The Redmonds’ forge in Woodend was a place where not only could you get your horse shod or your wagon repaired but you could be sure of a warm welcome.
To health and happiness
The Commercial Hotel in Lancefield was commandeered for use by the health services during the Spanish flu of 1919. The first two patients didn’t need admitting, though – they were the hotel’s licensees.
Lead your horse to water
Bills horse troughs were mostly built in the 1930s and were dotted across Victoria and NSW. In total, more than 500 were installed in Australia and overseas. Today they stand modestly in many of our villages.
Last one standing
Malmsbury Hotel was one of many hotels threatened with closure as part of a licensing reduction program. By June 1936, it was one of only two that remained in the village.
Flock to the Rock
Until European settlement, Hanging Rock was hidden in the landscape by trees and undergrowth. It was part of the run that Edward Dryden leased from the government for £10 a year from 1839 until the land was surveyed in the 1850s.
The mystery of the missing stone
Woodend’s Five Mile Creek bridge was widened in 1958. Every stone was numbered and put back in its original place, except for one.