FORMER CUSTOMS HOUSE SITE #2
BROUGHAM STREET GEELONG, GREATER GEELONG CITY
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Statement of Significance
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FORMER CUSTOMS HOUSE SITE #2 - History
The first Customs House (#1) was built in 1838 (Henry, 1944:8), and was later shared by the first telegraph office was established in 1854 (Brownhill, 1990: 582). Its location as a telegraph office is shown in G80. The 10 x 10 ft building was located on the Eastern Beach foreshore, and was a portable structure that was moved between the land and piers as required. It only functioned as the telegraph headquarters for a short time, until the new Telegraph Office (#2) was built at the corner of Bellarine and McKillop St in 1854. The former building is shown in 1854 located south of Customs House #2 (G80) in Transvaal Square. In 1889, the dilapidated building was removed from its storage in the Gaol enclosure into Eastern Park (Botanic Gardens) where it still stands (Brownhill, 1990: 582).
Customs House (#2) was built in 1845 on the site of the current Transvaal Square Park, and is shown as a Customs reserve in1848 (G16). By 1854, the entire area north of Corio Terrace and bounded by Moorabool St, the area directly south of Eastern Jetty, and the foreshore was shown as a reserve, with Customs reserves at each extremity (G80). A new Customs House (#3) was built in 1856 on the corner of Corio Terrace and Moorabool S, and by 1858, the western area of what is now known as Transvaal Square was shown as Storage Lots (G134), and the Customs Reserve was then shown on Corio Terrace south of the area between Moorabool Jetty and Steampacket Jetty (G134).
The former Customs House #1 (which was then operating as the Telegraph Station #1, is shown in 1854 located directly south of the second customs house until the telegraph Station was relocated to the SE corner of McKillop and Bellarine St, Telegraph Station #2(G80).
The former Transvaal Square customs building and site was later used as the Harbour Master's Office (#1) from at least 1880 - 1893 (PRO RFCL 1640: 1880; Downes, 1893), before the office was relocated in the 1920s (F81) to the SW corner of Eastern Beach Road and Bellarine St (Harbour Masters Office #2). The buildings were demolished early in the twentieth century (Henry, 1944:8).
A small pumping station house built in 1916 by the Geelong Harbour and Sewerage Trust also stands on the northern central edge of the Park on Eastern Beach Road.
FORMER CUSTOMS HOUSE SITE #2 - Interpretation of Site
The site is now covered by grassland of the Transvall Square Reserve, and there is a high probability of archaeological structural remains and artefacts under the grass.
FORMER CUSTOMS HOUSE SITE #2 - Historical Significance
It is significant as the site of the earliest Harbour Masters Office, first and second Customs Office and probably first Telegraph Station. Essential components of the Geelong Harbour development.
Heritage Study and Grading
Heritage Victoria - Maritime Infrastructure Assessment Project
Author: Heritage Victoria
Year: 2005
Grading:
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FORMER GEELONG WOOL EXCHANGEVictorian Heritage Register H0622
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FORMER SCOTTISH CHIEFS HOTELVictorian Heritage Register H0662
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CORIO VILLAVictorian Heritage Register H0193
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