Those were the good ol' Geelong days

Tour guides in Geelong have found a novel way to bring the past to life for visitors.

Rather than having a guide talk about life back in the 1800s, they have an actress in costume, acting the part of a local woman, long dead.

Agnes Fenn, played by Kerri Lee, was a poor woman living in the 1850s when Geelong, near Melbourne, experienced the gold rush.

She guides tourists on the Hidden City tour, telling stories about herself and the locals of her day.

The Old West tour is based on the life of Eliza Wilson who was arrested but never convicted for murdering the wife of Melbourne co-founder John Batman, in 1852.

Wilson later stowed away aboard a tall ship to Williamstown, on the edge of Melbourne city.

The 90-minute tours cost $A15 ($18) a person, or $A10 ($12) for children under 15.

Contact: Kerri Lee to make a booking on (00613) 5243 9391, or kayelle@ozemail.com.au