Nichterlein's quarry (sometime before 1970) Lower Paper Mills Road, Fyansford

Peter McCann (1828-1908), an English stone mason and his family settled in Ceres, west of Geelong after discovering excellent sandstone deposits suitable for quarrying around the dog rocks area. In 1888 he purchased 1200 acres of land in Batesford with the intention of manufacturing cement.

In 1890 he established Australian Portland Cement Ltd. He transported the limestone the 3.5miles from his quarry on the banks of the Moorabool River to the works by Hyland street, Fyansford, using horse and dray.

After the death of Peter McCann in 1908, his son, Wesley Burrett Peter McCann (1874-1961), as manager, embarked on a program of expansion and modernisation. In 1910 this involved the introduction of a light gauge railway system on the quarry floor and a cross-country aerial ropeway to transport limestone from quarry to cement works.

By the mid 1920’s, as a consequence of increasing demand for cement products (as construction and road-making material), the company underwent yet another plant upgrade. In 1923 of a second pit, across the Moorabool river and only a short distance from the original site,  was developed and a 3’ 6” gauge railway was introduced (in place of the aerial ropeway) to link quarry and factory. By 1929 a 1km tunnel had been built taking the trains 90 feet below sea level directly to the quarry floor. As well, the cement works had expanded across Hyland street with a new kiln and mill plant being in use.

In 1966 this railway was replaced by an overland, covered-in conveyor-belt system. The Geelong Cement Works finally ceased operation in 2000 (after 110 years) ~ the parent company had decided to import cement from their plant in Tasmania.

The 100ha quarry site lay idle until 2002 when it was decided by the McCann family to produce agricultural lime. Currently, the site operates under the stewardship of Geelong Lime P/L and Adelaide Brighton Cement Ltd. as a 'working quarry' producing limestone and fine sand. Consequently, while access to the quarry is restricted, it can be viewed from the Geelong Bypass (Princes Fwy) and along the Midland Hwy.