LIMEBURNERS POINT HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT

LIMEBURNERS ROAD AND GARDEN STREET EAST GEELONG, GREATER GEELONG CITY

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

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  • History

    LIMEBURNERS POINT HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT - History

    Eastern Beach Limeburning

    Limeburning in Geelong began on the Western side of Lime Burners Point as early as1838, when James Boucher and Patrick Melville established quarries and kilns (Harrington, 2000: 34). The first exports of lime were sent to Launceston in 1841, as it was cheaper to transport it there than to Melbourne. The formative years of lime burning in this area were characterised by ad hoc ventures, before it became an organised industry. The Eastern Beach area was a focus for the industry. One of the earliest formulated attempts to quarry the stone was undertaken by Boucher and Taylor in 1848. They were taken over by Messr Taylor in 1852, and passed again soon after to George Cakebread (by 1858 - G134), who played a major role in its formulation.

    Limeburners Point West Limeburners

    Criticism was often levelled at the damage done to the beach slopes by quarrying and drays transporting timber. Most of the early lime was carted around the back of the Botanic Gardens to the Portarlington Road. Lime burning was originally undertaken close to the deposits themselves, but the limeburners were later required to conduct their activities closer to the eastern foreshore on the beach after public concern was raised for the tourism and recreational facilities at Eastern Beach. Four kilns were operating by 1866, and the fires burned continuously to keep up with the ever increasing need for lime in the colonies.

    By 1873, when demand for lime peaked, a temporary extension of quarrying area was proposed that encroached on the Botanic Gardens Grounds, but the lease was encouraged by the Minister. An area from the Beach Battery to near the Powder Magazine was proposed, and the allotments were leased by the Victorian Lime and Cement Company (who were represented by Blair and Campbell) in 1875 for seven years, which also operated the other quarries at Limeburners Point (Cakebread, Dyer and Co.). To reach the stone, the land face was cut away for 100 yards for several feet deep. The venture did not prove overly profitable, as it had to be undertaken close to the scrutiny of a popular beach front and the limestone was being slowly exhausted. By the 1880s, only one kiln was operating, and the weekly returns had been reduced tenfold (Brownhill, 1990: 403 -406; Harrington, 2000:34).

    Limeburners Point was originally known as Galena Point, with the original name Limeburners Point being allocated to the entrance of what is now known as Limeburners Bay (in the 1950s called Limeburners Creek, entrance to the Duck Ponds) (Brownhill, 1990:406).

    Limeburning was undertaken at the Duck Ponds, which in 1875 was producing superior quality lime to that at Limeburners Point. Test showed that the Duck Ponds lime retained its supportive qualities in wet conditions, whereas the Point lime fell apart. The Duck Ponds were run by the Melbourne Builders Lime and Cement Company (Brownhill, 1990: 402, 403). The Duck Ponds are labelled in Henry's 1864 chart of Geelong near the current location of the Geelong Grammar School foreshore.

    Heritage Inventory Description

    LIMEBURNERS POINT HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRECINCT - Heritage Inventory Description

    The site contains the remains of 5 limekilns built on the side of a cliff and adjacent to the sea. They seem to have been constructed c. 1870s although historical records indicate that the site was used for limeburning since at least 1845. Site inspected July 1995. Heritage Inventory Significance: The site has significance due to the substantial remains of limekilns and the importance of the lime industry to Melbourne and Geelong's history. Kiln 5 is of unusual and possibly unique design.Heritage Inventory Site Features: From the 1995 site inspection.Kiln 1 - both wing walls eroded. The bricwork on the left hand side has lost its mortar and is bowing inwards, large cracks. Vaulting completely covered by fill.Kiln 2 - left hand wall collapsed, and a further earth slide has occurred.Right wall is unstable with most of the mortar gone fom both brick and basalt blocks.Kiln 3 - only remnant bluestone blocks, walling on edge of top track. Earthenware and bottle fragments. Artefacts also in the earth fill of slope below this wall.Kiln 4 - substantially intact, although there is problems with mortar loss (water erosion). A number of bricks have been removed from the vaulting roof.Kiln 5 - vault has collapsed immediately in front of draw hole, the left wing wall bowed, cracking at the top of the front retaining walls. The road has been edged with blocks by local "caretaker".
• Attachments
  • HV HI Site Card H7721-0003
    
  • D7721-0402 Limeburners Point Powder Magazine delisted and incorporated into H7721-0003
    
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