Waurn Ponds, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Waurn Ponds is a mainly residential southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia
.
The suburb is bounded by Rossack Drive, Princes Highway
, the Geelong to Warnambool railway, Reservoir Road, Draytons Road, Pigdons Road, Deakin University
and Honeys Road.
. Two early hotels - the Victoria Inn (1845-60) and the Waurn Ponds Inn (1856) were located on the Princes Highway serving travellers on the road. The Albert and Victoria vineyards, owned by David Pettavel, began growing grapes in 1848 and the area was better known as Pettavel in the 1860s. The Pettavel Post Office opened on 12 January 1865 and remained open until 1952. The Waurn Ponds Post Office opened on 1 December 1871 and closed in 1968.
A quarry
for limestone was opened in the 1840s, with quarrying continuing from 1964 to today at the nearby Blue Circle Southern
cement works. Kilns for making mortar lime operated until the 1970s.
Waurn Ponds started to become part of the outer suburbs of Geelong from the 1970s, with the opening of the Deakin University campus and the Waurn Ponds Hotel on the highway. Major development did not begin until the early 1990s, based around Ghazeepore Road. The intervening years have seen housing developments spread across the hillside towards Grovedale
.
near Belmont Common
.
As of 2007, it is low on water and is no more than 1 meter deep in most sections. It has a large weed problem which makes the creek look uninhabitable. The creek is home to species of fish (many introduced) including Carp
, Redfin
, Roach
, Tench
, Australian Grayling
and short finned eels. The creek also is a large habitat of native birds including the pacific black duck. Increase in annual rain will bring the creek back to its original status.
Waurn Ponds has a large linear parkland following the creek. The neighbouring suburb of Grovedale has a skate park and baseball
complex.
that links the suburb the centre of Geelong. It is also the southern endpoint of Geelong Ring Road completed 2009. Anglesea Road heads south through the suburb linking the area to Torquay
and Anglesea
. Pioneer Road links the region west to Grovedale, the road not being completed eastward across the Waurn Ponds Creek until the mid 1990s.
Public transport to the area is provided by bus
es operated by Benders Buslines and McHarrys Buslines, on routes to the Geelong city centre travelling via the university, Belmont
, Highton
and Grovedale
.
The 2003–04 Victorian State Budget saw funding made available for an extension of rail services on the line between Melbourne and Geelong southwards to Grovedale. A number of options were examined, among them a new railway station at Waurn Ponds. Marshall station
was opened in 2005 in nearby Marshall on the site of a closed station.
campus at Waurn Ponds had the beginnings in the Gordon Institute of TAFE
, who purchased land there in 1969. A building for the Applied Sciences was first built, followed by a library and student lodgings in 1975. In 1976 the Gordon Institute was divided into two parts, with academic courses becoming part of the newly formed Deakin University based at the Waurn Ponds campus.
Deakin enrolled its first students at its Waurn Ponds campus in 1977. Today the university is located on a 365 hectare site, has over 1,000 staff and over 4000 on-campus students.
Deakin offers many social groups for students to join, The main Association is DUSA, followed closely by the Deakin Students' Commerce Society Deakin University Student Association#Deakin Commerce Students' Society
in the around 1985 on the corner of the Princes Highway
and Pioneer Road. Opened as the 'Town and Country' shopping centre, the initial tenants included Woolworths supermarket which remain today, a Franklins
supermarket and a Mitre 10
hardware store on the current Coles supermarket site, a now demolished plant nursery, and a number of smaller independent stores. The stores were arranged around a central open air carpark. The first major changes was the closure of the hardware store, followed by the expansion of Franklins into the empty space.
The late 1990s saw the first refurbishment, and saw the expansion of the centre to the east with the opening of a Target
department store. A number of smaller stores were also built linking it to the rest of the complex. They were later followed by the 8 screen Readings
cinema
complex. The early 2000s also saw the closure of the Franklins supermarket and the opening of a Coles
supermarket in its place.
A third expansion has just been completed, costing $35 million. The Target department store has been expanded, 36 new speciality shops opened, and vehicle and pedestrian access improved. Floorspace at the centre increased by one-third to 21,000sqm. Another Expansion has been announced, this to include a Coles Supermarket, K-Mart, Officeworks an unnamed Liquor Store, a rumoured Hungry Jacks and retail space extended to 35,000sqm.
and Harvey Norman
stores, as well as a number of smaller stores including Supercheap Auto
, Beacon Lighting, Snooze and Ray's Outdoors.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The suburb is bounded by Rossack Drive, Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
, the Geelong to Warnambool railway, Reservoir Road, Draytons Road, Pigdons Road, Deakin University
Deakin University
Deakin University is an Australian public university with nearly 40,000 higher education students in 2010. It receives more than A$600 million in operating revenue annually, and controls more than A$1.3 billion in assets. It received more than A$35 million in research income in 2009 and had 835...
and Honeys Road.
History
The town was named after the Waurn chain of ponds, a watercourse that flows from Mount Moriac over 30 km into the Barwon RiverBarwon River (Victoria)
The Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges of Victoria, Australia, runs through Winchelsea and the city of Geelong, where it is joined by the Moorabool River, and enters the sea at Barwon Heads after passing through Lake Connewarre on the Bellarine Peninsula...
. Two early hotels - the Victoria Inn (1845-60) and the Waurn Ponds Inn (1856) were located on the Princes Highway serving travellers on the road. The Albert and Victoria vineyards, owned by David Pettavel, began growing grapes in 1848 and the area was better known as Pettavel in the 1860s. The Pettavel Post Office opened on 12 January 1865 and remained open until 1952. The Waurn Ponds Post Office opened on 1 December 1871 and closed in 1968.
A quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
for limestone was opened in the 1840s, with quarrying continuing from 1964 to today at the nearby Blue Circle Southern
Blue Circle Industries
Blue Circle Industries was a British public company manufacturing cement. It was founded in 1900, and was bought out by the French company Lafarge in 2001.-History:...
cement works. Kilns for making mortar lime operated until the 1970s.
Waurn Ponds started to become part of the outer suburbs of Geelong from the 1970s, with the opening of the Deakin University campus and the Waurn Ponds Hotel on the highway. Major development did not begin until the early 1990s, based around Ghazeepore Road. The intervening years have seen housing developments spread across the hillside towards Grovedale
Grovedale, Victoria
Grovedale is a mainly residential southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia.The suburb is bounded by the Waurn Ponds Creek, Rossack Drive, Boundary Road and Barwarre Road.-Toponomy:...
.
Geography
Waurn Ponds is home to the quite small Waurn Ponds Creek. It starts around the Mount Moriac region and eventually flows into the Barwon RiverBarwon River (Victoria)
The Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges of Victoria, Australia, runs through Winchelsea and the city of Geelong, where it is joined by the Moorabool River, and enters the sea at Barwon Heads after passing through Lake Connewarre on the Bellarine Peninsula...
near Belmont Common
Belmont, Victoria
Belmont is a southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The name means "beautiful hill". Belmont is geographically separated from the Geelong central business district by the Barwon River. The suburb is primarily residential, with some light industry along Barwon Heads Road...
.
As of 2007, it is low on water and is no more than 1 meter deep in most sections. It has a large weed problem which makes the creek look uninhabitable. The creek is home to species of fish (many introduced) including Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, Redfin
European perch
The European perch, Perca fluviatilis, is a predatory species of perch found in Europe and Asia. In some areas it is known as the redfin perch or English perch, and it is often known simply as perch. The species is a popular quarry for anglers and has been widely introduced beyond its native area,...
, Roach
Rutilus
Rutilus is a genus of fishes in the family Cyprinidae, commonly called roaches. Locally, the name "roach" without any further qualifiers is also used for particular species, particularly the Common Roach Rutilus (Latin for "shining, red, golden, auburn") is a genus of fishes in the family...
, Tench
Tench
The tench or doctor fish is a freshwater and brackish water fish of the cyprinid family found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. It is also found in Lake Baikal...
, Australian Grayling
Australian grayling
The Australian grayling is a primarily freshwater fish found in coastal rivers in Tasmania and south-eastern Australia. In past decades it has also been known as the “cucumber mullet” or “cucumber herring,” for its cucumber-like odor.-Description and Diet:The Australian grayling is a streamlined...
and short finned eels. The creek also is a large habitat of native birds including the pacific black duck. Increase in annual rain will bring the creek back to its original status.
Waurn Ponds has a large linear parkland following the creek. The neighbouring suburb of Grovedale has a skate park and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
complex.
Transport
Waurn Ponds is located on the Princes HighwayPrinces Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
that links the suburb the centre of Geelong. It is also the southern endpoint of Geelong Ring Road completed 2009. Anglesea Road heads south through the suburb linking the area to Torquay
Torquay, Victoria
Torquay is a township in Victoria, Australia, which faces Bass Strait, 21 km. south of Geelong and is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road. It is bordered on the west by Spring Creek and its coastal features include Point Danger and Zeally Bay...
and Anglesea
Anglesea, Victoria
Anglesea is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Great Ocean Road in the Surf Coast Shire local government area. At the 2006 census, Anglesea had a population of 2,290....
. Pioneer Road links the region west to Grovedale, the road not being completed eastward across the Waurn Ponds Creek until the mid 1990s.
Public transport to the area is provided by bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es operated by Benders Buslines and McHarrys Buslines, on routes to the Geelong city centre travelling via the university, Belmont
Belmont, Victoria
Belmont is a southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The name means "beautiful hill". Belmont is geographically separated from the Geelong central business district by the Barwon River. The suburb is primarily residential, with some light industry along Barwon Heads Road...
, Highton
Highton, Victoria
Highton is a residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is bordered by the Barrabool Hills and Wandana Heights to the west, the Barwon River to the north and east, the former Kardinia Creek to the south-east, and the Princes Highway and Pigdons Road to the south.-History:Grazier John...
and Grovedale
Grovedale, Victoria
Grovedale is a mainly residential southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia.The suburb is bounded by the Waurn Ponds Creek, Rossack Drive, Boundary Road and Barwarre Road.-Toponomy:...
.
The 2003–04 Victorian State Budget saw funding made available for an extension of rail services on the line between Melbourne and Geelong southwards to Grovedale. A number of options were examined, among them a new railway station at Waurn Ponds. Marshall station
Marshall railway station, Victoria
Marshall railway station is located in Marshall, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The station opened on 26 April 2005. The station is the terminus of V/Line Geelong line services.-Platforms and services:Platform 1:...
was opened in 2005 in nearby Marshall on the site of a closed station.
University
The Deakin UniversityDeakin University
Deakin University is an Australian public university with nearly 40,000 higher education students in 2010. It receives more than A$600 million in operating revenue annually, and controls more than A$1.3 billion in assets. It received more than A$35 million in research income in 2009 and had 835...
campus at Waurn Ponds had the beginnings in the Gordon Institute of TAFE
Gordon Institute of TAFE
The Gordon Institute of TAFE is the TAFE institute servicing Geelong since 1888. It has 26,000 students studying on-campus, off-campus and in business or industry ....
, who purchased land there in 1969. A building for the Applied Sciences was first built, followed by a library and student lodgings in 1975. In 1976 the Gordon Institute was divided into two parts, with academic courses becoming part of the newly formed Deakin University based at the Waurn Ponds campus.
Deakin enrolled its first students at its Waurn Ponds campus in 1977. Today the university is located on a 365 hectare site, has over 1,000 staff and over 4000 on-campus students.
Deakin offers many social groups for students to join, The main Association is DUSA, followed closely by the Deakin Students' Commerce Society Deakin University Student Association#Deakin Commerce Students' Society
Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre
The Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre was opened in adjacent GrovedaleGrovedale, Victoria
Grovedale is a mainly residential southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia.The suburb is bounded by the Waurn Ponds Creek, Rossack Drive, Boundary Road and Barwarre Road.-Toponomy:...
in the around 1985 on the corner of the Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
and Pioneer Road. Opened as the 'Town and Country' shopping centre, the initial tenants included Woolworths supermarket which remain today, a Franklins
Franklins
Franklins is a discount supermarket chain selling packaged groceries and perishables throughout New South Wales, Australia. It owns the No Frills brand of generic products, promoted by their mascot, "Red Sock". It is known as "Australia's Original Discount Grocer"...
supermarket and a Mitre 10
Mitre 10
Mitre 10 is the trading name of retail and trade hardware store chains, over 700 locations throughout of Australia. Operations are based on a co-operative system where the store owners are members of the national group and each has voting rights...
hardware store on the current Coles supermarket site, a now demolished plant nursery, and a number of smaller independent stores. The stores were arranged around a central open air carpark. The first major changes was the closure of the hardware store, followed by the expansion of Franklins into the empty space.
The late 1990s saw the first refurbishment, and saw the expansion of the centre to the east with the opening of a Target
Target (Australia)
Target Australia Pty Ltd is an Australian department store chain owned by Wesfarmers . It operates 172 Target stores and 119 Target Country stores making 291 combined stores with its head office located in North Geelong, Victoria. It sells clothing, cosmetics, toys, homewares, electrical and...
department store. A number of smaller stores were also built linking it to the rest of the complex. They were later followed by the 8 screen Readings
Reading Entertainment
Reading Entertainment is a movie theater company which is part of Reading International, Inc., successor to the Reading Company, whose railroad properties were conveyed to government-owned Conrail in 1976. Most of its operations are in Australia, New Zealand, and United States under the Reading...
cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
complex. The early 2000s also saw the closure of the Franklins supermarket and the opening of a Coles
Coles Supermarkets
Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741...
supermarket in its place.
A third expansion has just been completed, costing $35 million. The Target department store has been expanded, 36 new speciality shops opened, and vehicle and pedestrian access improved. Floorspace at the centre increased by one-third to 21,000sqm. Another Expansion has been announced, this to include a Coles Supermarket, K-Mart, Officeworks an unnamed Liquor Store, a rumoured Hungry Jacks and retail space extended to 35,000sqm.
Geelong Homemaker Centre
The Geelong Homemaker Centre opened in mid 2005 and is located on the Princes Highway. It is the home of Bunnings WarehouseBunnings Warehouse
Bunnings Warehouse is Australia's largest hardware chain with stores in Australia and New Zealand. The chain is owned by Wesfarmers Limited.-History:-Pre 1900s:...
and Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
stores, as well as a number of smaller stores including Supercheap Auto
Supercheap Auto
Supercheap Auto is an Australian-based automotive retailer. Over the past 15 years, Supercheap Auto has experienced more than 25% compound annual revenue growth. The managing director is Peter Birtles.- History :...
, Beacon Lighting, Snooze and Ray's Outdoors.