Buckrabanyule, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Buckrabanyule is a tiny township in the North-Central area of the state of Victoria
in Australia
. It is 237 kilometres (147 mi) from Melbourne
, Victoria's capital city.
The Post Office opened on 23 November 1875. It was renamed Hallam in 1884 when an office named Buckrabanyule R.S (for Railway Station) was opened some distance away. This latter office became Buckrabanyule in 1902 and closed in 1992.
Buckrabanyule is an Australian Aboriginal name meaning "last of the hills" or "last of the ranges" which is a rather appropriate description, since geographically, Mount Buckrabanyule (which lies just North of the township) is at the very end of the North-East extension of the Great Dividing Range
. Standing atop Mount Buckrabanyule and looking north, the landscape is very flat all the way to the horizon. Until recently, thanks to the efforts of the Wychitella and District Landcare Group, the mountain was covered in a noxious weed, Wheel Cactus Opuntia robusta
. Its population is only 8, and only qualifies as a "township" because several farmhouses are within a few kilometre's radius. Buckrabanyule is effectively a ghost town
, as many residents left probably due to a shift from railway to road transport and its remote location. The remains of a Community Hall, Fire Station, Post Office and grain silos beside the railway line are all that is left. A church used to operate but was destroyed in a windstorm.
On August 2nd 2009, the community celebrated 100 years of the Buckrabanyule Hall, which was built in 1909 and officially opened on 31st July 1909, by the Hon. T. Langdon. The Hall is still regularly used by locals for meetings, community get-togethers and the annual Christmas Tree.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is 237 kilometres (147 mi) from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria's capital city.
The Post Office opened on 23 November 1875. It was renamed Hallam in 1884 when an office named Buckrabanyule R.S (for Railway Station) was opened some distance away. This latter office became Buckrabanyule in 1902 and closed in 1992.
Buckrabanyule is an Australian Aboriginal name meaning "last of the hills" or "last of the ranges" which is a rather appropriate description, since geographically, Mount Buckrabanyule (which lies just North of the township) is at the very end of the North-East extension of the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
. Standing atop Mount Buckrabanyule and looking north, the landscape is very flat all the way to the horizon. Until recently, thanks to the efforts of the Wychitella and District Landcare Group, the mountain was covered in a noxious weed, Wheel Cactus Opuntia robusta
Opuntia robusta
Opuntia robusta, Wheel Cactus or Camuesa, is a species of cactus in the Cactaceae family. It is native and endemic to Mexico, North America.-Description:...
. Its population is only 8, and only qualifies as a "township" because several farmhouses are within a few kilometre's radius. Buckrabanyule is effectively a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
, as many residents left probably due to a shift from railway to road transport and its remote location. The remains of a Community Hall, Fire Station, Post Office and grain silos beside the railway line are all that is left. A church used to operate but was destroyed in a windstorm.
On August 2nd 2009, the community celebrated 100 years of the Buckrabanyule Hall, which was built in 1909 and officially opened on 31st July 1909, by the Hon. T. Langdon. The Hall is still regularly used by locals for meetings, community get-togethers and the annual Christmas Tree.