Revving up a Geelong manufacturing giant

Born and raised in Geelong, documentary filmmaker and visual artist Kaitlyn Church is keenly aware of the significance of the closure of Ford’s manufacturing plant in 2016.

Fordtown sees Church undertake one of her biggest projects to date, collating an expanded documentary project that explores the shuttering of the North Geelong facility and its impact on residents in Geelong and its surrounds.

“This is all of my research from my time in Melbourne, I started working on this about five years after the factory closed,” she said.

“At the time, not a lot of material was available, and I interview a lot of former workers from the plant, and at the last exhibition showing a few years ago, we brought those former workers together for a reunion.

“This time around we will host one again, we’re just working out dates at the moment. It’s all about recording this important bit of Geelong history, before it’s gone.”

First opening to the public during the pandemic, the documentary is again on display at Platform Arts in central Geelong, with photos, artefacts, and video footage lining the gallery’s second floor.

The documentary questions the human cost of cities moving away from blue-collar industries such as manufacturing and transitioning into a post-industrial society, focusing on the production of knowledge rather than the production of goods.

Church focuses on the impact of Ford’s demise on the Geelong community through the stories of individual workers.

“Fordtown and Assembled Line, an exhibition by Robbie Rowlands downstairs, is a celebration of a rich part of Geelong’s history,” she said.

“People like my dad, Raymond, who was laid off by Four Star Aviation in the heavy maintenance department at Avalon Airport after 10 years of service in 2013, probably don’t think their contributions to the region are celebrated as much, whereas while this project focuses on the demise of the industrial industry locally, it’s also a celebration.”

Church, now based in Melbourne, said she used her upbringing in rural Victoria as a source of inspiration for her photographic work, finding a love of documenting the ever-changing landscape of regional Australia.

Her father, who experienced the effect of the region’s manufacturing difficulties first-hand, had a large influence on the direction of the documentary.

Church faced similar professional uncertainties during the COVID-19 pandemic, having cancelled jobs following lockdown and restriction announcements.

“Experiencing that did have an effect on the process, when the documentary was being made, I was in insecure work, other arts workers and I struggled to find that consistency of work during that time.

“On the other side of that though, it allowed me to better understand what those Ford employees went through when the Geelong plant began shutting down and I think that brought a different element to Fordtown’s creation.”

She also has an interest in the history of Australia, exploring the impact of past events on the contemporary landscape.

Fordtown was the culmination of her Master’s degree research at South Melbourne’s Photography Studies College.

Church noted the significance of 2025 being 100 years since Ford’s manufacturing in Geelong began, but has not decided on whether she had something special planned for Fordtown.

“I don’t have anything planned as of yet, I’d love to, I would love to get inside the Ford factory, I’ve actually never been inside it, so who knows, that could be something to explore down the track,” she said.

Fordtown will be on exhibition until November 30.

Platform Arts is at 60 Little Malop Street and is open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday and 11am to 3pm on Saturday.

For more information on Church’s creative projects, head to kchurchphotos.com or follow her on Instagram @kchurchphotos.