Macedon Ranges

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The Macedon Ranges is a region in Central Victoria, known for its expansive native forests, vibrant arts scene, thriving food and wine industries (including weekly farmers' markets) and natural attractions such as Hanging Rock and Mount Macedon. It is located in between the cities of Bendigo and Melbourne. It includes the towns of Clarkefield, Gisborne South, Gisborne, Kyneton, Lancefield, Macedon, Malmsbury, Mount Macedon, New Gisborne, Riddells Creek, Romsey and Woodend. It is governed and administered by the Macedon Ranges Shire Council.

Contents

Population

At the 2016 Census, the region had a population of 46,100. [1] The median age of people in Macedon Ranges is 42 years, and the most common ancestries were English 29.1% Australian 28.8%, and Irish 10.6%. [2] The majority of the region's residents were professionals, with education and medicine/allied health being the most cited professions. [3]

The region has, per capita, more working artists than anywhere else in Victoria. [4]

Macedon Ranges was one of the highest-rated areas in Australia in the Quality of Life Index 2008, and was the highest rated in Victoria (outside Melbourne), ranking 13th of 590 Australian local government areas. [5]

About 35 per cent of people who live in Macedon Ranges live outside a town boundary in a rural setting, preferring to live sustainably through the use of rainwater, solar panels and home-grown vegetables, fruit and eggs. [6]

Geography

The Macedon Ranges is characterized by dramatic undulating landscapes, expansive forests and granite-strewn pastoral vistas. Much of the region is designated as National Park and protected from development. National Parks in the region include Hanging Rock Reserve, Wombat State Forest, Macedon Regional Park and Black Hill Reserve.

The region covers an area of 1,747 square kilometres (675 sq mi). The highest peak in the region is Mount Macedon's Camel's Hump, which is often covered in snow in winter due to its high elevation (1,011 metres or 3,317 ft). [7] The area experiences colder winters and hotter summers than the state capital Melbourne.

History

The original inhabitants of the Macedon Ranges are the Kulin nation - specifically, the Wurundjeri, Dja Dja Wurrrung and Taungurung people, who have lived there continually for at least 26,000 years. [8] The Kulin lived by fishing and domestical agricultural practices, making a sustainable living from the rich natural environment. Their communities are still active today. [9]

Europeans arrived around 1834 when explorer John Aitken came to the area now known as Gisborne, bringing merino sheep to the area from Tasmania. Many pastoralists followed Aitken's lead and began arriving from both Tasmania and New South Wales. [10] Early interactions between Kulin Aboriginal people and European settlers were mixed: while there were reports of cooperation between the groups, [11] there were also several massacres of Aboriginal people reported in the 1830s and 40s. [12]

In the 1850s, gold was discovered north of the Macedon Ranges in the areas now known as Castlemaine, Ballarat and Bendigo in the Victorian Goldfields. As the Macedon Ranges is located between the state capital Melbourne and the Goldfields, Middle Gully, now Macedon, became a hub of activity and provided inns, beer houses, coffee tents, blacksmiths’ forges and stores for the crowds of gold miners. [13]

The gold rush of the 1850s-1870s ensured that the area continued to flourish, and the construction of the railway between Melbourne and Bendigo from 1858 to 1862 brought many new residents to the region.

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th century, Melbourne's wealthy social elite began to settle the area in earnest due to large blocks of land on the south side of Mount Macedon being released to them by the government. As a result, many grand Victorian homes with extensive ornamental gardens were established as summer residences. [14] The proliferation of historic gardens and iconic architecture helped make the region a popular destination for holiday houses and tourists - a designation which remains today.

Today

In recent years, the region's popularity has soared to new heights: [15] proximity to Melbourne, boutique bed and breakfast accommodation, [16] burgeoning food and wine industries and thriving arts scene have made the region highly sought after, drawing tourists but also large numbers of new residents, making the local population growth rate among the fastest in regional Victoria. [17] In fact, the towns of Gisborne and Woodend saw increases in property prices of 14.91% and 21% in 2019 respectively, [18] [19] while property prices in the rest of Australia were in free fall. [20] Locals, worried about the environmental and cultural impacts of this growing popularity, successfully campaigned for new planning controls to protect the character of the region. [21]

A number of media reports have made reference to the influx of young professionals, artists and 'hipsters' to the region, [22] [23] [24] drawn by the region's natural environment, proximity to the city and access to city-style cafes and restaurants. [25] [26]

Film and television

The region's iconic landscapes and its proximity to Melbourne have made it a destination for film and television production.

Macedon was depicted in Picnic at Hanging Rock , the 1975 mystery movie based on the novel of the same name.

Scenes in Where the Wild Things Are were filmed in the forest surrounding Mount Macedon.

The 2009 Nicolas Cage film Knowing was shot in Macedon and nearby in Mount Macedon.

Transport

The towns of the Macedon Ranges are easily accessible from Melbourne's CBD via the Calder Highway and the Bendigo railway line.

Education

Most of the towns in the region have at least one local government primary school, including some of the most elite government schools in Victoria. [27] Candlebark Primary School and Alice Miller High School (both of whose principal is John Marsden, renowned Australian author and educator) provide alternative education options. Secondary school options include Braemar College east of Woodend (Ecumenical, co-educational), Kyneton Secondary College, Sacred Heart College (Catholic), and Gisborne Secondary College.

Notable residents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wurundjeri</span> Aboriginal Australian people who inhabited the Melbourne area before colonisation

The Wurundjeripeople are an Australian Aboriginal people of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin nation. They are the traditional owners of the Yarra River Valley, covering much of the present location of Melbourne. They continue to live in this area and throughout Australia. They were called the Yarra tribe by early European colonists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Macedon Ranges</span> Local government area in Victoria, Australia

The Shire of Macedon Ranges is a region in Central Victoria, Australia, best known for its native forests, geographical attraction Hanging Rock, and artisan food and wine industries. The region covers an area of 1,748 square kilometres (675 sq mi). It is located in between the cities of Bendigo and Melbourne. In August 2021 the shire had a population of 51,458. It includes the towns of Gisborne, Gisborne South, Kyneton, Lancefield, Macedon, Malmsbury, Mount Macedon, New Gisborne, Riddells Creek, Romsey and Woodend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calder Highway</span> Highway in Victoria

Calder Highway is a rural highway in Australia, linking Mildura and the Victoria/New South Wales border to Bendigo, in North Central Victoria. South of Bendigo, where the former highway has been upgraded to freeway-standard, Calder Freeway links to Melbourne, subsuming former alignments of Calder Highway; the Victorian Government completed the conversion to freeway standard from Melbourne to Bendigo on 20 April 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gisborne railway station</span> Railway station in Victoria, Australia

Gisborne railway station is located on the Deniliquin line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the town of New Gisborne, and it opened on 8 July 1861.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyneton</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Kyneton is a town in the Macedon Ranges region of West Central Victoria, Australia. The Calder Freeway bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. Kyneton is on Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Central Victoria</span> Region in Victoria, Australia

North Central Victoria is a rural region in the Australian state of Victoria. The region lies to the south of the Victorian/New South Wales border as defined by the Murray River, to the southwest of the Hume region, to the west of the Great Dividing Range contained within the Central Highlands and Victorian Alps, to the north of Greater Melbourne, to the northeast of the Wimmera, and to the east of the Mallee region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riddells Creek</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Riddells Creek is a town in Victoria, Australia, located in Wurundjeri Country and the Shire of Macedon Ranges. It is located in between the cities of Bendigo and Melbourne. Riddells Creek is also the name of the main watercourse which flows through the township, and which is a tributary of Jacksons Creek to the south. The town is served by Riddells Creek railway station on the Bendigo line. At the 2021 census, Riddells Creek had a population of 3574.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodend, Victoria</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Woodend is a town in Victoria, Australia. The town is in the Shire of Macedon Ranges local government area and is bypassed to the east and north by the Calder Freeway (M79), located about halfway between Melbourne and Bendigo. At the 2021 census, Woodend had a population of 6,732.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gisborne, Victoria</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Gisborne is a town in the Macedon Ranges, located about 54 kilometres (34 mi) north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the largest town in the Macedon Ranges Shire, with a population of 14,432 as of June 2021 in the Gisborne district region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Highlands (Victoria)</span> Region in Victoria, Australia

The Central Highlands subregion is part of the Grampians region in western Victoria. It includes the municipalities of Rural City of Ararat, City of Ballarat, Golden Plains Shire, Shire of Hepburn, Shire of Moorabool, Shire of Pyrenees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Macedon</span> Mountain in Victoria, Australia

Mount Macedon is a dormant volcano that is part of the Macedon Ranges of the Great Dividing Range, located in the Central Highlands region of Victoria, Australia. The mountain has an elevation of 1,001 metres (3,284 ft) with a prominence of 643 metres (2,110 ft) and is located approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) northwest of Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Macedon, Victoria</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Mount Macedon is a town 64 kilometres (40 mi) north-west of Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria. The town is located below the mountain of the same name, which rises to 1,001 metres (3,284 ft) AHD. At the 2016 census, Mount Macedon had a population of 1,335 and is best known for its collection of 19th-century gardens and associated extravagant large homes, which is considered to be one of the most important such collections in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riddell District Football Netball League</span> Australian rules football and netball league

The Riddell District Football Netball League (RDFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball league in Victoria, Australia. The RDFNL covers towns in the Macedon Ranges and an area from Melton and Rockbank in the south to Kyneton and Lancefield in the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macedon, Victoria</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Macedon is a town at the foot of Mount Macedon in the Macedon Ranges, between Melbourne and Bendigo in central Victoria. It is administered by the Shire of Macedon Ranges. At the 2016 census Macedon had a population of 2,808. The combined population of Macedon and the nearby larger town of Gisborne was 21,071 at June 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malmsbury, Victoria</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Malmsbury is a town in central Victoria, Australia on the Old Calder Highway (C794), 95 km north-west of the state capital, Melbourne and 11 km north-west of Kyneton. Situated close by the Coliban River, Malmsbury has a population of 1,101. Malmsbury is in the north western area of the Shire of Macedon Ranges local government area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Gisborne</span> Local government area in Victoria, Australia

The Shire of Gisborne was a now-defunct local government area northwest of Melbourne until its abolition in 1995, when the Shire of Macedon Ranges was created from the merging of the Shires of Gisborne, Newham and Woodend, Romsey, and parts of the Shire of Kyneton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Kyneton</span> Local government area in Victoria, Australia

The Shire of Kyneton was a local government area about 85 kilometres (53 mi) northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of 725.2 square kilometres (280.0 sq mi), and existed from 1859 until 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Newham and Woodend</span> Local government area in Victoria, Australia

The Shire of Newham and Woodend was a local government area about 70 kilometres (43 mi) northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of 246.05 square kilometres (95.0 sq mi), and existed from 1861 until 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kulin languages</span> Pama–Nyungan language group of Australia

The Kulin languages are a group of closely related languages of the Kulin people, part of the Kulinic branch of Pama–Nyungan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loddon Mallee</span> Economic region of Victoria, Australia

The Loddon Mallee is an economic rural region located in the north-western part of Victoria, Australia. Occupying more than a quarter of the state, it stretches from Greater Melbourne to the northernmost point of Victoria, sharing a border with South Australia and New South Wales, and has one of the most consistently warm climates in Victoria. It has two major regional cities Bendigo and Mildura and also contains the major settlements of Castlemaine, Echuca, Gisborne, Kerang, Kyneton, Maryborough, Swan Hill, Wedderburn and Wycheproof.

References

  1. ↑ "2016 Census QuickStats: Macedon Ranges (S)". www.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  2. ↑ "2016 Census QuickStats: Macedon Ranges (S)". www.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  3. ↑ "2016 Census QuickStats: Macedon Ranges (S)". www.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  4. ↑ "Arts & Culture - Visit Macedon Ranges". Visit Macedon Ranges. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  5. ↑ "Media Release : Bankwest Quality of Life Index 2008". www.bankwest.com.au. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  6. ↑ "Population profile". www.mrsc.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  7. ↑ "Frequently asked questions about Mount Macedon in Victoria - Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia". maps.bonzle.com. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  8. ↑ "Aboriginal cultural heritage" . Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  9. ↑ "Aboriginal cultural heritage" . Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  10. ↑ Gerasimon, Peter. "History - Gisborne & Mount Macedon Districts Historical Society Inc". www.gisbornemountmacedon.org.au. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  11. ↑ Gerasimon, Peter. "History - Gisborne & Mount Macedon Districts Historical Society Inc". www.gisbornemountmacedon.org.au. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  12. ↑ Scars in the Landscape. AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER STUDIES. pp.  http://nationalunitygovernment.org/pdf/2014/IanDClark-Scars_in_the_landscape.pdf.pdf.
  13. ↑ Gerasimon, Peter. "History - Gisborne & Mount Macedon Districts Historical Society Inc". www.gisbornemountmacedon.org.au. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  14. ↑ Gerasimon, Peter. "History - Gisborne & Mount Macedon Districts Historical Society Inc". www.gisbornemountmacedon.org.au. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  15. ↑ "Median house prices in the Macedon Ranges soar to greater heights - realestate.com.au". www.realestate.com.au. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  16. ↑ RegionalLivingVic, Kevin & Bruce from Mirkwood Forest - Ready When You Are , retrieved 2018-12-20
  17. ↑ "Election battle looms over Macedon Ranges growth". ABC News. 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  18. ↑ "Free Suburb Profile report for Gisborne VIC (3437)". www.yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  19. ↑ "Free Suburb Profile report for Woodend VIC (3442)". www.yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  20. ↑ "Housing market may never recover, expert warns". NewsComAu. 2019-03-13. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  21. ↑ Cowie, Tom (2017-12-13). "'We don't want it to become like Melbourne': New rules to protect Macedon Ranges". The Age. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  22. ↑ "The Design Files: Artist Elizabeth Barnett creates a farmhouse retreat in the Macedon Ranges". Domain. 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  23. ↑ Zhou, Christina (2017-01-15). "Hipster haven: Why crowds flock to Kyneton | Photos". Bendigo Advertiser. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  24. ↑ "Lee Lin Chin scolds hipsters to save old hospital". ABC News. 2016-02-04. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  25. ↑ "When Hippy Towns Get Hip". www.realestate.com.au. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  26. ↑ RegionalLivingVic, Kevin & Bruce from Mirkwood Forest - Ready When You Are , retrieved 2018-12-20
  27. ↑ "Macedon Ranges | Regional Living Victoria". regionalliving.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
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