History Coburg, Victoria

the front gate of hm prison pentridge

prior european settlement, area around coburg , merri creek occupied woiwurrung speaking wurundjeri people of kulin nation. wurundjeri had religious relationship land, participating in corroborees , sacred ceremonies on merri creek.

coburg first surveyed robert hoddle in 1837 - 1838, , recorded mr hyatt had sheep station , hut on east bank of merri creek, near present outlook road. hoddle marked out 327-acre (1.3 km²) village reserve 2 roads district: bell street west , pentridge road, later called sydney road. in 1840 place named pentridge surveyor called henry foot lived , worked near merri creek. named after birthplace of foot s wife: pentridge, dorset, england.

dr farquhar mccrae, wealthy surgeon, purchased 600 acres (2.4 km²) in area called moreland. in 1841 bought land called la rose in known pascoe vale south. house built in 1842 or 1843 known wentworth house, , oldest known private dwelling in victoria still standing on original site , fifth oldest building in victoria.

in 1842 first inn, golden fleece, built on sydney road north of page street. twenty 1 farms in area 1849. victorian gold rush in 1850s population of area grew rapidly. in 1858 water mains yan yean connected , first local paper, brunswick , pentridge press, started. in 1859 pentridge district road board formed roads built in area, start of local government area.

quarrying of bluestone began in area 1850s, , 1875 there 41 quarries in coburg. in december 1850 16 prisoners moved overcrowded melbourne gaol stockade @ pentridge. prisoners @ came called hm prison pentridge put on hard labour breaking bluestone road surfaces. in 1867 public meeting called change name of district, residents stigmatised , embarrassed @ living in suburb principally known gaol, pentridge prison. robert mailer of glencairn suggested suburb name changed coburg, inspired impending visit colony of duke of edinburgh, member of royal house of saxe-coburg , gotha. government agreed proposal , change made in march 1870.

the post office opened on 1 august 1853 , renamed coburg in january 1870.

sydney road attracted numerous hotels , commercial premises in 1860s. friendly societies formed: manchester unity (1863), druids (1867), rechabites (1868) , st. patrick s society in (1870). coburg later became shire in 1875.

the upfield railway line opened in 1884, , coburg railway station built in 1888. in february 1889 horse tram service began along sydney road. electric trams started in service in 1916.

by 1899 there 6000 people in district. coburg gazetted borough in 1905 thomas greenwood becoming coburg s first mayor. public hall built in 1869 extended in 1909, still inadequate growing city. new town hall built , opened in 1923, further extensions in 1928.

lake reserve popular picnic spot on merri creek. land purchased in 1912 , weir constructed in 1915 form lake contained basaltic outcroppings. reserve immensely popular, diving boards, wading pools, kiosk , gardens, , continues favourite picnic spot, accessed merri creek trail.

after world war there significant development east of sydney road, former east coburg primary school opening in 1926, , coburg east post office opening in 1929 (closing in 1975).

a coburg west post office opened in 1936 , closed in 1979.

coburg high school, demolished, stood opposite coburg town hall, , once 1 of few selective double sex high schools in melbourne , highly regarded.

in june 1994 72-year-old city of coburg ceased exist when merged city of brunswick become new city of moreland.