

Rise of the Wool Industry
in Geelong
01
CHAPTER
The City of Geelong, middle of the 19th century. Courtesy of the State Library Victoria
The rise of wool industry and the development of the port town of Geelong could be dated back as early as 1836, when the first lot of sheeps were offloaded in Point Henry along the Corio bay.The first European settlers to the area arrived in mid 1830s, with both John Cowie and David Stread arriving from Tasmania to farm sheep in 1836...
Architecture of the First Wool Stores
in Geelong

One of the first wool stores in Geelong area, Ararat Wool store built in 1874. Courtesy of the State Library of Victoria: John T. Collins, 1982
Since wool became booming industry for Geelong, the space for wool store became premium and hence in the next decade, an ad hoc collection of wool stores and warehouses assembled on and near the Geelong waterfront...
02
CHAPTER
The Rise of
C.J. Dennys and E.H. Lascelles Wool Business
03
CHAPTER
Edward Harewood Lascelles

Charles Dennys
Courtesy of the Victorian Collection
In 1858, an aspiring wool broker and local merchant Charles John Dennys (1817-1898) planned to establish a local wool mart. In 1864, Dennys took into partnership his nephew Martin Lascelles Dennys and four years later another nephew, Edward Harewood Lascelles (1847-1917). When M.L. Dennys retired in 1875, the firm took the title of Dennys, Lascelles and Co. C.J. Dennys and Co...
The First Wool Store