Hume & Hovell Print Page

The memorial commemorates the explorers Hume and Hovell. The memorial was unveiled in 1924, the centenary year of their exploration. A supplementary tribute was unveiled on the 1st July 1927. 

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.

After a motor tour of nearly 500 miles between Melbourne and the River Murray, through the North-Eastern districts of Victoria, the Hume and Hovell centenary party, led by Sir James Barrett, returned to Melbourne yesterday afternoon. For the last three days of the tour the party had been divided into two sections in order to cover the northward and southward routes of the explorers, and by the time all sections of the party returned to the city 25 cairns and memorials between the Murray and Seymour had been unveiled with suitable ceremonies. Sir James Barrett and his section of the party arrived on Thursday night at Seymour, while the other section stayed for the night at Yea. Yesterday morning both sections set out upon the last stage of the journey. Sir James Barrett and Mr. W. F. Gates officiated at the unveiling ceremony at Seymour, and the other section of the party performed unveilings at Yea and Strath Creek.
The Argus (Melbourne), 22 November 1924.

Mr C.R. Long formerly editor of the School Paper, unveiled at Strath Creek today a memorial to Hume and Hovell - the explorers. This tribute is supplementary to the 37 memorials, erected in 1924 to form a chain from the Murray to Port Phillip Bay.  As there is a long distance between Yea and Broadford, the Strath Creek village has had its desire gratified to form a link in the chain. 
Herald (Melbourne), 1 July 1927.

Centenary Memorials Itinerary 1924

Location

Details

Dedication