Inverleigh Pioneer Heritage Walk
The Inverleigh Pioneer Heritage Walk is a short trail around the township that highlights the fascinating history involved with Inverleigh. The walk passes many of the historic buildings and sites and takes only an hour to complete.
Inverleigh Pioneer Heritage Walk Map
Lawson's Park (playground) is the starting point for all trails.
The Township Heritage Trail can be undertaken on foot, bicycle or vehicle, however it is designed to be a pleasant and informative walk taking about one hour to complete at a leisurely pace. Cars can be parked at Lawson's Park.
From Lawson's Park, follow the information signage directions to Lawson's Tree, about 130 metres in a westerly direction.
Opposite Lawson's Tree is the Cobb and Co. Hotel built in the late 1850's to replace Lawson's Horseshoe Inn (operating 1843), which is almost entirely obscured by trees. At the rear of the inn are the Cobb and Co. stables. (Note that this is a private residence, please respect the owner's right to privacy).
Follow the track closest to the river back past the playground to the bluestone remnants of the 1856 Bridge to Geelong (reported to be "one of the most substantial in the colony" at the time).
After viewing the old bridge abutment, continue under the present Hamilton Highway Road Bridge, continuing just past the bridge until the old hotel is in view on the right.
Follow the track to the present Hotel (bluestone, operating around 1860), continuing west past the Hotel along High Street.
Opposite the Township Display Gazebo (see the current display here) is the old bakery which is presently being restored. From the bakery continue west to Dundas Street (garage corner) and turn left.
Continue along Dundas St until just before railway line, the old Methodist church (National Trust oldest recorded primitive Methodist church) is on the left.
Do a U turn and then turn left into Napier St for one block, then right into Newman St back towards High St. Turn left into High St service road. Continue West along High St past RSL at West St. Note Inverleigh Public Hall (the Mechanic's Institute and Free Library, opened 1866) on left. Continue west to Whistlers Cottage gift shop (originally a Store and Carrier).
Continue west to a monument for local soldiers killed in World War 1 and 2, Korea and Vietnam. Adjacent is another monument to a single local soldier killed in the Boer war (earliest monument to a soldier in Victoria).
Carefully cross the Hamilton Highway and head back towards town along the service road to the Catholic Church on the left, opposite the Inverleigh Public Hall.
Continue past the Tennis Club to the Inverleigh Primary School which incorporates the original Presbyterian School building (operating in early 1856, taken over by the Board of Education in 1872).
Optional walk over Federation Bridge (suspension footbridge):
Proceed down Newman Street, continue along path to the bridge then cross over.
Fifty metres to the left is a river bank excavation which provided clay for the old brick kiln, 100 meters to the right are fruit trees of a historic orchard (commercial orchards were operating from the 1850's).
Return back to Newman Street and proceed to the Anglican church on the corner of Newman & High Street. Turn left into service road and.....
Otherwise:
Continue along High St back towards Lawson's Park. On the left is Inverleigh General Store and Post Office (rendered bluestone).
Continue in an easterly direction back to your starting point at Lawson's Park.
Historical Sites
Lawson's Tree
William Lawson, was a blacksmith at Weatherboard Station, property of the Derwent Company which settled the area around the junction of the Barwon and Leigh Rivers between 1836 and 1838. He is credited with the beginning of the Inverleigh township which was formerly called Lawsons.
He set up home here under what is now known as "Lawson's Tree" near the ford on the road to Geelong. It is not known what sort of accommodation he made for himself, whether a canvas topped timber walled shack, or something more or perhaps less elaborate. He possible settled in this spot so that he could do some "freelance" work, shoeing horses of travellers from or to Geelong who would come this way to cross the ford.
By 1842 he had opened the Horseshoe Inn, just across the track and opposite the site of the present hotel. The Horseshoe Inn was originally a slab hut, which he later rebuilt with local timber and bricks. He left the district in 1852.
Lawson's Horseshoe Inn
Lawson's Inn was the first building in the town and was opened by William Lawson, a former blacksmith with the Derwent Company. Although the timber and brick Inn was operating in 1843, it was not granted a licence until 1850.
During the early 1860's, W. Hewitt built the present brick building to replace the rather primitive timber and brick Horseshoe Inn.
During coaching days, the Mail Coaches changed their horses at Inverleigh Cobb & Co. which maintained a large stable at the rear of the building. A room upstairs was used as a courtroom. The Magistrate would take a day to get to Inverleigh, work a day, then return to Geelong the following day. (NOT OPEN for inspection)
Inverleigh Hotel
This hotel, situated near the bridge and built of bluestone, would have been built after the bridge works of the 1850's on the new road.
Nothing is known of its origins except that it has been serving the public since the 1860's. Like the older hotel it has never had a permanent name.
Inverleigh Bakery
David and Fiona Stevens have bought the old bakery and have already started restoration.
They are intending to create a cafe and bakery which will use the original wood fired ovens. Restumping and reflooring work has already commenced, the original slate roof and weatherboard walls will be retained. False ceilings throughout are to be removed to get back to the original high ceilings to recapture the feel of the old building.
The Methodist Church
The earliest services appear to have been held about 1860. The ministers came from Buninyong and early in 1862 there were sufficient families in the district to warrant the building of a chapel.
The building was to have a shingle roof. The chapel was opened between the 18th of November and the 22nd of December 1862.
The church was closed for some 30 years and was used by the V.D.C. during the war. It was reopened in November 1948 by Rev. A. Pedrick as part of the Bannockburn Home Mission Station. As families grew up and
left the district it was again found necessary to cease services, and the final service was held in December 1973. With the coming of the Uniting Church in 1977, the church and property was sold to the Bannockburn
Shire in 1975.
Inverleigh Mechanic's Institute and Free Library
A meeting was held at Hewitt's Hotel on 6th October 1865, to elect a committee to organise the formation of a Mechanic's Institute and Library and the building of a suitable hall to house it in.
On the 1st November 1865 tenders were called for, and an application made to the Government for a grant to buy books for the library.
The hall was opened on the 27th March 1866, and Mr. H. Saville was appointed librarian. A reading room was added in 1882 by J. Colquhoun at a cost of 22 Pounds 6/-. In 1887 the shingle roof was replaced with iron. Numerous other changes were made to the building during the early twentieth century.
Whistler's Cottage
Built in the 1850's and was lived in by Thomas Berridge. Thomas owned all the land west of the Mechanics Institute, which was built and opened in March 1866.
Over the years the land was subdivided and the cottage was bought by Geoff Harrison. The cottage was then standing on half an acre of land.
During the Second World War he manufactured bolts etc. for the war effort.
The cottage is now known as Whistlers Cottage, and is used as a Gallery for antiques and crafts, Devonshire Teas, also small Private dinner parties and light lunches.
OPENING TIMES: Saturday, 1.00 -5.00 p.m. Fri, Sun & Mon, 10.30 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
World War 1 Monuments
Two monuments exist in Inverleigh:
The first is regarded as the earliest monument erected to a fallen soldier in Victoria. The memorial was erected to the memory of Sergeant Major Albert Houghton who was killed in the Boer War 14th October 1901. "He did his duty as a soldier and a man."
The second monument was erected after the First World War by the forerunner of the R.S.L. to their fallen comrades.
The Presbyterian Church
Many of the earliest settlers in the district were Scots, it is hardly surprising therefore, to note that the earliest form of Christian worship in the valley, was that of the Scots Church (refer to history of the Presbyterian Church).
Archibald Simpson was appointed minister of the Leigh in 1854, and after his arrival the first services were conducted in Inverleigh at Robert Hope's house. George Russell supplied Mr. Simpson with a house and soon after his arrival began collecting subscriptions from the people to build a wooden structure in Shelford, which could be used as both church and school.
The Church of England
The first Anglican service was held in 1854 in a building long since demolished.
In 1858 the Anglicans built a combination school church building (refer to history of the Church of England) on their land near the cemetery. The stone building was opened on the 19th September 1858 by Archdeacon
Stretch of Geelong.
In 1869 the original stone building was demolished, and much of the stone transported to the present site in the town, where a new church was built in the grounds of the house purchased for a vicarage (Dr. Wilders house). The church was opened by Bishop Field Flowers on the 2nd February 1890 with a solemn Dedication Service.
Post Office & General Store
The first Cleland business venture was a General Store. It prospered and Percy Cleland Senior was able to raise sufficient capital to purchase the larger Inverleigh Post Office and General Store from the Alderson family. The bluestone building and later additions are still in use today.
Location
Cnr Cambridge Street and Hamilton Highway, Inverleigh 3321 Map
Web Links
→ Inverleigh Pioneer Heritage Walk Map
