Hume & HovellPrint Page

The cairn was erected in memory of explorers Hume and Hovell who camped at the spot 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.

There was a short but impressive ceremony at Samaria on Thursday 20th inst., when the Hume and Hovell memorial was unveiled in the presence of a large gathering. The official party, consisting of Messrs Hansord, G. Barret, Carr and four young brothers named Hume (descendantsof the famous explorer), were welcomed and introduced by Mr. G. Hewson, chairman of the local committee. In the course of an interesting address, Mr. Hansford described in detail the immensity of the task undertaken by the expedition, and the manner in which it was accomplished. Several years ago he said, Sir James Barrett and others associated with him considered that all effort should be made to celebrate the centenary of the journey, and now the originators of the movement were staggered by the enthusiastic manner in which the people all along the route had responded, and had made the celebrations such a magnificent success.

Mr G. Barret said that he was struck not only by the enthusiasm of the people, but by the wonderful hospitality extended to them everywhere they had been. They had unveiled many cairns during their itinerary, but this one—a concrete obelisk six feet high, surmountedby an arrow indicating the direction taken by the explorers and erected on a huge rock was both original and unique, and from where he stood the valley below him — that of Samaria (originally named Norton's Meadows by the explorers) presented one of the most beautiful scenes he had ever looked upon. Mr. Carr also spoke, and Master Walter Hume, in a quaint little speech expressed his thanks for the reception they had received. Little Miss Phyllis Brown unveiled the marble tablet, bearing the inscription -  "Erected by Samaria residents, November 1924, in memory of Hume and Hovell, who camped on this spot, on 28th November, 1824." After a vote of thanks had been accorded at the instance of Mr. J. Ginnivan, and the singing of the National Anthem, the visiting party left for Swanpool. Lunch was provided by the ladies in the shade of the trees around the cairn, and the remainder of the day was spent on the tennis courts. An enjoyable social in the evening brought the celebrations to a close.
Benalla Standard (Vic), 28 November 1924. 

Location

Details

Dedication