we believe it's time to broaden our vision.

This update will reflect First Nations values, embrace diversity, and focus on sustainability, ensuring the Geelong Heritage Strategy is inclusive and forward thinking, recognising all aspects of our community's rich heritage and culture.

The objective of Geelong Heritage Strategy 2025-35 is to preserve and enhance the region's heritage places.

This strategy builds on our previous Heritage Strategy 2017-21 and will incorporate community input to ensure it reflects the values and needs of diverse groups, including Traditional Owners.

The strategy is set to guide policies and actions over the next decade, ensuring Geelong's rich history remains an integral part of its future growth and development.

Council plays a key role in conservation and management of heritage places in Greater Geelong.

This is done mainly through the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme, in which our most important heritage places are recognised in heritage and landscape overlays, with any changes to them requiring approval to ensure what we value about them is not diminished by the change.

Council is also active in the following ways in managing heritage places:

  • Celebrating heritage through cultural events and interpretation programs.
  • Collaborating with the National Trust in delivering an annual heritage awards program.
  • Providing support to owners and managers of heritage places through advisory and grant programs.
  • Leading by example in the management of its heritage properties.




Geelong City Council has made significant progress in preserving and promoting the City's rich heritage through its previous Heritage Strategy.

Key achievements include:

  • Establishment of the Heritage Advisory Committee, which has provided valuable advice and support, fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of the City's heritage among residents and stakeholders.
  • Successful publication and launch in 2021 of About Corayo: a thematic history of Greater Geelong, by Dr David Rowe, which has deepened understanding of Indigenous heritage and places and people that have shaped the region.
  • Collaboration with Geelong & Region Branch of the National Trust (Vic) on the Heritage Awards recognising and honouring outstanding contributions in categories including conservation, sustainability, and creative reuse of a heritage places.
  • An annual heritage grants program providing financial support to property owners and community groups for the conservation of heritage places.

Your Feedback

Feedback for this engagement closed on Monday 16 September, 2024.

Your feedback is important to us, please visit one or more of the feedback options below to have your say:

  • Our survey form below. You can request a hard copy by contacting the officer listed in the 'Who's Listening' section of this page;
  • Share your heritage pictures and stories below;
  • Come and chat to our team at an in-person drop-in session;
  • By email to urbandesignandheritage@geelongcity.vic.gov.au; or
  • In writing addressed to:
  • Senior Heritage Officer
    City of Greater Geelong,
    Wadawurrung Country,
    PO Box 104,
    Geelong VIC 3220

Have Your Say


Share your stories with us

Have you got an interesting story about Geelong's current or potential heritage places?

We are running a competition to find the most engaging and interesting stories. Share your story below and if interested, enter the competition at the bottom of this page to go in the running to win a $100 gift voucher.

If you are posting an image as part of your comment, by clicking on the ‘submit’ box, you are confirming you have the permission of the photographer and any person appearing in the image. You are agreeing to the Social Media Guidelines & Disclaimer and you are aware of your responsibilities. The City's Urban Design and Heritage department may use the image provided for the purposes of the project.

By participating in this competition, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

  1. The Promoter is the Greater Geelong City Council.
  2. The Promoter reserves the right, at any time, to verify the validity of entries and to disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process or who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. Failure by the Promoter to enforce any of its rights at any stage does not constitute a waiver of those rights.
  3. Entry into the competition is limited to one entry per person.
  4. Entry is open to persons 18 years of age and over. Employees of the Promoter and their immediate families, suppliers, associated companies and agencies are ineligible to enter. Any winner the Promoter discovers is under 18 will be automatically disqualified. Or if including younger audience - Entry is open to any resident of Australia who is 18 years of age and over, or who is between 12 – 18 years of age with parental or guardian consent to enter. Employees of the Promoter and their immediate families, suppliers, associated companies and agencies are ineligible to enter.
  5. To enter this competition, you must post your contribution on ‘Share your heritage stories with us’ on Geelong Heritage Strategy 2025-35 Have Your Say web page. Entries must be the original work of the entrant. Entries should be no longer than 500 words. Entries should include content that reflects, comments upon or describes the entrant’s cultural or ethnic background, experience or history within the context of the Greater Geelong region.
  6. Incomplete, indecipherable, or illegible entries will be deemed invalid.
  7. The competition commences at 9.00am on Monday 12 August and closes at 5.00pm on Monday 16 September 2024.
  8. Contributions will be assessed by Greater Geelong City Council Officers.
  9. Entries will be assessed against the following criteria:
    1. Authentic and engaging
    2. Expressive and creative
    3. Relevant to Greater Geelong’s heritage
  10. The prize winner will be notified by 30 September 2024 via email or phone. The Promoter’s decision is final and conclusive.
  11. If this competition is interfered with in any way or is not capable of being conducted as reasonably anticipated, due to any reason beyond the reasonable control of the Promoter, the Promoter reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to the fullest extent permitted by law:
  12. (a) to disqualify any entrant; or
  13. (b) to modify, suspend, terminate or cancel the competition, as appropriate.
  14. The prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash.
  15. The Promoter (including its officers, employees and agents) excludes all liability (including negligence) for any personal injury or any loss or damage (including loss of opportunity) whether direct, indirect, special or consequential, arising in any way out of the competition, including but not limited to, the following:
    • (a) any technical difficulties or equipment malfunction (whether or not under the Promoter’s control);
    • (b) any theft, unauthorised access or third-party interference;
    • (c) any entry, prize or claim for a prize that is late, lost, altered, damaged or misdirected (whether before or after receipt by the Promoter) due to any reason beyond the reasonable control of the Promoter;
    • (d) any variation in prize value from that stated in these Terms and Conditions;
    • (e) any tax liability (including FBT) incurred by an entrant or winner; or
    • (f) use of the prize.
  16. Privacy notice: The Promoter collects the personal information in your entry for the purpose of conducting the competition This information is collected and handled in accordance with the Promoter’s Privacy Policy, which is available from www.geelongaustralia.com.au. If you would like to access your personal information, please call our Privacy Officer on 03 5272 5272 or email privacy@geelongcity.vic.gov.au