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Book Review - Sand, Fireworks & Boxthorn
The History of Breakwater and Area by William (Bill) Smith.
Bill, a noted member of the Geelong Historical Society, has spent twenty years researching the history of this important industrial suburb of Geelong, based on personal family knowledge, interviewing long time residents, along with the addition of photographs, maps and his own detailed sketches.
The area dates back to the building of the Breakwater in 1839-40 by convict labour, in order to hold back the tidal salt water coming up the Barwon River, and to serve as a bridge. The place selected had been a natural ford that served as a crossing for local Aboriginal people.
Soon all noxious industries such as fellmongeries, tanneries, glue factories, hair processing and wool scouring were banished to below the Breakwater. The industries flourished and soon the township of Breakwater sprang up. The title of the book refers to the sand denoting the type of soil, the fireworks are the many disputes and arguments that arose among the inhabitants, and the boxthorn that was prevalent throughout the area.
Families such as Brearley, Smith, Hardiman, Fowler, Munday, Gooley and Turner, just to mention a few, all feature in the establishment of the industries along the Barwon, either as owners or labourers. There are detailed histories of each tannery along with snippets of daily life in the township, with the establishment of schools, churches, a police station, sporting events, Post Office, hotels and Chinese market gardens.
You can search the index to this book online. Over 250 books have been indexed through the Geelong and District Book Indexing Project.
This book is available for purchase at the Geelong Heritage Centre.
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Documentation
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