Penshurst, Victoria
Penshurst Federal division(s) | Wannon |
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Penshurst is a town in
History
Kolorer gunditj people
Before British colonisation, the area around Mount Rouse was the country of the Kolorer gunditj clan of Aboriginal people. Their title is derived from their name for Mount Rouse which was Kolor.[4] The permanent spring that is now located within the Penshurst Botanic Gardens was a traditional meeting place for Aborigines in the region.[5]
Arrival of the British
Mount Rouse Aboriginal Protectorate
In early 1842, the colonial government decided to create a reserve for Aboriginal people at Mount Rouse. John Cox was ordered off the land, moving to the neighbouring Weerangourt property. In February 1842, around 210 Aborigines from various tribal groups in the region arrived at Mount Rouse accompanied by Assistant Protector Charles Sievwright. The main buildings of the Protectorate were located at what is now the corner of Cox and Martin streets in Penshurst.[5][7] In his role Sievwright attempted to safeguard the Aborigines assigned to him by reporting the massacres conducted by nearby settlers and by providing rations and shelter. However, these actions infuriated the local colonists who demanded the government replace him, and in September 1842 Dr John Watton was appointed to manage the protectorate.[7]
During this time, the
Township of Penshurst
The town of Penshurst was gazetted in the 1850s, the Post Office opening on 1 September 1857.[9] In 1852 German Lutherans led by Johann Friedrich Krummnow founded a community named Herrnhut located near Mount Rouse about 8 km from Penshurst – the group adhered to the principles of shared property and fervent prayer. Krummnow died there in 1880 and the community had disbanded by 1890.[10]
The Penshurst Magistrates' Court closed on 1 November 1981, not having been visited by a Magistrate since 1971.[11]
The Penshurst Volcanoes Discovery Centre[12] is an interpretive centre and tourist information centre located in Martin Street in the old Shire of Mount Rouse offices. It contains an audio/visual display of volcanoes in general, and the eruptions and lava flows of the district in particular.
Geography
Penshurst is located in an area littered with basalt stones up 2m long from the Mount Rouse volcano. These are known locally as the stony rises, the technical name being "breached barriers", having been formed from collapsed lava tubes. Features similar to the stony rises may be observed in other areas of south-west Victoria where there is a history of volcanic activity.
Mount Rouse rises 100m above the surrounding plain (367m above sea level) and is composed of both basaltic lava and scoria. It has several craters, the lower of which is a crater lake. The north east side of Mount Rouse is used as a quarry and crushed for road making scoria.
There were instances in the 1970s where bushfires triggered peat fires beneath the stony rises which burnt for a number on months. [citation needed] A fire watch building is located at the top of Mount Rouse.
Penshurst is serviced by a fresh water spring located in the town.
Sport
The town has an
Penshurst has a horse racing club, the Penshurst & District Racing Club, which schedules one race meeting a year, the Penshurst Cup meeting on Boxing Day (26 December).[14] The racecourse is located about 1 km north of Bell Street (the Main Street).
Golfers used to play at the course of the Penshurst Golf Club on Racecourse Road. The club disbanded in 2002, just two years short of its centenary. The golf course no longer exists.
References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Penshurst (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ^ "My School provides information that helps parents and the community in understanding the performance of schools over time".
- ^ "My School provides information that helps parents and the community in understanding the performance of schools over time".
- ^ Robinson, George Augustus; Clark, Ian D (2014). Travels of George Augustus Robinson, Chief Protector, Port Phillip Aboriginal Protectorate.
- ^ a b "Heritage place: Mount Rouse Aboriginal Protectorate" (PDF). Government of Victoria. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ Clark, Ian (1995). Scars in the Landscape. Canberra: AIATSIS.
- ^ ISBN 0-522-84527-4.
- ISBN 1-86330-315-4.
- ^ Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 6 March 2021
- ^ "Herrnhut Ruins – Statement of Significance". Victorian Heritage Database, Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- ^ "Special Report No. 4 – Court Closures in Victoria" (PDF). Auditor-General of Victoria. 1986. p. 78. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ Penshurst Volcanoes Discovery Centre website
- ^ Full Points Footy, Mininera & District Football League, retrieved 25 July 2008
- ^ Country Racing Victoria, Penshurst & District Racing Club, archived from the original on 24 October 2007, retrieved 7 May 2009
External links
Media related to Penshurst, Victoria at Wikimedia Commons