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Woodend & District Heritage Society

Woodend & District Heritage Society

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What can we help you discover today?

LOCAL HISTORY
FAMILY HISTORY

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.

About the picture →

  • Meet the enterprising Thomas Fitzsimmons
    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…

    READ MORE →

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”.

    READ MORE →

  • 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.

    READ MORE →

  • The Woodend bread carts

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

    READ MORE →

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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

    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

    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.

    Read More →

  • Time Gentlemen, Please!

    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.

    Read More →

  • Echoes of the Past

    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.

    Read More →

View all books

How we can help you

Cemetery records

Might an ancestor have been buried in Woodend cemetery? Look up their name in our A-Z list of burials.

Find out more

Research service

Struggling to trace a local branch of your family? Unable to visit Woodend to search for information? We can help.

Find out more

Newspaper archive

Search digitised copies of newspapers at our resource centre, including The Woodend Star (1888-1970).

Find out more

The Heritage Walk

The Heritage Walk commemorates local people and organisations. New plaques are dedicated each year.

Find out more

Woodend & District Heritage Society acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Peoples as the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, work and live. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

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