1909

In 1909, the Geelong Gallery hosted a roller skating carnival on the showroom floor of Dalgety’s and Co. Wool Warehouse (now Deakin University) to raise funds for the construction of a permanent site.

The carnival saw great attendance, with roughly 1,500 guests, 300 of whom were skating. It was requested that skaters wear fancy costumes, and many did, much to the delight of onlookers. Costumes included stockmen, troubadours, cavalrymen, clowns, and even life-size Havelock cigarettes packets. 

There are no known images from this event, but the Geelong Heritage Centre have sourced an image of some costumed skaters at the old Geelong Skating Rink.