Corio Bay

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Corio Bay
Corio bay 1927.jpg
Corio Bay, overlooking Geelong West, Drumcondra and North Geelong in 1927.
Australia Victoria relief location map.jpg
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Corio Bay
Location in Victoria
Greater Geelong.png
Landsat 7 imagery of the greater Geelong area, showing Corio Bay.
Location Port Phillip, Victoria
Coordinates 38°06′26″S144°21′38″E / 38.10722°S 144.36056°E / -38.10722; 144.36056 [1]
Type Bay
Primary outflows Port Phillip
Frozennever
Settlements Geelong; Corio
Official nameShoalwater and Corio Bays
Designated1 March 1996
Reference no.792 [2]

Corio Bay is one of numerous internal bays in the southwest corner of Australia's Port Phillip, and is the bay on which abuts the City of Geelong. The nearby suburb of Corio takes its name from Corio Bay.

Contents

Etymology

When Hamilton Hume and William Hovell arrived at the bay in 1824 they met with the local Wautharong people who referred to the bay as "Jillong" and the surround land "Corayo", but by the time the area was surveyed in the late 1830s the Aboriginal names had been swapped. [3] The names "Corayo" and "Jillong" had since been Anglicised to "Corio" and "Geelong".

Shipping

The Port of Geelong is located on the shores of Corio Bay, and is the sixth largest port in Australia by tonnage. [4]

Before the initial settlement of Geelong, a sandbar across the bay from Point Lillias to Point Henry prevented ships from entering the inner harbour. Ships were required to drop anchor in the bay, and cargo was brought into Geelong on small barges. At times it was possible to walk across the bay on the sandbar at low tide. [5]

The first channel through the sandbar was started in 1853, providing less than 4 metres draught for ships. This channel was straightened out and dredged at a depth of 6 metres in the 1860s. In 1881 a new channel started that took 12 years to complete. It was named the Hopetoun Channel after Lord Hopetoun who opened it on December 20, 1893. [6]

Management of the channels and port was the responsibility of the Geelong Harbour Trust that was formed in December 1905. In 1981, the Port of Geelong Authority took over from the trust. The authority was privatised by the State Government in mid 1996, being sold to TNT Logistics for $49.6 million. [7] It was later re-branded as 'GeelongPort'.

Leisure

The shores of Corio Bay have been a popular playground for Geelong residents. Since the 1930s Eastern Beach has been a popular swimming location. Boating is also popular, with a number of public boat ramps and piers provided. The bay is also the home of the Royal Geelong Yacht Club that was established in 1859, and the adjacent Bay City Marina that was constructed in the 1980s. Sometimes, whales and dolphins can be seen in the bay.

Commercial fishing

Commercial net fishing in Corio Bay ended in 2018 after campaigning by recreational fishing groups. [8] [9]

Contamination

Industrial activity around Corio bay has resulted in pollution to the bay:

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Corio Quay (VIC)". Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
  2. "Shoalwater and Corio Bays". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. "Origins of present electoral division names". Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  4. "City of Greater Geelong - Sea". Archived from the original on 22 March 2009.
  5. "The History of the Bellarine Peninsula" . Retrieved 2 August 2007.
  6. Begg, Peter (1990). Geelong - The First 150 Years. Globe Press. ISBN   0-9592863-5-7.
  7. "DoI - THE REVIEW OF PORT REFORM IN VICTORIA" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  8. Fowles, Shane (1 April 2018). "Time up for commercial net fishing in Corio Bay". Geelong Advertiser. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  9. Dundas, Greg (16 November 2014). "Anglers celebrate netting ban". Geelong Advertiser. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  10. 1 2 Harris, Graham (June 1996). PORT PHILLIP BAY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY FINAL REPORT. CSIRO. p. 13.
  11. "Shell fined over Geelong refinery spill". Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. 2 August 2002.
  12. "Shell faces fresh charges on oil spill risk". The Age. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  13. Begg, Peter (8 April 2015). "Criminal probe into Viva Energy after operator of former Shell refinery leaks 10,000 litres into Corio Bay". Geelong Advertiser. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  14. "EPA fines Incitec Pivot for fourth time in 12 months". www.epa.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  15. "EPA fines Corio fertiliser company over $15000 for illegal discharges". www.epa.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  16. "EPA sanctions Midway Limited for third time in 12 months". www.epa.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.