Gisborne

Overview

Swing off the Calder Freeway 35 minutes from the Melbourne CBD and you’ll be transported to a different world; a rural escape of tree-lined streets and open spaces, shops to indulge in and the freshest of local produce.

Gisborne combines new and old seamlessly with its centre brimming with boutiques, shopping, restaurants, cafes, wine bars and galleries, bakeries and nurseries; while the wide streets of mature oaks, heritage buildings and country homesteads speak of a bustling past.

History

Gisborne and the surrounding area was settled within 60 years of European settlement in Australia. Once a sheep station in 1827, Gisborne grew further in the late 1830s. The surveying and consequent naming of Gisborne by Governor La Trobe and the discovery of gold further north brought a dramatic increase in travellers and subsequent settlers.

The laying of railway tracks to Woodend reduced the number of road travellers which allowed the establishment of agriculture in the surrounding areas. The invention of the motor vehicle revived the road traffic in the 1920s and onwards.

Places of interest

Macedon House
Historic police station and courthouse
Former corner country store
Botanic Gardens
Mt Aitken Estates
Dromkeen Homestead

Accommodation

Gisborne provides a great range of comfortable accommodation including hotels, motels, bed and breakfast and self catering. For further information please contact:

Woodend Visitor Information Centre
High Street, Woodend VIC 3442
Open 7 days, 9am–5pm
Telephone: 03 5427 2033 or 1800 244 711
Email: vic@mrsc.vic.gov.au
Website: www.visitmacedonranges.com

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