Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park (Williamstown)

Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park is a new regional park that has been created to protect the cultural heritage values and coastal character of the area, whilst providing a range of visitor facilities and passive open space opportunities.

Take a walk along the foreshore and enjoy the view of Port Phillip Bay and the city of Melbourne. Have a picnic down by the water and enjoy the sea breeze or a barbecue at Quarry Picnic Area. Discover the history of the area, including Point Gellibrand's most significant landmark, the Timeball Tower.

Point Gellibrand has a rich history. It was the site of Victoria's first permanent settlement and seaport and was crucial to the initial growth of the state. Immerse yourself in Victoria's colonial past by visiting Fort Gellibrand, marvel at the ingenuity of early mariners at Timeball Tower or step back to a time when Point Gellibrand's piers were the only gateway to a new colony.

Immerse yourself in Victoria's colonial past by visiting Fort Gellibrand, retrace Ned Kelly's steps along Battery Road, marvel at the ingenuity of our early mariners at the Timeball Tower or step back to a time when Point Gellibrand's piers were the only gateway to a new colony.

Cycling along the Bay Trail that takes you around Port Phillip Bay is a popular activity. Try fishing or take your dog for a walk. Explore the rocks at Shelly Beach.

History

Pre-Settlement
Point Gellibrand forms part of the Yalukit-willam traditional lands, that extended from the northern shores of Port Phillip Bay to Wilson's Promontory. The indigenous name for the area is Koort Boork Boork, which translates as 'Sheoak, Sheoak, many'.

Traditionally Point Gellibrand was a major food gathering site for the Yalukit-willam as the Mangroves located there are important fish and bird breeding grounds. While a shortage of freshwater meant that the area was unsuitable as a camp, indigenous people of Victoria frequently used the area for gatherings and ceremony.

Early Settlement
In 1836 John Batman stepped ashore, and named the area Point Gellibrand in honour of his close friend London barrister Joseph Tice Gellibrand. The first steps to establishing the colony of Victoria, were to set up efficient navigational communication and to locate suitable materials and labour with which to build.

Timeball Tower
Navigating in the 1800's required an accurate chronometer and a sextant to determine the location of the ship. In 1849 a Timeball Tower was built to aid ships in setting their chronometers, and was in use until 1926. This tower was relocated a number of times until 1861 when it was moved to its current location at the original site of the electric telegraph station.

Gellibrand's Bluestone Quarry
In 1838 Gellibrand's quarry was opened up as a key source of bluestone for Melbourne's first buildings, roads and piers. This heavy work cutting , transporting and laying rock was carried out by convict labour and prisoners worked the quarry in leg irons. When not at the quarry prisoners were held in appalling conditions in large boats called hulks on Port Phillip Bay. Present day Battery Road is made from this bluestone and it is a widely accepted belief that Ned Kelly worked on the retaining wall in 1873. To this day Battery Road remains a testament to the cruel back breaking work carried out by Victoria's convicts.

Growth of a Colony
With the discovery of gold in Victoria in the 1850's the colony experienced a major growth period. Point Gellibrand was integral for any distribution of goods within the colony and increasingly piers were under pressure to meet demands for the loading of the sheep, wool and wheat which were to form the backbone of Victoria's economy. Ship building and repairs were a major industry on the point and by 1854 another vital means of transportation and distribution the Point Gellibrand Railways were being constructed.

Fort Gellibrand
Increased wealth to the new colony also meant an increased fear of invasion. From 1860 - 1880 Point Gellibrand Fort was constructed. The Fort was the mainland's first, and played a key role in developing the military, navy and government in the colony.

This nine-gun battery stood along a prominent bluestone wall and was the earliest defence against attacks on Melbourne's ports and shipping. Central to Fort Gellibrand were the 'Disappearing Guns' a clever design that enabled the gun to roll back from its elevated position after shooting. The Fort which remained in active service until Federation, is now restored thanks to local support and can be viewed during open days.

Changing Landscapes
Point Gellibrand's rich industrial history has not been without it's impacts on the natural environment. Prolific stands of sheoaks have been lost to firewood and boat-building, the basalt outcrops have been quarried and soil has been seriously compressed as Point Gellibrand heaved under the weight of industrial pressure for more than 150 years. Today's naturally wild landscape and sea views are a credit to the local community who have fought to keep it that way. In the 1990's 'Save Point Gellibrand Action Group' lobbied to save the Point Gellibrand environment, and now increased emphasis is placed on the conservation of this fragile coastal ecosystem.

Point Gellibrand is home to an intriguing volcanic phenomenon. Millions of years ago Melbourne's west was alive with volcanic activity. As lava flowed to the shoreline at Point Gelfibrand, a build up of gasses in the lava created a large bubble three meters in diameter. This geological anomaly, which is most prominent at Shelley beach, is considered to be extremely rare.

Shelly Beach was highly degraded just three years ago, but extensive revegetation by local conservationists has done much to restore the area. Plantings of Coastal Saltbush. Pigface, Knobby Clubrush and indigenous grasses not only enhance the visitors experience but provide important habitat areas for the numerous wader birds that frequent the area.

Review:

The park with historical elements has large areas of grass interspersed with patches of bushes and criss-crossed by gravel paths. It's an ideal place to take a dog for a walk. A walk around the whole area would take about 15-20 minutes.

The south end has a nice playground which has tables, BBQs, water tap and toilets.

In this area there are some cannons set on a hill behind a wire mesh fence. Fort Gellibrand was formidable in its heyday. A nine-gun battery stood imposingly along a prominent bluestone wall.

The north west corner (near the Williamstown Railway Station) has a large shelter with tables.

There are a number of information boards which describe some of the historical aspects of the area. Victoria's first permanent and seaport was established in 1835 at Point Gellibrand. Australia's first observatory, timeball tower and shipbuilding industry were located here and the distribution of supplies, particularly crucial during the gold rush, occurred from here for years.

In the north east corner are a number of historical artefacts including the Timeball Tower which was originally built as a lighthouse in 1849. During this period a canvas bound timeball was hoisted up an adjacent flagstaff and dropped at exactly 1pm every day. On the 1st of September 1926 the operations of the timeball tower were discontinued.

There is a plaque celebrating the building of the first Electric Telegraph Station in the Southern Hemisphere in 1854 at Point Gellibrand which linked the distant colony to England.

The Hulk Anchor on display was a mooring anchor (circa 1820) which was recovered in Hobson's Bay near Gellibrand Point in 1990. One fluke is bent back along the shank to protect the permanently moored ship from being holed as the tide receded.

A Breakwater Memorial Stone (1855) is an historic basalt marker which formerly stood upon the approaches to Breakwater Pier and was erected to commemorate inauguration of the construction of the breakwater and of the Williamstown, Mount Alexander & Murray River Railway Station by private enterprise.

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