The
Fyansford Cement Works
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Aerial View of Cement Works. G & D Stawicki, 1981
(Geelong Heritage Centre)
Interested in The Cementies?
Visit: The Evert van Dreven Collection
A wonderful still-growing catalogue of The Cementies
from the early-1900s to the mid-1930s.
The Cement Works
Interesting sites
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Rail Geelong ~ The Cement Works
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Rail Geelong ~ APC Narrow Gauge Railway Line
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Abandoned Cement Works ~ By Marcus Wong
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Cement Works Gallery ~ History of rail in Geelong & District
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Cement works at Fyansford, Geelong ~ Newspaper article (1912)
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Utility Tunnel ~ Australian Portland Cement Works (Victorian Heritage Register)
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Fyansford cement works estate gets nod ~ Geelong Indy
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Children dicing with death in disused silos ~ Geelong Indy
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Brownfield Site to New Urbanism ~ new community – “Fyansford Green”
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Fyansford Quarry ~ Master Plan
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Former CSR Quarry and Surrounding Land ~ Fyansford
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The steam shovels of the Geelong Cement works
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The Fyansford Cement Line by John McNeill
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Fyansford Facebook Collection See: Andreas Makarewitsch
K
ey Dates
A relic from far more hectic times...
Photo taken in 2016
1888 Limestone first discovered at Batesford by Richard Taylor
Shale (key ingredient of cement) found at Fyansford
1890 Cement production began at Fyansford (Led by Peter McCann and a number of local and Melbourne builders)
1902 Transport difficulties forced company into liquidation
1905 Plant reopened by some of the former directors
1911 An expansion program started with introduction of a new rotary kiln
Chas Ruwolt Pty Ltd, Glass Negative - Victoria, 1928
1912 Original limestone quarry located in a hillside at Batesford 5.6 km away from the Works.
J. Lockwood Ca. 1912-20
Official opening of Australian Portland Cement Company's extensive works at Fyansford, with an aerial rope-way to the Batesford quarries (12 July).
Original plant located at foot of Fyansford Hill between Deviation Road and Hyland Street
J. Lockwood Ca. 1912-20
1915 Further expansion took capacity to 40,000 tonnes per year
1918 Railway line extending from North Geelong railway station to top of the hill above Fyansford
1920s Work commenced on new quarry, with overburden removed from a large area to permit a 37m working floor, with a working face of 30m of limestone and 6m of overburden. The floor was 21m below sea level, resulting in the need for a pump system, as well as a system of drainage tunnels to collect seepage from the nearby riverbed.
In 40-year life of quarry it was only completely flooded once, taking it out of action for four weeks.
1926 Ropeway replaced by a private narrow-guage 3"6' Fyansford Cement Works Railway
Working of quarry had became difficult. Limestone deposit was located on a hillside which tilting down to south,
resulting in ratio of overburden to limestone increasing. Boreholes were sunk downstream on McCann family owned property of Dryden, where a massive deposit of limestone was found
Plant expanded across Hyland Street
Charles Daniel Pratt
Charles Daniel Pratt
Remains of the conveyor belt crossing the Moorabool River with the cement works in the background
1931 Current open cut quarry commenced production, with equipment at old quarry transferred to the new one, sold, or demolished. It was located 61m below ground level and 24m below Moorabool River
1960s Plant expanded again taking capacity to 900,000 tonnes per year
1965 Quarry covered 50 acres
1966 Railway replaced by an overhead conveyor belt,
which remained in used until closure of the works.
1996 Fyansford Cement Works dominate the skyline with chimney and smoke (Joyce Evans)
2001 The cement works shut in June
2004 The chimneys felled (June 6)
Majority of cement works demolished soon after closure
2006 Some cement silos, sheds, rail lines and assorted rubbish still sits
behind a security fence atop the Hyland street hill.
2018 The quarry is currently still in use.
Posted on Geelong in Historical Pictures April 4, 2019,
by Jen Maynard
