“Geelong has its tail up. The city rejoices. Everyone is happy because more progress and prosperity have been visited suddenly upon the city by the advent of the Ford Organisation. There is, however, a tendency to over-estimate the value of this new achievement. This is forgivable, for Geelong slept for a long time.” 1
On October 7th, 2016, the last engine rolled off the assembly line, thus ending the 91-year long manufacturing history between the Ford Motor Company and the city. The identity of the city of Geelong has been linked to the local Ford Factory since it began operation in 1925. The advent of Ford Australia allowed the city to enjoy the same type of wealth and prosperity as other motor cities across the globe like Detroit, Nagoya, and Birmingham. The city became so synonymous with the company that it would colloquially become known as Fordtown.
Fordtown is an expanded documentary project that explores the impact that the closure of the Ford Motor Company's manufacturing facilities has had on the city of Geelong. Cities will inevitably move forward from 'blue-collar' industries such as manufacturing, and transition into a post-industrial society, focusing on the production of knowledge, rather than the production of goods. This transition comes with many benefits for the environment and local working conditions. This project questions the human cost of this progress and documents the impact the loss of Ford has had on the city of Geelong through the stories of individual workers.
1. 1925 'GEELONG'S NEW PLACE ON THE MAP', The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. 1861 - 1954), 2 April, p. 9.
