Gembrook, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Gembrook is a town in Victoria
, Australia
, 54 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district
. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Cardinia
. At the 2006 Census, Gembrook had a population of 1628.
Gembrook is a popular destination for the residents of Melbourne
as it is less than 1.5 hours drive from the city centre.
The Post Office opened on 5 October 1877.
, these days known as Puffing Billy, brought tourists from Melbourne, as well as enabling timber and local produce, including fruit trees and potatoes, to be taken back to Melbourne. At its peak there were more than 20 timber
mills operating in Gembrook and the surrounding area, with tramways operating between the mills and the railway station. The Ranges hotel, which still operates today, was built in 1901 to cater for the local population as well as day trippers from Melbourne
. After the devastating fires in 1926 and 1939 which destroyed many of the timber mills, there was talk of closing the line. The line eventually closed on 30 April 1954 after a landslide blocked part of the line the previous year (the line was already in decline because motor traffic had replaced much of the railways patronage). Soon after this time (between 1958 and 1962) the broad gauge line to Upper Ferntree Gully was extended to Belgrave which is less than 18 km away from Gembrook. In 1962, the western end of the Gembrook railway line which extended from Belgrave to Menzies Creek was reopened as a heritage tourist railway. Later extensions to Emerald in 1965, and Lakeside (in Emerald Lake Park) in 1975, were opened and finally the last section to Gembrook in 1998, which saw the complete service resume between Belgrave
and Gembrook. A short section from Gembrook towards Cockatoo was gradually reopened in the early 1990s
as restoration work progressed.
, and is within the state electoral area of Gembrook
, and the federal electorate area of La Trobe
.
Gembrook is served by a daily bus service (route ) running from/to Belgrave
. A Friday evening and Saturday/Sunday service also runs from/to Fountain Gate
shopping centre at Narre Warren
.
Together with its neighbouring township Cockatoo
, Gembrook has an Australian Rules football team (Gembrook Cockatoo) competing in the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League
.
Gembrook is also home to one of the most highly regarded wineries in the Yarra Valley, Gembrook Hill. The vines were planted in 1983 and the site is regarded as one of the best in the region for cool climate winemaking.
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
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...
, 54 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Cardinia
Shire of Cardinia
Cardinia Shire is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located south-east of Melbourne between the Western Port bay and the Yarra Ranges on the outskirts of Melbourne...
. At the 2006 Census, Gembrook had a population of 1628.
Gembrook is a popular destination for the residents of 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...
as it is less than 1.5 hours drive from the city centre.
History
Gembrook was settled in 1873 for farming and timber; the surrounding countryside was suitable for both dairy and orchards. Timber provided income while farms were established. The name Gembrook came from the small gems that were found in small creeks and watercourses in the surrounding area.The Post Office opened on 5 October 1877.
The railway line
The Gembrook railway line was opened from Upper Ferntree Gully on the 18th December 1900. The narrow gauge lineNarrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways
The former Victorian Railways, the state railway authority in Victoria, Australia built a number of experimental narrow gauge railway lines around the beginning of the 20th century. Although all were closed by the early 1960s, parts of two have been reopened as heritage railways.- Background :A...
, these days known as Puffing Billy, brought tourists from Melbourne, as well as enabling timber and local produce, including fruit trees and potatoes, to be taken back to Melbourne. At its peak there were more than 20 timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
mills operating in Gembrook and the surrounding area, with tramways operating between the mills and the railway station. The Ranges hotel, which still operates today, was built in 1901 to cater for the local population as well as day trippers 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...
. After the devastating fires in 1926 and 1939 which destroyed many of the timber mills, there was talk of closing the line. The line eventually closed on 30 April 1954 after a landslide blocked part of the line the previous year (the line was already in decline because motor traffic had replaced much of the railways patronage). Soon after this time (between 1958 and 1962) the broad gauge line to Upper Ferntree Gully was extended to Belgrave which is less than 18 km away from Gembrook. In 1962, the western end of the Gembrook railway line which extended from Belgrave to Menzies Creek was reopened as a heritage tourist railway. Later extensions to Emerald in 1965, and Lakeside (in Emerald Lake Park) in 1975, were opened and finally the last section to Gembrook in 1998, which saw the complete service resume between Belgrave
Belgrave
-People with the surname Belgrave:*Barrington Belgrave*Charles Belgrave, a British adviser to the rulers of Bahrain from 1926 to 1957*James Belgrave*John Belgrave*Marcus Belgrave-Other:*Belgrave, Cheshire, a village*Belgrave, Lancashire, a village...
and Gembrook. A short section from Gembrook towards Cockatoo was gradually reopened in the early 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
as restoration work progressed.
Modern Gembrook
Today Gembrook is seen as a suburb of Melbourne as it is within the Melbourne metropolitan area. Gembrook no longer relies on the income generated from farming and lumber but rather from tourism and other professional services. The current population of Gembrook is over 1,600. The town is located within the Shire of CardiniaShire of Cardinia
Cardinia Shire is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located south-east of Melbourne between the Western Port bay and the Yarra Ranges on the outskirts of Melbourne...
, and is within the state electoral area of Gembrook
Electoral district of Gembrook
The Electoral district of Gembrook is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is situated just outside metropolitan Melbourne...
, and the federal electorate area of La Trobe
Division of La Trobe
The Division of La Trobe is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the outer eastern/south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It was originally located closer to the city, but redistributions moved it further south-east. It originally included the suburbs of Croydon,...
.
Gembrook is served by a daily bus service (route ) running from/to Belgrave
Belgrave, Victoria
Belgrave is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Belgrave had a population of 4094...
. A Friday evening and Saturday/Sunday service also runs from/to Fountain Gate
Westfield Fountain Gate
Westfield Fountain Gate is a super regional shopping centre located in Narre Warren in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia...
shopping centre at Narre Warren
Narre Warren, Victoria
Narre Warren is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 42 km south east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Narre Warren had a population of 25,667. Narre Warren has a population density of over 2000 people per square...
.
Together with its neighbouring township Cockatoo
Cockatoo, Victoria
Cockatoo is a town in Victoria, Australia, 48 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Cardinia. At the 2006 Census, Cockatoo had a population of 4,560....
, Gembrook has an Australian Rules football team (Gembrook Cockatoo) competing in the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League
Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League
The Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in Victoria to the east and northeast of Melbourne.-History:...
.
Gembrook is also home to one of the most highly regarded wineries in the Yarra Valley, Gembrook Hill. The vines were planted in 1983 and the site is regarded as one of the best in the region for cool climate winemaking.
External links
- Gembrook Village website Information on the Gembrook area
- Gembrook Rural Fire Brigade website Information about the township's fire brigade