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National Wool Museum & Ford Discovery Centre
Located close to the refurbished waterfront are two of Geelong’s premier tourist attractions. Both are modern museums, unique within Australia. Each museum showcases a particular industry that has been central to Geelong’s economy and also has been of incalculable national significance.
It was a truism for much of Australia’s history that the nation ‘rode on the sheep’s back’. At the National Wool Museum you can learn about the processes involved in turning a sheep’s fleece into different kinds of useful fabric, as well as the history of the land and Australia’s social and cultural development. Highlights include the walk-through display of a shearer’s living quarters and an explanation of the meaning of Banjo Patterson’s ‘Waltzing Matilda’.
For car enthusiasts, the Ford Discovery Centre’s numerous restored vintage cars and futuristic prototypes will be of obvious interest. As the Centre’s manager, Mike Trickey, noted, ‘It has cars that will bring back memories’. But this museum’s appeal is not confined to ‘rev heads’, as it is also a testament to the cultural impact of the car, and various aspects of Australia’s social history are touched on.
YOU CAN VISIT BOTH ATTRACTIONS ON A COMBINED TICKET