Mount Macedon is a small town located 64 kilometres (40 mi) northwest of Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria. It is situated on the side of the mountain of the same name, but called Geboor by the indigenous Wurundjeri people, which rises to 1001 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census, Mount Macedon had a population of 1,694. Mount Macedon 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.

Mount Macedon township was largely established by Melbourne’s wealthy elite in the post gold rush era of the mid to late 19th century who used it as a summer retreat. The Post Office opened on 18 July 1870, known as Upper Macedon until 1879 and Macedon Upper until 1936. An earlier (1843) Mount Macedon office was renamed Kyneton. ^[2]

Originally sighted by Hume and Hovell in 1824 on their way to Port Philip from NSW who named it Mount Wentworth, it was renamed Mount Macedon by explorer Major Thomas Mitchell who ascended the mountain in 1836. He named it after Philip of Macedon in honor of the fact that he was able to view Port Philip from the summit. Several other geographic features along the path of his third ‘Australia Felix‘ expedition were named after figures of Ancient Greece and Greek mythology including the nearby Campaspe River and Mount Alexander near Castlemaine (named after Alexander the Great). Hanging Rock was originally named Mount Diogenes by Major Mitchell, who was known to hold a great affection for Ancient Greek history.

Due to its relatively high elevation, (Mount Macedon village is around 620 metres above sea level), the area experiences much cooler temperatures on average relative to nearby Melbourne. The area also receives high rainfall relative to the surrounding plains and much of the Melbourne area. This combination of geographic factors have contributed to the town’s reputation as a resort town. The gardens and homes of Mount Macedon are well known for their lavish size and scale. Many of these gardens contain collections of exotic plants that are rare in cultivation.

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[edit] Attractions

[edit] Memorial Cross

One of the major attractions of Mount M

The Mt Macedon Memorial Cross

acedon is the 21 metre high memorial cross which stands near the summit of the mountain. This structure was established by early resident William Cameron in 1935 as a memorial to those who died in World War I. The view from the summit of Mount Macedon is spectacular and takes in Melbourne city, the Dandenong Ranges and the You Yangs near Geelong.

[edit] Forestry

Another attraction of the Mount Macedon area is the extensive native forests which cover the mountain and surround the town. Much of the forest on Mount Macedon consists of wet sclerophyll communities which are more commonly associated with areas east of Melbourne. Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis) occurs here at the western extent of its range and Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) at the northwestern extent of its range, Snow Gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora) are also found on the highest peaks. A large area of the Macedon Ranges forest is included in the Macedon Regional Park, managed by Parks Victoria.^[3]

The area was devastated by the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983, but the forests and gardens have since regrown.

[edit] Camels Hump

The Mount Macedon area also comprises a second important peak, The Camels Hump, rising to 1011 m in altitude. The volcanic trachyte rock of the crag is favoured by rock climbers and the mountain has become a popular sport climbing venue due to its proximity to Melbourne.

[edit] Private Gardens

Hascombe is a large garden owned by Linfox. It has

Garden Path to Cottage at Hascombe, Mount Macedon

an annual open day where all money received goes to charity. It only has two gardeners working for the whole 28 acre property. It has one of only two Himalayan Fir (Abies pindrow) trees in Australia, the other being located in Adelaide. It is the highest private property on Mt. Macedon by altitude.

Across Alton Road from Hascombe, is the garden Alton. It has been the filming location for movies such as Macbeth, mainly due to its historic residence surrounded by an English garden.

[edit] References

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). “Mount Macedon (State Suburb)”. 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC26233&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
^ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country=, retrieved on 2008-04-11
^ Parks Victoria, Macedon Regional Park,, http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?SortBy=VIC&country=, retrieved on 2008-11-28

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