Geelong Star was a former name of the 3,181 GT super-trawler and factory ship Dirk-Dirk, built in 1983 at Harlingen, Netherlands for the Dutch fishing company Parlevliet & van der Plas of Katwijk.

[1] She is powered by a 6-cylinder 3,200-kilowatt (4,300 bhp) MaK 6M551AK diesel engine geared to a controllable-pitch propeller and giving the trawler a service speed of 14.0 knots (25.9 km/h; 16.1 mph).

[1] The trawler, under several names, has remained in service with her initial owners, the Katwijk-based Parlevliet & van der Plas Haringhandel BV (PvdP), both directly or with a number of affiliated companies.

[1][2][3] Naeraberg remained with the Faroese company until 2015, apart from a few months between October 2011 and February 2012 when she was registered at Klaipėda, with port number KL 453 and call-sign LYTM and operated by PvdP's Lithuanian subsidiary, JSC Atlantic High Sea Fishing Co, Vilnius.

[1][5] Following her withdrawal from the Australian venture by PvdB, Geelong Star again reverted to her original name Dirk-Dirk, to Netherlands flag and to Katwijk registry, though this time with port number KW 172 and call-sign PBBZ.

[27] During May 2015, Federal Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson wrote to Senator Richard Colbeck urging him to ban the trawler from operating in Australian waters.

[31][32] In November 2016, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority announced it was looking into video streaming technology aboard trawlers to improve their response to the welfare of endangered marine wildlife.