Hume & Hovell ExpeditionPrint Page

The cairn commemorates the Hume and Hovell expedition which passed through the area in 1824. Hume and Hovell camped near this spot on 28 December 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.

In order to obtain as much publicity as possible for the centenary celebrations of the Hume and Hovell exploratory journey through Victoria, Mr. W. F. Gates, a member of the organising committee, has broadcasted from 3LO the itinerary to be followed by the party which left Melbourne this morning to unveil monuments at the best-known resting places of the explorers. On Sunday a monument at Bent's Lookout, Buffalo, will be unveiled. From there the party will proceed to Beechworth, unveiling tablets at Myrtleford, Whorouly, Everton and Murmungee en route. On Tuesday six monuments between Stanley and Wodonga will be unveiled.

Wednesday will be spent at Albury, where the Governor of Victoria (Lord Stradbroke) will preside over the functions. The party then turns southward, and unveils cairns at Violet Town, Euroa, Avenel and Seymour, whilst a section of the party turns aside and visits Tatong, Yark and Yea. The places nearer Melbourne are holding their celebrations on the actual days that the explorers passed through their districts— 13th to 16th December. The culminating point is Lara, where an imposing statue is being erected in a prominent position on the Geelong-Melbourne road.
Age (Melbourne), 15 November 1924. 

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Dedication