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Hume & Hovell CentenaryPrint Page Print this page

29-January-2014
29-January-2014

Photographs supplied by Chris McLaughlin

The monument commemorates the centenary of the Hume and Hovell expedition which passed through the area in 1824.

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 Samaria West and Lima South are 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.

Hume & Hovell Centenary. The following programme has been adopted for the ceremonies along the explorers` route from Melbourne to Albury:-Saturday, November I5, leave Melbourne for Wangaratta: Nov. 16, leave Wangaratta for Chalet, Mount Buffalo, and unveil tablet at The Horn: November 17, leave Mount Buffalo and unveil memorial at Myrtleford, 11.30 a.m, at Everton 2.30- p.m., Murmungee 4 p.m., Stanley 6 p.m., reaching Beechworth the same night;  November l8, unveil memorial at Back Creek, Beechworth, 10 a.m., at Allan's Flat at 11.15 a.m., at Staghorn Flat 12.15 p.m., Ebden at 2 p.m., Bethanga 3.30 p.m., reaching Wodonga and Albury the same day; on November 19 the party will attend the Albury ceremonies, and the first party will leave for Wangaratta. 
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), 17 October 1924.

Location

Address:Reform Hill Monument Track, Reform Hill, Myrtleford, 3737
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -36.563897
Long: 146.732338
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Landscape
Sub-Theme:Exploration
Approx. Event Start Date:1824
Approx. Event End Date:1924
Link:https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/h…

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Monday 17th November, 1924
Front Inscription

          HUME AND HOVELL
            CENTENARY

                 Erected
By The Residents Of Myrtleford
And District 17th November 1924

Source: MA,MED,VMR,RHSV
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au