Narbethong is a town in central

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. It is located on the

Maroondah Highway Maroondah Highway (also known as Whitehorse Road from Deepdene, Victoria, Deepdene to Mitcham, Victoria, Mitcham) is a major east–west thoroughfare in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and a highway connecting the north-eastern fringes of Mel ...

, north east 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 ...

. At the 2016 census, Narbethong and the surrounding area had a population of 205.

History

The first European settlement at Narbethong was established in about 1865 by Frederick Fisher. Fisher built a 12-room hotel, the ''Black Spur Inn'', on the road which was being built to link Melbourne with the new goldfield at

Woods Point Woods Point is a small town in Victoria, Australia, Victoria, Australia and is located on the banks of the Goulburn River. At the , Woods Point and the surrounding area had a population of 37, down from 94 in 2006. History The town began as a g ...

. Fisher came from the town of Narberth in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, so it is likely that the name Narbethong was based on that. However, there are also claims that Narbethong is an Aboriginal word meaning ''cheerful'', or ''cheerful place''. Narbethong Post Office opened on 16 October 1883 in a small room at the hotel. In about 1886 the post office moved from the hotel into a small building. The telegraph service was connected to Narbethong in 1891, with the wires being strung along fences and attached to trees. In 1939 the post office building, which was then part of a store and petrol station, was completely destroyed in the

Black Friday bushfires The Black Friday bushfires of 13 January 1939, in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, were part of the devastating 1938–1939 bushfire season in Australia, which saw Bushfires in Australia, bushfires burning for the whole summer, and ash ...

. The Post Office closed in 1993. A primary school opened in Narbethong on 7 July 1903. It originally was part-time, sharing a teacher with Marysville and

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.

. In 1913, the Healesville Shire health officer reported that a lack of ventilation made the building a health hazard for students and teachers. A new school building was officially opened by Lord Huntingfield, the

Governor of Victoria The governor of Victoria is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria. The governor is one of seven viceregal representatives in the country, analogous to the governors of the other states, and the ...

, on 9 April 1937. The town was devastated in the Black Friday bushfires in 1939. Initial reports suggested that the hotel was the only building left standing. but other buildings survived including the school and The Hermitage. Narbethong was again severely affected by the

Black Saturday bushfires The Black Saturday bushfires were a series of bushfires that either ignited or were already burning across the Australian state of Victoria on and around Saturday, 7 February 2009, and were among Australia's all-time worst bushfire disasters. T ...

in 2009. In 2011, a new public hall was built using local timbers, with the whole building being wrapped in a bronze mesh fire resistant screen. It was officially opened on 26 November 2011 by the Governor of Victoria,

Alex Chernov Alex Chernov, (born 12 May 1938) is an Australian lawyer, judge and barrister who served as the 28th Governor of Victoria, from 2011 to 2015. Chernov also served as Vice-President of the Australian Bar Association, from 1986 to 1987, President ...

. A scene in the 1959 film '' On the Beach'' was set in Narbethong. It featured the characters played by

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

and

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...

spending their first night together.

References

External links

*
Narbethong Post Office 1901 photograph

Narbethong Post Office 1925 photograph
Towns in Victoria (Australia) Towns in Lower Hume Shire of Murrindindi {{Hume-geo-stub