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The Victoria Hotel

Built in 1861 for Robert Hogg Thornton. The name above the door in this photograph is that of Elizabeth Ann Hemming, who held the licence from 1914-15. Note the absence of the verandah.

J. F. O’Brien’s store

The O’Briens ran a grocery store in High St from 1887. In front of the store, you can see a cart on the weighbridge, located next to the hut.

J.C. Keating’s drapery shop

Jack Keating was involved in many aspects of Woodend life. When he died in 1924, the bandstand near the junction of High St and Nicholson St was built to honour him.

GOLF COURSE Hill

The golf clubhouse, visible above the hedge line midway up the hill, was a recent addition to this c.1914-15 scene. You can also see rows of newly-planted trees around it.

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Book

Meet the enterprising Thomas Fitzsimmons

Our latest book tells story of Thomas and Eliza, the family they raise and the enterprises they create to survive and prosper. He is a blacksmith, a publican, a timber miller and a farmer. Above all, his hotel, the “Sydney”, and land investments are the tangible realities that he holds onto and ultimately prove to be the salvation of his family. The family grows to maturity in Woodend but the restless spirit in Thomas reaches out and explores possibilities in Kyneton, Mt Macedon, Bendigo and Melbourne.
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Explore the past with us

ARTICLES

Widening the Five Mile Creek bridge

Woodend’s Five Mile Creek bridge was once “narrow and dangerous”. After it was widened in 1958, however, the Woodend Star reckoned motorists had “no excuse whatever should collisions occur”.
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The lure of the Hanging Rock races

“The Hanging Rock Racecourse possesses a magnetism all its own,” said a journalist from Melbourne after attending the New Year’s Day Races in January 1916.
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The Woodend bread carts

For decades, the horse-drawn Woodend bread cart was a much-loved sight around the district.
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Books

From tales of taverns and village life to stories of the brave men and women who went to war, the district’s history is captured in our books.

The Enterprising Thomas Fitzsimmons of Woodend

This is the story of Thomas and Eliza, the family they raise and the enterprises they create to survive and prosper. Above all, his hotel, the “Sydney”, and land investments are the tangible realities that he holds onto and ultimately prove to be the salvation of his family.
Read More →

Beyond the Black Forest

From the author of Name, Rank and Number, They Went to War and Our Men at War comes this wonderful book on the early settlement of Woodend and the surrounding district.
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Time Gentlemen, Please!

A fascinating look at more than 50 hotels that have operated in the district. Each hotel profile is accompanied by a beautiful pen-and-ink illustration.
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Echoes of the Past

Drawing on years of personal research and the extensive records of our Local and Family History Resource Centre, Jannyse has produced an entertaining and detailed account of the history of Newham and Cobaw.
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