Mount Duneed, Victoria

Mount Duneed is a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is divided between the City of Greater Geelong and Surf Coast Shire local government areas. Mount Duneed itself is an extinct volcano and the remains of the crater can be seen in the Mount Duneed Recreation Reserve.^[1]

Mount Duneed Geelong, Victoria
Mount Duneed
Coordinates	38°13′55″S 144°18′13″E / 38.23194°S 144.30361°E / -38.23194; 144.30361
Population	6,182 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	3217
Location	10 km (6 mi) S of Geelong 72 km (45 mi) SW of Melbourne
LGA(s)	City of Greater Geelong Surf Coast Shire
State electorate(s)	South Barwon
Federal division(s)	Corangamite
Suburbs around Mount Duneed: Waurn Ponds Grovedale Charlemont Freshwater Creek Mount Duneed Armstrong Creek Freshwater Creek Torquay Connewarre

Much of the locality north of Lower Duneed Road is part of the large Armstrong Creek Growth Area, which was opened up for urban development from 2010. With the gazetting of the suburb Armstrong Creek in February 2012, Mount Duneed's southern boundary between Surf Coast Highway and Horseshoe Bend Road follows the boundary of the Armstrong Creek Urban Growth Area. The area north of Boundary Road, south of the Warrnambool railway line and west of the Surf Coast Highway, formerly part of Grovedale, became part of Mount Duneed.^[2][3][4]

History

European settlement

In 1852, squatter John Armstrong leased a station in the Mount Duneed area. The station covered 16 square miles and Armstrong's homestead was on the east side of Surf Coast Highway.

Between 1847 and 1850 Assistant Surveyor William Pickering began work mapping the Duneed Parish and lots of c. 640 acres became available for purchase. The large size of the blocks resulted in few sales and Armstrong continued to graze livestock over the area. In 1854, the land comprising Armstrong's River Station was again surveyed and subdivided for sale. Armstrong retained 320 acres on the east side of Surf Coast Highway and renamed his run River Station.^[5]

Summerhill - a prefabricated iron cottage erected in 1854 is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.^[6]

The Post Office opened on 15 February 1860, but was known as Connewarre for some months then Puelba until 1864. It was renamed Mount Duneed on 1 April 1864. It closed in 1959.^[7]

Duneed Aboriginal Land Reserve

Main article: Duneed Aboriginal Land Reserve

From 1861 to 1907, the Duneed Aboriginal Land Reserve, located on Ghazeepore Road just south of Andersons Creek, functioned as an Aboriginal reserve.

21st century

The Geelong Airport was located in the now-excised portion of Mount Duneed, but it closed in 2011 after the area was opened up for urban residential development.^[8] As of the 2021 census, Mount Duneed has a population of 6,182.^[9]

Notable people

• Ralph Abercrombie, Auditor-General, was born in Mount Duneed on 19 July 1881 and lived there until 1882. His father was the local school teacher.^[10]
• Rupert Vance "Mick" Moon, Victoria Cross recipient lived at "Calder Park", Mount Duneed from 1954 - 1978 and is buried at the Mount Duneed Cemetery.^[11][12]
• AFL football player, Taylor Adams
• Leading Australian impressionist painter, Sir Arthur Streeton

References

1. "Mount Duneed Recreation Reserve". Mount Duneed History Group. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
2. "General Gazette Number G8" (PDF). Victoria Government Gazette. Government of Victoria. 23 February 2012. p. 36. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
3. Woods, Eleanor (9 August 2011). . Surf Coast Times. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
4. (PDF). Department of Energy and Primary Industries. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
5. Turnbull, Jodi (October 2009). "Cultural Heritage Assessment" (PDF). City of Greater Geelong. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
6. "Prefabricated Iron Cottage (H1131)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
7. Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 8 March 2021
8. "Geelong Airport closes to unwelcome visitors". The Age. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
9. "2021 Mount Duneed, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
10. Mount Duneed Primary School Centenary 1878-1978
11. Victorian Heritage Database - Rupert Vance Moon Memorial Garden report
12. Grimmer, Charlie Mrs; Howard, Norman (1978). Mount Duneed Primary School centenary, 1878-1978. [Mount Duneed, Vic. : The School.