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Prior
to European settlement the area was occupied by the Woiwurung
people. The first European settlers were pastoralists who took up
runs in 1836 or 1837. At the outset of the 1851 goldrushes at
Castlemaine and Bendigo, prospectors starting out from Melbourne
rested overnight at 'Bush Inn' before traversing the potentially
dangerous Black Forest in the daylight. The nascent settlement was
surveyed in 1851 and named after H.F. Gisborne, the Victorian Crown
Lands Commissioner. Gisborne was declared a district in 1860, at
which time it had 13 hotels, and a shire in 1871. There are several
historic buildings, such as 'Macedon House'.
History of Gisborne and Surrounds
The township of Gisborne sits nestled in the Jackson
Creek valley, only 40 minutes from Melbourne. Henry Howey selected
the area, including the river flats that the township now occupies,
in May 1837. As a result the Gisborne locality was first referred to
as 'The Flat', then 'Travellers Rest', after the first building in
the area. A shepherd's hut was built on the site now marked by the
historical cairn bearing Howey's bust.
In 1836, John Aitken arrived in the Port Phillip
District from Van Diemen's Land. He was so impressed by the
potential of the land for sheep grazing that he selected some 20,000
acres surrounding what is now known as Mount Aitken.
In 1840 John Carre Riddell and his cousin Thomas
Ferrier Hamilton bought the land that Howey had selected. The naming
of the nearby township of Riddells Creek marks Riddell's role in the
early history of the area.
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During the 1840s the area was known as 'The Bush Inn'
after the hotel of that name. The town really started to flourish
with the discovery of gold near Bendigo and provided a welcome
resting-place for diggers travelling along the Mount Alexander Road.
Gisborne was named in May 1851 in honour of Henry
Fyshe Gisborne, a Crown Lands Commissioner for the Port Phillip
District. Gisborne's sister city in New Zealand was named after a
cousin of Henry Fyshe. The establishment of the Gisborne Botanic
Gardens featuring New Zealand native plants and an impressive Maori
statue celebrates this relationship.
With the arrival of the railway in 1861, a small
settlement sprang up at New Gisborne to serve the needs of the
railway workers and their families. The railway station is still
regularly used by commuters and has been upgraded in recent times.
The Whistle Stop Tavern originally built as Hursts Railway Hotel
1861, still retains its slate roofing and its original external
character.
The Village in the Valley
retains much of its rich heritage. It also has some of the most
extensive continuous parkland of any town in Victoria. The beautiful
deciduous trees that line the roads into town enhance the 'village
feel'. The restored Gisborne Courthouse, lockup and stable built
1858, provide a glimpse of Gisborne's role in the gold rush days.
The 1859 Mechanics Institute, 1847 Mount Macedon Hotel later named
Macedon House, the 1852 Telegraph Hotel, the Haig and Hussey Hay and
Corn Store, still fondly referred to as the “Corner Store “and the
historic churches and schools are significant reminders of the past.
In 2000, a replacement fountain was erected on the
site of the original concrete structure of 1901, at the intersection
of Hamilton & Aitken Streets. The beautiful antique fountain adds a
new vibrancy and focus for Gisborne.
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While in Gisborne, enjoy what the district has to
offer with eateries, wineries, a variety of craft, clothing, jewellery, homeware and gift shops in the commercial centre, visit
the artists gallery, come for a picnic in the park or take in the
sights from the higher surrounding areas.
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