Port of Geelong

has been refurbished for tourists. Before the initial settlement of Geelong, a sandbar across the bay from Point Lillias to Point Henry only allowed small ships to enter the inner harbour. Larger ships were required to drop anchor in the bay, and their cargo was brought into Geelong on lighters. At times it was possible to walk across the bay on the sandbar at low tide. By the early twentieth century shipping traffic had increased and the existing piers in the city area were proving inadequate. As a result, new port facilities were progressively provided in the North Geelong area. ==Management==

Management of the channels and port of Geelong was the responsibility of the Geelong Harbor Trust that was formed in December 1905. In addition, the Authority was responsible for the associated ports at Queenscliff, Barwon Heads, Lorne and Apollo Bay. In 1981, the trust was reconstituted as the Port of Geelong Authority as an attempt to follow modern practice with the naming of organisations responsible for ports operation throughout the world. ==Facilities==

Major piers in the Port of Geelong include: • Cunningham Pier: opened as the Railway Pier in the mid-1850s, Demolished in the 1950s. • Yarra Street Pier. Destroyed by fire in 1988 and mostly removed, but has been the subject of a number of rebuilding proposals since. By the early 1900s, shipping traffic has increased and the existing piers in the city area were inadequate. As a result, new port developments were started in the North Geelong area. • Corio Quay. Construction started in the 1900s, and the wharfs are still in use today for woodchip and bulk cargoes. == Cruise ship visits ==

In addition to visits by the Spirit of Tasmania, Geelong also serves as a stop for cruise visits. ==See also==