Kyneton, Victoria
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Kyneton ( ) is a town in the Macedon Ranges region of central Victoria,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. The Calder Freeway bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. The town has three main streets: Mollison Street, Piper Street and High Street. Piper Street has the oldest streetscape of these, and still has many of its original buildings. The
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
, about from Melbourne on the
Deniliquin railway line The Deniliquin railway line (also known as the Bendigo railway line or the Echuca railway line) is a broad-gauge railway line serving north-western Victoria, Australia. The line runs from the New South Wales town of Deniliquin into Bendigo, ...
, is a terminus for two weekday peak-hour trains. The town is the council seat of the Shire of Macedon Ranges. At the 2021 census, Kyneton recorded a population of 7,513.


History

The region is located on the border of Djadjawurrung and Taungurong country. Before British colonisation these
Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...
people resided mostly along the Coliban and Campaspe Rivers. Village-like communities existed in particular in the area around the junction of these rivers. Large in-ground stone ovens which they used to cook meat and murnong were commonly found in the region. Major Thomas Mitchell, New South Wales Surveyor-General crossed and named the Campaspe River near present-day Kyneton on his 1836 expedition. Charles Ebden was the first British colonist to occupy the region that includes the site of Kyneton. On 26 May 1837, he established a
sheep station A sheep station is a large property ( station, the equivalent of a ranch) in Australia or New Zealand, whose main activity is the raising of sheep for their wool and/or meat. In Australia, sheep stations are usually in the south-east or sout ...
which he called Carlsruhe 6 km south of what is now Kyneton. Thomas Walker, a Sydney businessman, walked from Sydney to Melbourne in 1837, recording the trip in a journal "A month in the Bush of Australia". Thomas Walker met Ebden in May 1837 on the journey south. In June 1838 the Waterloo Plains massacre of 8 - 23 Djadjawurrung people occurred on the newly established Barfold sheep run north of Kyneton. Unlike a majority of towns in the area, Kyneton predates the separation of the Port Phillip District from the Colony of New South Wales and the Victorian gold rushes, having been established in 1850, whereas separation occurred and the gold rushes started the year after. Construction of Kyneton’s oldest surviving stone building, the Church of England Rectory, located at 61 Ebden Street, commenced in 1850 and is a rare surviving example of a pre-gold rush and pre-separation dwelling. At this time, Kyneton was a growing rural centre, and served as a major stop for those heading to the gold rushes at
Mount Alexander Mount Alexander is a mountain located approximately 125 km north-west of Melbourne, near the town of Harcourt. It rises 350 metres above the surrounding area to a level of 744 metres above sea level. Being a prominent local landmark, ...
and
Bendigo Bendigo ( ) is an Australian city in north-central Victoria. The city is located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. As of 2022, Bendigo has a popula ...
. The post office opened on 1 July 1843 as Mount Macedon and was renamed Kyneton on 1 January 1854. Local government came to Kyneton with the proclamation of the Kyneton Municipal District in 1857. This body was short-lived, as it was amalgamated with the Carlsruhe, the Lauriston & Edgecombe, and the Tylden & Trentham Road Districts in December 1864 to form the Kyneton United Road District. The Kyneton United Road District was almost immediately redesignated as Kyneton Shire in January 1865. It absorbed part of Glenlyon Shire in 1873, Malmsbury Borough in 1915 and part of Ballan Shire in 1921. In 1995 Kyneton Shire was abolished by part being amalgamated with Creswick Shire, part of Daylesford & Glenlyon Shire and part of Talbot & Clunes Shire to form Hepburn Shire, and the remainder being amalgamated with Gisborne Shire, Newham & Woodend Shire and Romsey Shire to form Macedon Ranges Shire. Joseph Furphy (aka Tom Collins) attended Kyneton primary school in the mid-1850s. In November 1857, the humanitarian
Caroline Chisholm Caroline Chisholm ( ; born Caroline Jones; 30 May 1808 – 25 March 1877) was an English humanitarian known mostly for her support of immigrant female and family welfare in Australia. She is commemorated on 16 May in the Calendar of saints (Ch ...
moved her family to Kyneton, where her husband Archibald sat on the magistrates' bench and their two elder sons ran a store. Kyneton Mounted Rifle Corps was formed in 1859, as one of the volunteer brigades set up when Britain was involved in wars in Afghanistan, Crimea and India. The Kyneton Mounted Rifle Corps was among the earliest in the colony of Victoria. The corps was later amalgamated in the 1880s to form the Victorian Mounted Rifles. Although the individual volunteer units had been disbanded by Federation (1901), many members became part of the 4th and 12th regiments of Light Horse at the
Battle of Beersheba (1917) The Battle of Beersheba (, )The several battles fought for the Gaza to Beersheba line between 31 October and 7 November were all assigned the title Third Battle of Gaza, although they took place many miles apart, and were fought by different c ...
against Turkish troops of the Ottoman Empire. Henry Gregory (politician) (1860-1940), Western Australian State and Federal politician, was born and educated in Kyneton. Sir Stanley Argyle, Premier of Victoria 1932–35, was born in Kyneton in 1867 and the family lived at Rock House, a double fronted double story bluestone house that still stands to the west of the town on the banks of the Campaspe River. Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Hurry (1868-1951), Commander of the 38th Battalion AIF in France in 1918, was born and died in Kyneton. He was the Member for Bendigo in the Commonwealth Parliament from 1922 until 1929. The Kyneton Courthouse tried
Ned Kelly Edward Kelly (December 185411 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader, bank robber and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing armour of the Kelly gang, a suit of bulletproof ...
in 1870 for robbery under arms. This courthouse has since continued to function, although only as a
magistrates' court A magistrates' court is a lower court where, in several Jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions, all criminal proceedings start. Also some civil matters may be dealt with here, such as family proceedings. Courts * Magistrates' court (England and Wales) ...
on Mondays.


Population

In the 2021 Census, there were 7,513 people in Kyneton. 79.5% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England at 4.2%. 89.1% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 48.2%, Catholic 20.7% and Anglican 9.2%.


Notable residents

* Stanley Argyle * Warwick Armstrong * Alexander Burton * Ian Castles * Joe Camilleri * Robert Elliott (Victorian politician) * Bill Farnan * Alexander Fraser (Australian politician) * Henry Gregory (politician) * Rowland Holle * Geoffry Hurry * Polly Hurry * Wilfrid Nelson Isaac * Philip Le Couteur * David Leahy * Martin McKenna (politician) * Tamra Mercieca * Bob Morley * Josephine Muntz Adams * Walter Reddrop * Frederick Shedden * Clara Southern * Syd Stirling * Tom Sutherland (footballer) * Brettena Smyth * Henry Wells (general) * H.A. Willis * Caroline Chisholm (Humanitarian)


Media

Kyneton's main locally produced newspaper is the '' Midland Express'', which also serves the surrounding region. The town receives television from
Mount Alexander Mount Alexander is a mountain located approximately 125 km north-west of Melbourne, near the town of Harcourt. It rises 350 metres above the surrounding area to a level of 744 metres above sea level. Being a prominent local landmark, ...
, and is served by a community radio station
100.7 Highlands FM
based in Woodend.


Climate

Kyneton has a temperate mediterranean climate (''Csb''), with distinctly cold mornings in the summer. Cold fronts occur frequently throughout much of the year, and even in summer they are a fairly regular occurrence. Light snowfalls occur sporadically in the cooler months and sleet is a common feature.


Tourist attractions

Kyneton offers tourists several points of interest locally including the Botanic Gardens (established in the mid-1800s) and several walks along the Campaspe River. Various Farmers Markets and festivals throughout the year make the town popular as a day trip destination. The township also serves as a starting point for many nearby destinations, such as Trentham Falls and Hanging Rock in
Newham The London Borough of Newham () is a London boroughs, London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of County Borough of West Ham, West Ham and County ...
. There are many attractions that can be accessed from Kyneton’s Northern Gateway including Black Hill Reserve, Bald Hill Reserve, Green Hill, Turpin Falls, Kyneton golf course, Kyneton Bushland Resort, Kyneton Ridge Winery, the Northern Biolinks corridor, Rollinson Reserve Horse riding facilities, The Cascades, etc Kyneton Museum, located in the old Bank of New South Wales building (built in 1856), houses an extensive collection of local historical items. Being located well away from any heavily populated areas and their inherent
light pollution Light pollution is the presence of any unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive artificial Visible spectrum, lighting. In a descriptive sense, the term ''light pollution'' refers to the effects of any poorly implemented lighting sources, during the ...
, Kyneton is also a destination for astronomers seeking a clear view of the Southern Hemisphere night skies due to relatively low light pollution levels as opposed to Australian cities. Th
Cobaw Plateau
is host to a 500-hectare facility for astronomical observation.


Arts and Culture

The Macedon Ranges is home to the most artists per capita in Victoria. Kyneton, with the beauty in the changing seasons and enthusiastic cafe culture, is a hub for artists and crafts people. Kyneton is where the annual Lost Trades Fair and the Daffodil Festival were founded. It is home to many galleries and artist studios, including: :Stockroom, The Old Auction house, cusack&CUSACK, The Golden Dog Gallery, Art on Piper, Lauriston Press, John Lloyd Gallery and Colours of White. The Macedon Ranges holds two art specific events, The Daylesford and Macedon Ranges open studios, and the Macedon Ranges Arts Trail. It is also home to quaint bookstores and many excellent cafes.


Education

Kyneton is centrally located among several outlying towns and serves as an educational hub for primary and secondary students. The following educational institutions are located in the main township: * Kyneton Primary School * Our Lady of the Rosary, Kyneton * Kyneton High School * Sacred Heart College, Kyneton * Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT), NMIT Kyneton Park Training Centre (Kyneton Racecourse)


Sport

The town has an
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
team, Kyneton Football Club, competing in the Riddell District Football League. Kyneton has a horse racing club, the Kyneton District Racing Club, which schedules around sixteen race meetings a year including the Kyneton Cup meeting in November (always the day after the
Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the ...
). In 2009, the Kyneton District Racing Club partnered with the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE to use the facilities of the racecourse and its extensive grounds as an educational training facility. Golfers play at the course of the Kyneton Golf Club on Black Hill Road. Kyneton has a football team "The Rangers" which compete in the Melbourne Division 3 under the FFV banner.
Kyneton Croquet Club
is the oldest
Croquet Croquet ( or ) is a sport which involves hitting wooden, plastic, or composite balls with a mallet through hoops (often called Wicket, "wickets" in the United States) embedded in a grass playing court. Variations In all forms of croquet, in ...
club in Victoria.


Heritage listings

Kyneton contains a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 1 Mollison Street: Kyneton railway station * 81 Mollison Street: Kyneton Mechanics Institute and Library * 113 Mollison Street: Kyneton Post Office * Mollison and Clowes Streets: Kyneton Botanic Gardens * 3 Piper Street: Kyneton Freemasons Hall * 11 Piper Street: Stonemasons Yard * 18-20 Piper Street: Willis Flour Mill * 38 Piper Street: Velvet Soap Advertising Sign * 67 Piper Street: Bank of New South Wales Building * 68-74 Piper Street 61 Ebden Street, Kyneton, Church of England Old Rectory * 1A Hutton Street: Kyneton Court House * 28 Hutton Street: Kyneton Congregational Church * 688 Cobb and Co Road: Degraves Mill * 688 Cobb and Co Road: Skelsmergh Hall * 1203 Kyneton-Metcalfe Road: Windmill Farm * Burton Avenue: St Agnes Homestead * 67 Simpson Street: Kyneton District Hospital * 93 Harts Lane: Insitu Horseworks * 1-9 Epping Street: Kyneton Secondary College Buildings and Garden


References


External links


Kyneton District Business and Tourism Association
{{authority control Towns in Victoria (state) Shire of Macedon Ranges Mining towns in Victoria (state)