Myrniong ()'' Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition'' (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. is a town in Victoria,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The town is near the Western Freeway, north west of the state capital,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

and west of

Bacchus Marsh Bacchus Marsh (Wathawurrung: ''Pullerbopulloke'') is an urban centre and suburban locality in Victoria, Australia located approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne and west of Melton, Victoria, Melton at a near equidistance to th ...

. Situated close by the

Lerderderg River The Lerderderg River (known locally as ''The Lerdy'') is a perennial river of the Port Phillip catchment, located in the Western District region of the Australian state of Victoria. Location and features The Lerderderg River rises below the Bl ...

, at the , Myrniong had a population of 404. The town is in the eastern area of

Shire of Moorabool The Shire of Moorabool is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of and, in June 2018, had a population of 34,158. It includes the towns of Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, Balliang, ...

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

. Myrniong was named for the ''murrnong'' plant, the local indigenous word for

yam daisy The murnong or yam daisy is any of the plants ''Microseris walteri'', ''Microseris lanceolata'' and ''Microseris scapigera'', which are an important food source for many Aboriginal peoples in southern parts of Australia. The roots of the murnong p ...

, a popular food source. European settlement began in around 1850 with local farmers producing wheat for hungry gold miners at nearby Blackwood. Later production concentrated on beef and dairy. The Post Office opened on 6 September 1858 as Pentland Hills, was renamed Myrniong in 1872 and closed in 1970. Myrniong is known for its many

bluestone Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including: * basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand * dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge) * felds ...

buildings, including the historic Plough Hotel, established in 1859, and the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

church. Other attractions in the area include Pykes Creek Reservoir, providing water to the

market garden A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumer A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or s ...

s in nearby Bacchus Marsh and Mount Blackwood, an extinct

volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...

offering panoramic views over the Wombat State Forest. and

Werribee Gorge State Park Werribee Gorge State Park is a state park in Victoria, Australia. It is located near Bacchus Marsh and is used by bushwalkers and rock climbers, who are attracted to its views and geological features. Werribee Gorge The main feature of thi ...

. A historic Car sprint is held in the town each April, and in March an annual music event
'Myrniong Music in The Park'
is a fixture on the Blues music Calendar.

References

External links

Visit Moorabool: Myrniong
{{authority control Towns in Victoria (Australia)