City of Greater Geelong Council has announced its plans to celebrate Ford Australia’s company centenary, which started at Geelong’s Dalgety Wool Store in 1925 before moving to a larger premises at Norlane.
The Council will host two free events at the National Wool Museum on Saturday 24 May and Sunday 25 May (1pm – 3pm) called ‘100 Years of Ford in Geelong: The Cars, The People & The Local Legacy.’
“The community is proud to be part of Australian automotive history,” said Greater Geelong Mayor, Stretch Kontelj OAM.
“The Ford factory in Geelong and then Norlane formed a significant part of our region’s identity and put Geelong on the map as a manufacturing hub with a skilled workforce, something that remains true today.
“Family histories ran deep at Ford, with multiple generations working at the plant and some spending their whole working lives there.
“Loyalty to Ford continues in our region’s mindset and collective history, and we congratulate Ford Australia on its centenary.”
The events will feature a short screening of archival material, followed by an engaging panel discussion. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to view a small collection of archival display items, offering a tangible connection to Ford’s storied past in Geelong.
Australia was one of the first markets Ford established outside North America and Geelong was selected for an assembly plant because of its convenient location to the port and railways, available land and labour force.
The very first Australian-assembled Model T rolled off the Geelong assembly line in 1925, with the plant transforming into a centre of innovation when the first ‘ute’ was designed by Lew Bandt and built in 1934.
Ford Falcons, Fairlanes and Territories are just some of the homegrown models to be produced and the last Australian-made straight-six and V8 engines were manufactured in 2016. Ford even built military vehicles during World War Two, with women stepping up to replace the large male workforce who had left to fight.
While Ford Australia no longer manufactures cars in Norlane, it is the site of their Research and Development Centre and served as a state vaccination hub during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company still retains its 900 hectare You Yangs Proving Ground at Lara.
