Hume & Hovell Print Page

The cairn commemorates the explorers Hume and Hovell who passed through the area on their return journey in 1824. The cairn was unveiled in 1924, the centenary year of the exploration.

In 1824 Hamilton Hume and William Hilton Hovell, encouraged by Governor Brisbane, led an expedition of six convict servants overland to reach the Southern coast. A fortnight after leaving Hume's home at Appin, the party left his station at Gunning, on October 17th 1824. They crossed South Eastern part of the present shire of Benalla, and on the evening Saturday 27th November camped by Hollands Creek. They arrived at Corio Bay on December 16th 1824. 

Their successful trip generated reports of hundreds of miles of good grazing land, well-watered and with a good climate. Many pastoralists began to move into this new territory.

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.

Cairn Unveiling 1924

Location

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Dedication