Upper Beaconsfield
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Beaconsfield Upper 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 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 ...
, 45 km south-east of Melbourne's
Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
, located within the
Shire of Cardinia The Shire of Cardinia is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, in the south-east of Melbourne between Western Port and the Yarra Ranges on the outskirts of Melbourne. It has an area of 1,283 square kilometres, and had a population of ...
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 ...
. Beaconsfield Upper recorded a population of 2,997 at the 2021 census.


History

Squatters grazed sheep and cattle in Berwick Shire from the 1830s but there was little interest in the difficult terrain and poor soils in the hills.In the Wake of the Pack Tracks The discovery of gold in 1872 led to the application of Section 49 of the Land Act to the area, which provided attractive terms to small selectors. An early pioneer, William Brisbane, named his guesthouse "Beaconsfield House" after the then British Prime Minister
Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...
(Lord Beaconsfield). When "Beaconsfield" Post Office opened on 7 October 1878, Brisbane was the first postmaster. The Melbourne to Sale Railway line opened in 1879 and later that year, a platform built at the Cardinia Creek crossing was named Beaconsfield. The Beaconsfield Post office was renamed Beaconsfield Upper in 1891. Early settlers tended to be small mixed farmers or Melbournites with weekenders. By 1912, there was a school, a hall, a general store and post office plus six guesthouses and the Pinegrove Hotel. In February 1983, the
Ash Wednesday fires The Ash Wednesday bushfires, known in South Australia as Ash Wednesday II, were a series of bushfires that occurred in south-eastern Australia on 16 February 1983, which was Ash Wednesday. Within twelve hours, more than 180 fires fanned by hot ...
swept through the area destroying many houses and claiming lives.


Today

The town can be referred to colloquially as Upper Beac and Upper Beacy. A community newsletter, the ''Village Bell'', is published quarterly by the Upper Beaconsfield Association. Sport and leisure facilities include a busy community centre, recreation reserve for cricket, football and scouting groups, a pony and riding club, tennis club and a number of parks and reserves. Golfers play at the Beaconhills Country Club on Stoney Creek Road. Community organisations include 3 and 4 year old kindergartens, primary school, St John's Anglican church, hall and meeting room, a nursing home,
Country Fire Authority The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is a volunteer fire service responsible for fire suppression, rescues, and response to other accidents and hazards across most of the state Victoria, Australia. CFA comprises over 1,200 brigades organised in 21 ...
, and a
men's shed Men's sheds or community sheds are non-profit local organisations that provide a space for craftwork and social interaction. The movement originated in Australia around the 1980s as a way to improve the health and wellbeing of older men. Howev ...
. The community centre provides crèche, maternal and child health, internet access and a variety of classes and courses. A mobile library visits weekly.


See also

*
Shire of Pakenham The Shire of Pakenham was a local government area about southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1862 until 1994. History The Berwick Road District was incorporated on ...
– Beaconsfield Upper was previously within this former local government area.


References

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External links


Eastern Dandenong Ranges
Towns in Victoria (Australia) Shire of Cardinia