A glance at Geelong’s unexpected stories of 2021
When we look back on 2021 in 10 years’ time, we’re going to wonder why the circumstances of weddings in Geelong were so bizarre. But they’re just a few of many quirky instances we’ve seen this year.
Geelong
Don't miss out on the headlines from Geelong. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Geelong can be a strange place at times and there were no better examples than these crazy circumstances, from snap weddings to potplant theft and streets opening up.
Callous crim takes off with cockatoo
A Drysdale hardware store made headlines after its beloved cockatoo Jacko was stolen back in September.
Drysdale Home Timber and Hardware nursery manager Katrina Neocli, who cares for Jacko, said she arrived at the store one Sunday morning to find his cage had been broken into.
The quirky crime ended with some good news, with a woman returning Jacko in a box under mysterious circumstances two days later.
Ms Neocli said 23-year-old Jacko, who broke his beak as a baby, seemed OK and was later checked over by a vet.
Jacko who requires special care to trim his beak and has been at the store for 13 years and is considered a company mascot.
Store manager Ben Garvey said the anonymous woman claimed to have received Jacko from the person who took him.
“He’s been on an adventure, God knows where that’s been,” he said.
Owner of ‘van Gogh’ artwork’s security worry
A local art enthusiast who claimed to have paid $60 at a Geelong market for an original Vincent van Gogh painting revealed he has been forced to move the prized possession amid safety concerns.
The artwork featuring famous Parisian venue Le Moulin de La Galette, which was the subject of a series of 1886 van Gogh paintings, was forced to relocate to a “secure facility”.
The anonymous owner of the artwork originally made national headlines last year after the Geelong Advertiser revealed his seemingly unbelievable story, which is supported by renowned art historian Ian MacKenzie OAM and prompted the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) to twice inspect the work.
Making news again in 2021, he revealed the downside of owning one of the world’s most sought after paintings.
“There were people ringing up trying to find where it was,” he said.
“You get to the point where you can’t trust anyone.”
‘World’s dumbest criminal’
A man was branded the “world’s dumbest criminal” after he was caught on CCTV footage allegedly stealing a dozen horse troughs from Hewitt & Whitty.
The suspect was seen arriving at the agriculture store in North Geelong just before 7pm on October 28, in a distinct white and gold ute.
In a post to social media the company encouraged people to share the video around for a “laugh”.
“The world’s dumbest criminal has robbed team Hewitt & Whitty Geelong,” they said.
After entering the premises, the man can be seen pushing 12 troughs up a ramp used to load farm animals, before throwing them over the fence and into the carpark.
The unusual crime received attention online for the company’s commentary on the CCTV footage.
A man can be heard saying, “a part of me wants to say well done mate and shake his hand”, before pointing out the vehicle used in the crime “could only be the most recognisable ute in Geelong”.
Numerous comments at the time indicated the man is known to the northern suburbs.
Pot-plant thief wreaks havoc
Geelong woman, Isabella Livesley blamed her drug use for her spate of odd crimes including stealing pot plants.
Ms Livesley appeared at the Geelong Magistrates Court in October over a string of incidents that took place between September 2020 and August this year.
Livesley was sentenced to a good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to charges including multiple counts of trespass and theft.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Jeremy Allen told the court Livesley’s offending started on September 28, 2020 when she stole multiple items from Ozmosis clothing store in Leopold.
Her crimes continued in June this year when she stole a pot plant and an Avanti bicycle from a home in Geelong West.
The court heard Livesley had been at a friend’s house earlier in the night when she left after asking the other woman whether she wanted her to steal some pot plants.
Police were called to the victim’s home and retrieved several grocery bags containing pot plants and medication in the name of Livesley’s friend.
‘Sexist’ uniform breach lands Grovedale College students in trouble
Grovedale College students were branded “sexist” over uniform breaches which saw male students wearing school dresses during end-of-year celebrations.
A year 12 student, who declined to be named, said male and female students had participated in a “uniform swap” as a part of a scaled-back muck-up week.
She said traditional celebrations had been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic
The student said when male students arrived in dresses they were told to change their clothes.
“The guys (who wore dresses) were told that if they didn’t get changed then they would be sent home, whereas nothing was mentioned about the girls,” she said.
“They pulled all the guys into the senior school and said they were being sexist by doing this, whereas this was not their intent at all.”
The student said the school’s response led to a “very tense day” for final year students.
“People went from taking photos together and savouring these moments to being scared that those guy would be banned from attending celebration day, or even Graduation Day.”
Geelong couples marry before snap Covid lockdowns
An announcement that Victoria would enter a five day snap-lockdown in February led to a “mega night” of weddings just hours before the restrictions came into play.
Five celebrants from Geelong Celebrant Collective conducted seven weddings on February 12, to beat the midnight lockdown – some within four hours and most having to travel to the venues.
GCC co-director Nicole Penning said she could not imagine how many couples got married under these circumstances.
“Let history remind us that this will unfortunately be known as the most popular date to get married in Victoria in 2021,” she said.
Celebrant Sue Warner also conducted two weddings on the day, which were initially scheduled for the next day, with only a few hours’ notice.
Tess and Alex Everett, who were meant to wed on Valentine’s Day at Barwon Heads also got married after celebrant Anita Jenkins offered to move it forward.
Geelong couples were again forced to wed ahead of schedule following the announcement of the 1pm snap lockdown in August.
Brittany and Brendan Garrick tied the knot one hour before the stay-at-home orders came into effect.
“We didn’t want to go through the stress of setting another date and worrying about when the next lockdown will be,” Ms Garrick said.
Laura and Kelly Williams were also able to beat the deadline after changing their special day in just 20 minutes.
The pair, who had already rescheduled their nuptials three times due to Covid-19, had planned to elope to Mitchellstown.
“We sort of just went into organisation mode, we called Union Street Wine Bar and asked if we could get married there before 1pm, and told our suppliers they needed to be in Geelong,” Laura said.
Sinkhole opens up in Bellerine St
Septembers’s heavy rain left a six-metre-deep sinkhole on part of Bellarine Street causing major traffic concerns.
The City of Greater Geelong confirmed the deep hole, in the asphalt surface of the road, had recently been repaired but was reopened following a period of heavy rain.
Director of city services Guy Wilson-Browne said council was alerted by community members who discovered the hole in a prominent Geelong CBD street.
“Our inspection found that an old brickwork stormwater pit has been impacted at a depth of six metres,” he said.
Repairs required a full road closure at the intersection of Bellarine and Corio streets.
Tributes flow for victim of Portarlington golf incident
Portarlington Golf Club member Rod Gurney tragically lost his life in April, days after being struck in the head by a stray golf ball.
Remembered as a “family man” who loved to play a weekly game of golf, Mr Gurney’s death was one that surprised many after he was initially taken home by ambulance officers.
The club’s chief executive officer, Michael Phillips, said the 69-year-old was eventually transferred to the Alfred Hospital after his condition began deteriorating later that day.
Four days later Mr Gurney sadly lost his life.
More Coverage
Originally published as A glance at Geelong’s unexpected stories of 2021
Join the conversation
Racehorse strapper learns fate over sex act with animal
A man was caught on CCTV performing a sex act with a horse after breaking into a stable. A court has heard the horse’s owner can’t get the footage from her mind.
Read more
Social housing project stalls, future uncertain
The site of a large-scale social housing project in Geelong’s inner-south sits vacant and details have been pulled from the web, but its proponent says construction will commence soon.
Read more