This area was established early on in Victoria's colonial history, and was primarily set up for wool production. As the gold rush in Ballarat began in 1851, the town (Geelong was not declared a city until 1910) became increasingly important as the major port centre for the Ballarat gold mining regions. From the 1860s wool and manufacturing became the mainstay of the economy and remained strong and prosperous long after the gold at Ballarat had run out.
It was a combination of the riches from gold and the income from wool and manufacturing that enabled the construction of many grand buildings throughout the town, many of which are still present today.
A jumbled mixture of many architectural designs and eras are present throughout the CBD of Geelong, and generally represent high points in economic prosperity when money was available to build new structures, such as during the gold rush and the inter-war period. If you remember to glance up when you are out and about you will find that this is common to many towns, suburban shopping strips and cities in Victoria.
This post features a small snap shot of a few interesting buildings along Malop street. The Rushbrook's Pharmacy is a favourite of mine.
Love
Mosey x
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