Hume & Hovell Print Page

The cairn marks the route of the explorers Hume and Hovell who passed through the area in 1824. The cairn was unveiled in 1924, the centenary year of their exploration. 

In 1824, Hamilton Hume and William Hovell led an expedition of discovery to find new grazing land for the colony. They and their party trekked south from Appin to Lake George, then on into Victoria, keeping west of the Great Dividing Range and ending up at Corio Bay, on the Victorian coast, where present day Geelong is situated. Hovell mistakenly believed they had arrived at Westernport, and did not realise his mistake until after his return.

At the centenary of Hume and Hovell exploration in 1924 a committee was formed to co-ordinate and organise local celebrations along the route from Albury to Corio Bay. An itinerary was created for the unveiling ceremonies giving the hour and date for each place concerned from 15 to 21 November 1924.

Monuments, cairns or plaques commemorating this expedition were erected at Allan`s Flat, Avenel, Back Creek, Barjarg, Bellbridge, Broadford, Bulla, Deer Park, Ebden, Euroa, Everton, Hansonville, Hume Reservoir, Kilmore, Lara, Lima South, Meadow Creek, Molyullah, Mount Buffalo, Moyhu, Murmungee, Myrtleford, Samaria, Samaria West, Seymour, Staghorn Flat, St Albans, Stanley, Strath Creek, Swanpool, Tatong (Dodd`s Crossing), Violet Town, Warrenbayne West, Werribee, Whorouly, Woodfield Yarck and Yea.

The location of the plaques erected at Lima South is unknown.  It is believed that the plaque at Hansonville has come from another location as the date on the plaque does not match the date that the expedition was there.

At the committee rooms at Collins street, Melbourne, on Friday, the conmmittee in charge of the centenary celebrations of the Hume and Hovell explorations met to discuss the timetable for the unveiling of monuments along the route followed by the two pioneers. Sir J. Barrett was in the chair. After much discussion it was agreed that, with the co-operation of the Royal Automobile Club, the route followed would be as follows : Starting from Bright on Sunday, 16th November, they will unveil a tablet at the foot of Mount Buffalo. On Monday they will proceed via Myrtleford, Whorouly, Everton, Murmungee and Stanley, staying at Beechworth overnight. Tuesday's programme covers Back Creek, Allan's Flat, Staghorn Flat, Ebden and Bethanga. Tuesday evening and Wednesday will be spent at Albury, where a sports meeting and concert has been arranged.

At Wangarratta the party will divide, the main party proceeding to Benalla, where a civic reception has been arranged. They will proceed thence to Violet Town, Euroa, Avenel and Seymour. The remainder will proceed via Edi, Hansonville, Somaria and Swanpool to Merton. On the Friday this second party will travel from Avenel through Bonnie Doon and Yarck to Yea. The parties will reunite at Broadford on the Friday and proceed to Melbourne. Sir J. Barrett said the Education Department had arranged demonstrations by school children at all places included in the itinerary, and was making special efforts to interest the children in the history and development of the districts traversed by the explorers. 
Wodonga and Towong Sentinel (Vic), 26 September 1924.

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