From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fyansford Geelong, Victoria
Fyansford Hotel
Population:	171 (2006)[1]
Postcode:	3221
Property Value:	AUD $319,000 (2006)
LGA:	City of Greater Geelong
Suburbs around Fyansford: Manifold Heights Fyansford Newtown Ceres Highton

Fyansford is a township on the western edge of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, named after Captain Foster Fyans who came to Geelong as a Police magistrate in October, 1837. It is located at the junction of the Barwon and Moorabool rivers.

Fyansford is one of the earliest places of settlement in the Geelong region. Fyans established his police camp nearby where the Mooabool River could be forded - giving the name 'Fyan's Ford'.^[2]

The area was once a centre for Geelong industry. In 1845 the first flour mill was errected by William Henry Collins on the banks of the Barwon.^[3] The Barwon Paper Mill opened at nearby Buckley's Falls in 1876.^[2] In 1895 mill became part of the Australian Paper Mills company, the predecessor of Amcor Limited.

Cement production began at Fyansford in 1890 led by Peter McCann, but it was not until 1911 that a modern rotary kiln was installed. The original Australian Portland Cement company plant was located at the foot of the Fyansford hill between Deviation Road and Hyland Street. In 1918 a railway line was extened from the North Geelong railway station to the top of the hill above Fyansford, and in 1926 the plant expanded across Hyland Street, which became the main production site in later years.^[4] The cement works were later acquired by Adelaide Brighton Cement, and were closed in 2001.^[5]

The Hamilton Highway runs though the town. The first river crossing at Fyansford a ford, the first wooden bridge was built downriver from the ford by the Corio and Bannockburn shire councils in 1854, and was tolled until 1877. It was in poor condition by 1898, with load restrictions being put into place. A new bridge was built nearby in 1900 by John Monash and J.T.N. Anderson, the three arch bridge being the largest Monier reinforced concrete bridge in world at the time.^[6] In 1970 a new bridge was built on the site of the old wooden bridge to cater for heavier traffic on the Hamilton Highway, the 1900 bridge retained for pedestrians.

High Street (now Hyland Street) was one of the first sealed roads in the area in 1933, the road being relaid in concrete in 1937.^[6] Deviation Road was built between 1931-32 with unemployment labour during the Great Depression and opened in 1933. Cut into the hillside, the surface was originally of concrete construction. The road opened 54 years after the first petition by Fyansford residents for such a road.^[6]

• 1861 - 227
• 1901 - 134
• 1933 - 189
• 1961 - 238

Fyansford, 1908	Fyansford State School, built during the 1880's	Fyansford Bridge	Upstream from Buckley's Falls on the Barwon River
1900 Monier arch bridge over the Moorabool River	Bridge over the Moorabool	Plaque marking opening of the 1900 bridge	Plaque detailing the history of the township, placed in 1988 for the Australian Bicentenary
Remains of the Fyansford cement works	Remains of the Fyansford cement works	Geelong Bypass crossing of the Moorabool River under construction

• Rail Geelong: Fyansford Cement Works and railway line

v • d • e Suburbs and localities of Geelong
Bell Park • Bell Post Hill • Belmont • Breakwater • Chillwel • Corio • Drumcondra • East Geelong • Fyansford • Geelong City • Geelong West • Grovedale • Hamlyn Heights • Herne Hill • Highton • Lovely Banks • Manifold Heights • Marshall • Moolap • Newcomb • Newtown • Norlane • Geelong North • North Shore • Rippleside • Rosewall • South Geelong • Thompson • Wandana Heights • Waurn Ponds • Whittington
Anakie • Avalon • Barwon Heads • Batesford • Bellarine • Breamlea • Ceres • Clifton Springs • Connewarre • Curlewis • Drysdale • Indented Head • Lara • Leopold • Little River • Mannerim • Marcus Hill • Moorabool • Mount Duneed • Ocean Grove • Portarlington • St Leonards • Wallington

Coordinates: 38°08′S, 144°19′E