Digby is a town in the Western District of Victoria

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....

, Australia. The town is in the Shire of Glenelg, 366 kilometres (227.4 mi) west of the state capital, 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...

 on Stokes River, a tributary of the Glenelg

Glenelg River (Victoria)

The Glenelg River is a river in southwestern Victoria and southeastern South Australia in Australia. The river starts in the Grampian Ranges and runs for over 350 kilometres, making it the longest river in south-west Victoria. A short stretch of the lower end winds through South Australia before...

. At the 2006 census

Census in Australia

The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...

, Digby and the surrounding area had a population of 369. The town is named after Digby, Lincolnshire

Digby, Lincolnshire

Digby is a small village and civil parish in the district of North Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England. The village lies in the vale of the Digby Beck watercourse, north of the town of Sleaford and miles south of the city of Lincoln...

 in England.

The Henty Brothers

Henty Brothers

Henty Brothers may refer to one of:* James Henty founded James Henty and Company, merchants* William Henty solicitor, member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council for Tamar, and colonial secretary in the Weston cabinet....

 established the first European settlement in the Digby area in 1837. In 1843, The Woolpack Inn was establish near modern Digby; it burnt down in 1887. By 1847 the town consisted of the inn, a blacksmith

Blacksmith

A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...

 and a series of huts. The town was officially surveyed in 1852.

In 1857, a second inn—the Digby Hotel—was established; the hotel still exists today, although rebuilt after fire in 1935. Shortly afterwards, on 1 June 1858, Digby Post Office opened.

The Digby Mechanics Institute

Cultural institutions in Australia

From 1827, mechanics' institutes, literary institutes, athenaeums and schools of arts played an important role in the life of early Australian communities...

 was built in 1868 and has continually operated since. The first sitting of the Supreme Court of Victoria

Supreme Court of Victoria

The Supreme Court of Victoria is the superior court for the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1852, and is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited jurisdiction within the state...

outside Melbourne was in Digby in 1869. By 1874 the town had a post office, two hotels, four shops and a school.