Western Beach Boat Yards

The former Western Beach boat yard is now a park. The park design honours the area’s extensive industrial past, showcasing remaining infrastructure and some historic original boats from the area.

Interpretive signage onsite provides further information about the history of the area, including the addition of sea baths in the 1840s.

Attractions

The Gheringhap
Fishing boats such as the Gheringhap, sitting in a cradle at the park, were built by master shipwrights at Western Beach. Yachts, cruisers, naval vessels, cray-boats, shark-boats and more were crafted over many years from the late 1920s as Western Beach became Geelong’s chief maritime focus. The Gheringhap was one of the last of its era. Higgs Brothers, Charlie Blunt’s Boatbuilders and Barrow’s Boatyard operated from this site. The Gheringhap was built on this site by Noel Higgs in 1972. It was built as a work boat. Sunk in the bay in 2018 it has been salvaged and renovated.

Double ended fishing boat and crab winch
The 103-year-old double-ended fishing boat, is positioned on the old slipway to show how it would have been launched. Double ended fishing boats were just some of the many marine craft maintained and repaired at Western Beach. The one at this park was one of the original commercial fishing boats to operate from the Geelong waterfront. Vessels were hauled from the water by crab winch and then shunted sideways on a traverse to be serviced by various operators over the years, including Geelong Nautical Centre, Lew Marine and Ausport Marine.

Outdoor Gym

Informal gym for those who enjoy exercising along the beautiful foreshore.