Hume & Hovell Print Page

The cairn commemorates the explorers Hume and Hovell who passed through the area 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.

HUME AND HOVELL CENTENARY. At the Melbourne committee rooms, on Friday, the committee in charge of the centenary celebrations of the Hume and Hovell explorations met to discuss the time-table for the unveiling of monuments along the route followed by the two pioneers. After much discussion, it was agreed that, with the co-operation of the Royal Automobile Club, the route followed would be as follows:— Starting from Bright on Sunday, 16th November, they will unveil a tablet at the foot of Mount Buffalo. On Monday they will proceed via Myrtleford, Whorouly, Everton, Murmungee, and Stanley, staying at Beechworth overnight. Tuesday’s program covers Back Creek, Allen’s Flat, Staghorn Flat, Ebden and Bethanga. Tuesday evening and Wednesday will be spent at Albury, where a sports meeting and concert have been arranged. At Wangaratta the party will divide, the main party proceeding to Benalla, where a civic reception has been arranged. They will proceed through to Violet Town, Euroa, Avenel and Seymour. The remainder will proceed via Hedi, Hansonville, Samaria, and Swanpool to Merton. On the Friday this second party will travel from Avenel through Bonnie Doon and Yarck to Yea. The parties will re-unite at Broadford on the Friday and proceed to Melbourne. Sir J. Barrett (chairman) said the Education Department has arranged demonstrations by school children at all places included in the itinerary, and was making special efforts to interest the children in the history and development of the districts traversed by the explorers.
Upper Murray and Mitta Herald (Vic.), 25 September 1924.

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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