The City of Greater Geelong is redeveloping the beloved Chilwell Library, located in Sladen Park on Russell Street, Newtown.
To facilitate construction, the library temporarily closed on 29 June 2025 to allow for the decanting of collections, furniture, and equipment. Construction is scheduled to commence on 7 July, with the library expected to reopen in mid-2026.
The redevelopment will preserve the library's intimate, community-focused character while enhancing its connection to the surrounding park and introducing new, flexible spaces for broader community use.
The revitalised library will be bigger and filled with natural light, offering meeting rooms, a welcoming outdoor deck, and improved amenities including public toilets.
The total project budget for this significant upgrade is $2.5 million, supported by a $150,000 grant from the Victorian Government's Living Libraries Infrastructure Program.
The City is working closely with the Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC) and the Chilwell Library Group to ensure the upgraded facility reflects the needs of the local community.
Community members are encouraged to visit nearby libraries during the temporary closure:
- Geelong Library & Heritage Centre (The Dome) – 51 Little Malop Street, Geelong
- Geelong West Library – 153A Pakington Street, Geelong West
- Belmont Library – 163 High Street, Belmont
- Highton Library – Roslyn Road (corner Belle Vue Avenue), Highton
Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM
Chilwell Library is a cherished local hub, and this redevelopment will ensure it continues to serve the community for generations to come.It was important that we worked closely with GRLC and Chilwell Library Group to design a welcoming space that meets the needs of the community.
State Member for Geelong Christine Couzens MP
The Chilwell library has been a highly valued community asset for many years.This redevelopment will modernise its services and accessibility, ensuring the Chilwell library meets the needs of the community into the future.
Geelong Regional Libraries CEO Vanessa Schernickau
Libraries are very often the heart of a local community, and that is especially the case with Chilwell Library.The community embraces the library for everything from early literacy programs to tech help to browsing our vast collections, or sometimes simply a welcoming place to connect with others.
We're grateful to the City of Greater Geelong and the State Government for funding this redevelopment and can't wait to see the new space.
Chilwell Library Group member Lynne Dowling
We have worked for eight years to retain their library and achieve the improvements.Our members have been strong representatives of the former City of Newtown.
The mother of Dorothy Trezise, our oldest member, was Zillah Crawcour, the first female Mayor of Newtown. Dorothy was Mayoress for her mother.
Jan Laidlaw was the second female Mayor of Newtown. Over many years these women, and our other members, have continued to work for the benefit of the community of Newtown and Chilwell, and continue to do so.
