Myrniong ()
['' Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition'' (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ] is a town in
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
,
Australia. 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. 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.
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)
* fe ...
buildings, including the historic Plough Hotel, established in 1859, and the
Anglican 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 consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to ...
s in nearby Bacchus Marsh and
Mount Blackwood, an extinct
volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the Crust (geology), crust of a Planet#Planetary-mass objects, planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic gas, gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Ear ...
offering panoramic views over the
Wombat State Forest
The Wombat State Forest (locally: Bullarook) is located west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, between Woodend and Daylesford, at the Great Dividing Range. The forest is approximately in size and sits upon Ordovician or Cenozoic sediments. ...
. 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 t ...
. 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
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Towns in Victoria (Australia)