Metropolitan Melbourne Investigation Discussion Paper - Victorian ...

3.3 European settlement
history of Melbourne
Lieutenant John Murray was the fi rst European to offi cially
enter and explore Port Phillip Bay, in February 1802. He
was followed six weeks later by Matthew Flinders, but it
was not until the following year that Charles Grimes, the
acting chief surveyor of New South Wales, located fresh
water from the Maribyrnong and Yarra Rivers.
In October 1803, Lieutenant Governor David Collins
camped at Sullivan Cove outside of the investigation area
near Sorrento, with a large party of prospective settlers
including 308 convicts. This was the fi rst attempt to settle
Europeans in what is now Victoria. But without fresh water
the camp was soon abandoned in favour of Van Diemen’s
Land. Four graves at the camp were reserved in 1875
(VHR H1050).
3.3.1 EARLY SETTLEMENT
In 1835, John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner arrived
as separate parties to establish private pastoral runs.
They both settled on the Yarra, initiating the formation of
a village, the rudimentary origin of the city of Melbourne.
The settlement expanded rapidly and spread north and
west along the Werribee and Moorabool Rivers. Within
a year, nearly 200 settlers lived here along with 25,000
sheep. The Port Phillip District was belatedly opened
for settlement by the New South Wales government in
September 1836 and William Lonsdale was appointed
Police Magistrate in charge of the district. All previous
claims to land ownership – indigenous and settlers alike
– were swept away and the entire region was proclaimed
Crown land.
The new settlement was planned by Robert Hoddle,
who formulated the grid bordered by Flinders, Spencer,
Lonsdale and Spring Streets, characterised by wide
streets and gardens. The grid paid as little heed to
geography as it had to cultural history, 139 imposing its
structure over hills, swamps and tributaries in a model for
future suburban expansion. 139 Nature was confi ned within
reserves for public purposes. This resulted in substantial
parks including a block of land on ‘Western Hill’, a 50 acre
(20 hectare) botanic gardens reserve on Batman’s Hill and
large reserves east of the earliest river crossing site (now
Princes Bridge). 140
The 1842 Act for the sale of ‘Waste Lands’ allowed
authorities to set land aside specifi cally for recreation and
public health. 141 Applications, primarily from the Town of
Melbourne, included sporting grounds, parks, gardens
and acclimatisation grounds (the forerunner of zoological
gardens). These reserves incorporated modern ideas
about the need for breathing spaces in industrial cities
and resulted in four square miles (1035 hectares) being
set aside north of the town in 1845 (Royal Park); a new
botanic garden site in South Yarra in 1846; Fitzroy Square
in 1848 (Fitzroy Gardens); and the substantial Domain park
in South Yarra.
Land use outside of the township was dominated by
pastoral leases. Between 1834 and 1837 these extended
north and south of the Yarra River settlement across
the grassy fl at coastal and volcanic plains. Only a few
homesteads survive as evidence of this early activity
including Woodlands Homestead (1840s), the Altona
Homestead (1842) and Point Cook Homestead (1850s)
(fi gure 3.3). At Werribee Park several farm buildings from
1861-2 also survive. Many of these historic locations are
listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The Yan Yean
Reservoir Reserve includes Bear’s Castle constructed
around 1844 (VHR H1420) while the remains of Viewbank
Homestead (VHR J1396) are contained within the Yarra
Valley Parklands. But the continuing expansion of the
townships over the surrounding agricultural land has left
only patchy remains of the original settlement land use of
these areas. 48
Figure 3.3
Woolshed of the former Chirnside property,
constructed in 1860s (Point Cook Coastal Park).
55