Description of the attraction
Johnstone Park is located in the center of Geelong, adjacent to the City Hall, Art Gallery, City Library and Geelong Railway Station. In the park itself you can see the War Memorial and the pavilion for the performance of the orchestra.
Once upon a time, the Western Gully Creek flowed through the territory that is today Johnstone Park, carrying its waters into Corio Bay. In 1849, the stream was dammed up where the Heringap Street junction is today. Two years later, the dam was fenced in after at least one person and 7 horses drowned in it. And in 1872, the surrounding area was turned into a public park, named after the former mayor of Geelong, Robert De Bruce Johnstone. The park stretches from Goeringap Street to Latrobe Terraces. In December of the same year, the first concert performed by the Geelong Artillery Corps troupe took place here. In 1873, an octagonal wooden stage was erected in the park, and a year later, the Belcher Fountain was installed, donated to the city by another former mayor, George Frederick Belcher. In 1887, the park had to be reduced due to construction in the western part of Gordon Technical College.
The 20th century brought new changes: in 1915, an Art Gallery was built next to the park, and in 1919, a War Memorial was erected in memory of those killed in the First World War. The memorial consisted of two rows of columns, a pavilion in the center and a Peace Monument next to the Gallery. The pavilion was later listed as a Victorian heritage site. The Belcher Fountain was first moved to another location in 1912 due to the construction of tram lines, and in 1956 it was returned after trams stopped operating in the city. It was renovated in 2008, and today it pleases the eye of visitors in the northeastern part of Johnstone Park.
