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salted mutton, tallow and sheepskins, now exceeded Melbourne's in value by £100,000.
Proudly, the town's worthies hailed Geelong as The Commercial Capital' of Victoria. But it
would never become, as Captain Foster Fyans hoped, 'a place of vast importance' and 'as
beautiful a city as is in the world.'
The bar to this happening was exactly that - a sand-bar.
It stretched for three kilometres across the entrance to Corio Bay. There were two channels
through it, marked by buoys. But the deepest, at high tide, was only 13 feet, and large vessels
like clippers and wool ships were prevented from reaching town. They anchored at Point
Henry, at the southern end of the sand-bar. By the time a deeper channel was cut, in 1861, it
was too late. The railways had arrived, and Melbourne's ascendancy was well assured, with a
population more than five times that of Geelong.
Captain Fyans, writing a few years later, in 1854, had some interesting things to say about how
this ascendancy occurred, to the detriment of Geefong.
He said: 'We have four small steamboats between this and Melbourne daily, making fortunes for
their owners; large vessels lie at Point Henry, four miles across the bay; but small vessels, under
300 tons, come to the jetty and discharge. The chief trade of the town until the times changed so
much on account of the gold mania was wool, tallow, and hides. Wool was a considerable item
in the shipments. From 25,000 to 30,000 bales were embarked yearly at Point Henry, in large
ships from 700 to 2,000 tons. But the trade of this place compared with Melbourne is a mere
nothing; our merchants are few, but good honest sterling men; but, suffering as they do, great
discontent prevails. Our ships and our letters generally go first to Melbourne; the only obstacle
to our shipping is the bar. For years and years application has been made by the inhabitants to
the government for assistance in clearing it away. Not one shilling has been expended,
excepting by the inhabitants, who have paid surveyors'
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expenses time after time. Their work hangs in an office, and the bar remains untouched, and is
very iikeiy to remain so for long and many a day. If this bar was removed, and shipping came up
to the town, Geelong must become a place of vast importance. It has a fine harbour, and great
advantages over Melbourne. That most excellent Governor-General Sir R Bourke, made a
choice, and placed Melbourne where it stands. He also visited Geelong. He was delighted with
the place and country; he remained fourteen days, and having confirmed the site of Melbourne, I
suppose he did not wish to alter it. This is to be lamented, for if Melbourne had been placed
where Geelong stands, it would become as beautiful a city as is in the world. The locality is
pleasing, cheerful, beautiful, and healthful, with a fine rising situation; the scenery grand and
magnificent. Melbourne does not possess one of these advantages, lying low, with bad
approaches on every side, Geelong increases but slowly. A few years ago the census gave a
population of seven thousand, but at the present time there must be a population of twenty-five
thousand, which daily increases from all parts of the world.'
It was increased by five on 3 September 1853, when Richard Honeycombs, his wife Elizabeth,
and their first three children disembarked from the Banker's Daughter near Geeiong.
Their ship was twice as big as the Sea Queen, weighed over 1,000 tons and carried 380
emigrants, mainly single women: there were 149 of them between the ages of 14 and 45. She
had sailed from Liverpool on 19 May 1853 and the voyage took 107 days. The Honeycombes
travelled steerage, in circumstances that may be imagined. Many of those who suffered with
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