The Kulin and their country
The Wurundjeri, Dja Dja Wurrrung and Taungurung people, three groups of the Kulin nation, are the Macedon Ranges' original inhabitants. They have lived in this country continually for at least 26,000 years. The Kulin fished and practised agriculture, drawing a sustainable living from the natural environment, and their communities are still active today.
Their country is dramatic and undulating, with wide forests and granite scattered across pastoral land. Much of the region is protected from development as national park. Among the parks are Hanging Rock Reserve, Black Hill Reserve, the Wombat State Forest and Macedon Regional Park. Camel's Hump on Mount Macedon is the highest peak, at 1,011 metres, and snow often lies on it in winter.
Sheep and the first settlers
Europeans arrived in the area around 1834. The explorer John Aitken came into country that is now called Gisborne, and he brought merino sheep with him from Tasmania. Many pastoralists followed his lead, and more came to the district from Tasmania and from New South Wales.
Early dealings between Kulin people and the settlers were mixed. Cooperation between the two groups was reported, and several massacres of Aboriginal people were also reported in the 1830s and 40s.
Gold and the railway
Gold was found in the 1850s to the north of the Macedon Ranges, in country now known as Castlemaine, Ballarat and Bendigo. The Macedon Ranges is located between Melbourne and the goldfields. Middle Gully, now called Macedon, grew into a busy stopping place, with inns, beer houses, coffee tents, forges and stores for the crowds of miners.
The gold rush lasted from the 1850s into the 1870s, and the area continued to flourish through those years. A railway between Melbourne and Bendigo was built from 1858 to 1862, and many new residents came to the region.
Summer houses and gardens
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Melbourne's wealthy social elite started settling the area. The government released large blocks on the south side of Mount Macedon to them. Grand Victorian homes went up with big ornamental gardens, and families used them as summer residences.
The many historic gardens and the architecture of those houses helped make the region a popular place for holiday houses and for tourists. It is still a destination of that kind.
Timeline
- 1834The explorer John Aitken reaches the area now called Gisborne with merino sheep from Tasmania.
- the 1830s and 40sCooperation between Kulin people and settlers is reported, and several massacres of Aboriginal people.
- the 1850sGold is found north of the ranges, at Castlemaine, Ballarat and Bendigo.
- the 1850s to the 1870sThe gold rush brings miners and traffic through Middle Gully, now Macedon.
- 1858 to 1862The railway between Melbourne and Bendigo is built, bringing new residents.
- the late 19th and early 20th centuriesMelbourne's wealthy build summer residences on the south side of Mount Macedon.
Living in the Macedon Ranges
The Macedon Ranges takes in towns such as Kyneton, Woodend, Romsey, Gisborne and Macedon, and covers 1,747 square kilometres of Central Victoria. Much of it is national park and protected from development, including Hanging Rock Reserve, Black Hill Reserve, the Wombat State Forest and Macedon Regional Park.
The region is known for its native forests, its arts scene and its food and wine industries, which include weekly farmers' markets. Hanging Rock and Mount Macedon are among its natural attractions. Winters here are colder, and summers hotter, than in Melbourne.
Questions
- How many people live in the Macedon Ranges?
- In 2021, the Macedon Ranges council area had 51,458 people.
- What is the median age in the Macedon Ranges?
- The median age in the Macedon Ranges council area was 43 in 2021.
- What is the history of the Macedon Ranges?
- The Kulin nation's Wurundjeri, Dja Dja Wurrrung and Taungurung people have lived in the region for at least 26,000 years. From the 1830s, sheep, gold and the railway shaped the district.
- What is living in the Macedon Ranges like?
- The region has native forests, an arts scene and food and wine industries, including weekly farmers' markets. Much of it is national park, and Camel's Hump on Mount Macedon often has snow in winter.
- Where is the Macedon Ranges?
- It is a region in Central Victoria, between the cities of Bendigo and Melbourne.