Making a G- change

People across Australia will be able to discover what makes Geelong greater as part of a new unified place brand to attract migrants, businesses, students, and tourists to the region.

The new brand, ‘Greater Geelong, Greater Australian Stories,’ launched on Friday June 2 and is backed by 16 leading local organisations, known collectively as the Vision Partner Group.

The group provides leadership in the implementation of the community-led 30-year vision for the Greater Geelong region to be internationally recognised as clever and creative.

Visual and digital assets form the backbone of the new brand, harnessing the unique qualities of our region to create a lasting, recognisable image and narrative in the hearts and minds of its global audiences.

Another key element to drive awareness of the brand are the greater Australian stories of people making the ‘G-change’ and choosing Greater Geelong as a destination to live, work, invest, study and visit.

Stories include TV chef Simon Toohey, who has recently relocated to Newcomb with his partner, and Aayushree Kharel, a Nepalese student who has completed a Masters in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics and is a current PhD candidate at Deakin University.

“This was the greatest thing we could have done. The Geelong people accepted us with open arms and then some. We have met some of the most amazing people,” Mr Toohey said.

“It is my course that brought me to Geelong, and I must say, that is one of the best decisions because I have fallen in love with this place,” Ms Kharel said.

The brand also raises awareness of the traditional Aboriginal name for Geelong, Djilang, which means a ‘tongue of land’ in Wadawurrung language, into its identity, acknowledging the Wadawurrung people as the Traditional Owners of this land who have cared for country for thousands of years.