Geelong Gas Company
Line: Geelong and Warrnambool
Distance from Melbourne: 69.975 km
Track Diagram: View
Google Maps: Satellite / Map
Opened: September 1859
The Geelong Gas Company held their first official meeting in 1857. Land for the gasworks was purchased beside North Geelong station in March 1859. A railway siding was opened in September 1859 and was the first private siding in the area. It ran alongside the western platform, headed in a southerly direction.
In 1941 the Gas Coy’s Siding was extended 100 feet, and in 1952 it was extended by another 70 feet. The main traffic would have been black coal for town gas production, and later brown coal briquettes. By 1963 the gasworks changed to use refinery gases from Shell Refinery as the raw material used to produce manufactured gas, with use of the siding probably declining from this time.
The gasworks closed by 1971 as natural gas was connected to Geelong. The gas works were demolished in September 1972, but the railway siding remained. In 1990 the land was used for the opening of the Geelong Freightgate, with the circular concrete base of the gasometer remaining today in the station carpark.
Events
September 1859 | Opened |
Line Opened
November 1, 1856 | Line opened Lara to Geelong |
June 25, 1857 | Line officially opened between Geelong and at temporary terminus at Greenwich. A ferry was used the complete the journey to Melbourne |
October 3, 1857 | Temporary Greenwich terminal and stub line closed. Geelong line now connected to the partially completed Williamstown line. A ferry complete the journey from Williamstown to Melbourne |
January 17, 1859 | Williamstown line finally completed to Melbourne. Geelong trains can now operate direct to Spencer Street Station |
Track Amplified
April 11, 1863 | Line duplicated North Geelong Junction to Geelong - due to construction of line to Ballarat |
April 30, 1922 | Line duplicated North Geelong A to North Geelong B |
Sources
- Geelong - The First 150 Years - 'Last drinks at North Geelong's Oriental Hotel'
- http://www.vrhistory.com/ - Andrew Waugh
- The Geelong Gas Company 1858 - 1958