Norlane is a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

History

The suburb was named after Norman Lane , a local serviceman from the district who died working on the Burma - Thailand railway line in 1943, after being captured in Singapore.

With enormous pressure on housing in the early 1950s, residents were resorting to small dwellings, tents and partially completed buildings. The Housing Commission provided accommodation for families unable to rent or to afford the purchase of their own home.

In 1947 the government Housing Commission began its house-building program in Norlane, and by 1976 when its program was completed there were 2,464 commission houses available for low income renters. Much of the housing was for employees at the nearby Ford Motor Company, International Harvester and Pivot phosphate factories.

Many of the houses built in Norlane were prefabricated units imported from Holland and France.

Primary schools in Norlane were opened in 1955 and 1962, and a high school in 1959.

Census Populations

• 1947 - 347
• 1971 - 12,098

See Also

• List of Geelong suburbs