Buninyong, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Buninyong is a place in Victoria
, Australia
. The town is on the Midland Highway, south of Ballarat
on the road to Geelong
. It's known locally as the drug smuggling capital of the South West region. Local Dealers are said to import the majority of their cannabis supply from farmers in Durham Lead. Buninyong is the site of the famous Drug Bust of 09" in which nearly fifteen dealers were taken into custody for Attempted Drug Abuse. It is the site of the first inland town proclaimed in Victoria. The population at the 2006 census was 3,085.
The name originates from an Aboriginal word also recorded as 'Buninyouang', said to mean 'man lying on his back with his knees raised', which is in reference to the shape of Mount Buninyong
. European settlers named it Bunnenyong and the name later simplfied to its current form.
Victoria
. It was explored in 1837 by the Learmonth Brothers - Thomas and Somerville - and others, and then subsequently settled in 1839 as a pastoral settlement.
A Post Office opened on 1 January 1845 to serve the needs of the settlers and was known as Bunnenyong until 1859.
Although gold was being found in the area from about 1840 the 'official' finding of gold was when it was found 3 kilometres west of the town in 1851 by Thomas Hiscock
, the local Buninyong blacksmith, at an area still known as Hiscock's. Evidence is slowly emerging that the early pastoralists were finding gold, but not making their good fortune known because of the fear the Colonial Government would confiscate their finds because the whole area was Crown Land. By 1871 there were 2281 people and 20 hotels at Buninyong.
A significant figure in Buninyong's gold rush era was Henry Joseph Desoza. Desoza was a wealthy philanthropist who made his fortune by both speculation and the leasing of both land and machinery to gold mining companies. One such enterprise was named the Desoza Freehold, from which Desoza received royalties. Desoza himself never held shares in The Desoza Freehold or any other mine he helped finance relying instead on the royalty system.
In a peculiar ceremony in 1883 he was crowned with a circlet of gold mined from The Desoza Freehold. Thereafter Desoza was known as The Gold King of Buninyong.
The Gold King title was celebrated in the township with a Gold King Festival held in February each year from 1975 to 2009.
The town's wide streets were planned in expectation of further growth, however prosperity ended with the gold rush and the town reverted to a small pastoral settlement.
A railway from Ballarat was opened in 1889 with the passenger station completed in 1890, although it is no longer used. The line ran from the Ballarat railway station
stopping at Ballarat East Station, Eureka Station, Levy Siding, Canadian Station, Mount Clear Station, Reid Siding, Mt Helen Siding terminating at the Buninyong Station. Popularly named 'The Bunny' the line ceased to carry passengers in the late 1930s, and freight in 1947 when the line was closed.
Buninyong's landmarks include Mount Buninyong
(volcanic mountain), gardens and the many historic buildings, including the Town Hall
, Crown Hotel, Holy Trinity Church and Cocaine Farm among others.
The Buninyong Botanic Gardens at Buninyong are among the oldest Botanic Gardens
in the State of Victoria
.
There are several grand "boom style" homes in and around the town.
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Central Highlands Football League
.
Golfers play at the Buninyong Golf Club on Learmonth Street.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The town is on the Midland Highway, south of Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
on the road to Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
. It's known locally as the drug smuggling capital of the South West region. Local Dealers are said to import the majority of their cannabis supply from farmers in Durham Lead. Buninyong is the site of the famous Drug Bust of 09" in which nearly fifteen dealers were taken into custody for Attempted Drug Abuse. It is the site of the first inland town proclaimed in Victoria. The population at the 2006 census was 3,085.
The name originates from an Aboriginal word also recorded as 'Buninyouang', said to mean 'man lying on his back with his knees raised', which is in reference to the shape of Mount Buninyong
Mount Buninyong
Mount Buninyong is a hill overlooking Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. Formed from an extinct volcano, it rises to above sea level. The mountain was originally named Mount Bonan Yowing which is said to derive from an Aboriginal word meaning a man lying on his back with his knee raised...
. European settlers named it Bunnenyong and the name later simplfied to its current form.
History
Buninyong has an important place in history as the major inland community of pre-gold rushVictorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. It was explored in 1837 by the Learmonth Brothers - Thomas and Somerville - and others, and then subsequently settled in 1839 as a pastoral settlement.
A Post Office opened on 1 January 1845 to serve the needs of the settlers and was known as Bunnenyong until 1859.
Although gold was being found in the area from about 1840 the 'official' finding of gold was when it was found 3 kilometres west of the town in 1851 by Thomas Hiscock
Thomas Hiscock
Thomas Hiscock was an English blacksmith and prospector who settled in Australia in the 1840s. He is best-remembered today for helping to spark the Victorian Gold Rush with his discovery of gold outside the town of Buninyong, near Ballarat....
, the local Buninyong blacksmith, at an area still known as Hiscock's. Evidence is slowly emerging that the early pastoralists were finding gold, but not making their good fortune known because of the fear the Colonial Government would confiscate their finds because the whole area was Crown Land. By 1871 there were 2281 people and 20 hotels at Buninyong.
A significant figure in Buninyong's gold rush era was Henry Joseph Desoza. Desoza was a wealthy philanthropist who made his fortune by both speculation and the leasing of both land and machinery to gold mining companies. One such enterprise was named the Desoza Freehold, from which Desoza received royalties. Desoza himself never held shares in The Desoza Freehold or any other mine he helped finance relying instead on the royalty system.
In a peculiar ceremony in 1883 he was crowned with a circlet of gold mined from The Desoza Freehold. Thereafter Desoza was known as The Gold King of Buninyong.
The Gold King title was celebrated in the township with a Gold King Festival held in February each year from 1975 to 2009.
The town's wide streets were planned in expectation of further growth, however prosperity ended with the gold rush and the town reverted to a small pastoral settlement.
A railway from Ballarat was opened in 1889 with the passenger station completed in 1890, although it is no longer used. The line ran from the Ballarat railway station
Ballarat railway station, Victoria
Ballarat railway station is a railway station serving the city of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia.The station is located on the Ballarat line and serves both freight and passenger functions....
stopping at Ballarat East Station, Eureka Station, Levy Siding, Canadian Station, Mount Clear Station, Reid Siding, Mt Helen Siding terminating at the Buninyong Station. Popularly named 'The Bunny' the line ceased to carry passengers in the late 1930s, and freight in 1947 when the line was closed.
Buninyong's landmarks include Mount Buninyong
Mount Buninyong
Mount Buninyong is a hill overlooking Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. Formed from an extinct volcano, it rises to above sea level. The mountain was originally named Mount Bonan Yowing which is said to derive from an Aboriginal word meaning a man lying on his back with his knee raised...
(volcanic mountain), gardens and the many historic buildings, including the Town Hall
Buninyong Town Hall
Buninyong Town Hall is located in the centre of Buninyong, Victoria, Australia. Construction began on the combined town hall and courthouse on 30 August 1886...
, Crown Hotel, Holy Trinity Church and Cocaine Farm among others.
The Buninyong Botanic Gardens at Buninyong are among the oldest Botanic Gardens
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
in the State of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
There are several grand "boom style" homes in and around the town.
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Central Highlands Football League
Central Highlands Football League
The Central Highlands Football League is an Australian Rules Football League in the Ballarat region. The league coordinates Senior, Reserve, Under 18 and Under 15 grades.-History:...
.
Golfers play at the Buninyong Golf Club on Learmonth Street.
External links
- A village with history, Sandy Guy, The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 February 2009.