Kilmore - Roaming Round Historic Kilmore (The New Township)

Kilmore is Victoria's Oldest Inland Settled Town.

Following the overlanding by Hume and Hovell in 1824, squatters soon made their way into the area and as part of Hamlyn's Run, police were stationed near 'Green's Pinch' just 5km north of Kilmore in 1838.

William Rutledge bought his 'Special Survey' of eight square miles in 1841 and named the township, Kilmore after his Irish birthplace in County Cavan. With the filling of 'The Survey' with tenants, the town quickly grew into a thriving centre providing all the necessary infrastructures required for the processing and distribution of the produce coming from the farming communities as well as the social and economic requirements of the residents. See the self-guided tour of this area here.

Following the settling of "the Survey", in 1850 the Government "Village of Kilmore" was surveyed to the south of "the Survey" and it is through this area which we are now to carry out our own survey.

Map of Route

Crossing over Sydney Street as before, we will this time continue west up Bourke Street. On our right at No. 16 is the 1860 home of Dr. Frederick Beavan, a Methodist and one of the prime movers in the establishment of the Kilmore Hospital and an eminent member of the Kilmore community.

Looking directly across the road and also built in 1860 is the second home of the Primitive Methodist Church which continued to be used as such until after amalgamation with the Wesleyan Methodists when the building was sold to the Kilmore Masonic Lodge in 1898.



To the west of the church on the corner at 10 Melbourne Street is the 1863 residence of the preacher of the Primitive Methodist Church. In the front of the building is the last remaining section of the bluestone kerbing which once graced the guttering of most of the town in the Survey. Above the rock cutting opposite on the west side of the corner is the last remnants of the post and rail fencing from the old Bacon Factory stockyards.

Continue south to Lancefield Road and turn west to Sutherland St where you will find the Old Kilmore Gaol, built in 1857 where reputedly Jimmy Quinn, uncle of Ned Kelly was held. However, this facility only operated as a prison until 1892 when it was purchased by the Kilmore Dairy Co. and operated as a butter factory. In 1924 the gaol watchtower was removed from the gaol and re-erected on Monument Hill to commemorate the passing through the area of Hume and Hovell in 1824 and the naming of the Hume Highway.

This delightful little cottage at No. 5 Piper Street was built in about 1865 and appears to have been held by the Murray family until around the end of World War 1.

Next door and on the corner at No. 7 Piper Street is this fine brick house which was built for coachbuilder, Frederick Cooke in about 1870 and passed to Whelan, solicitor. It has remained as built at least until 1982, when considerable changes have been made and a second story added.

At the corner of Piper and Hamilton Streets make a short detour northwards up Hamilton Street to St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, built in 1864 and being classified 'A' by the National Trust. The building is on the site of the original Kilmore Courthouse which burnt down necessitating the construction of the existing building in Powlett St.



Return to Piper Street and make a small detour east to No. 10, historic "Whitburgh Cottage", having an 'A' Classification from the National Trust. William Smeaton came to Kilmore from Haddington in Scotland and settled in Kilmore in 1852. He was a coachbuilder, wheelwright and blacksmith and the family occupied this house for 113 years and all are buried in Kilmore cemetery. The property was acquired by the former Kilmore Shire Council in 1968 and remains in community hands and is now under the care of a Committee of Management.



Return back to Hamilton St and continue south to the corner of Rutledge St. We now come to the site of the old Kilmore Railway Station back to the right near the old cyprus pine trees. The line branched off the main Sydney line at Heathcote Junction and came through Kilmore beside Hamilton St, before branching again to Lancefield and to Heathcote. Both these lines proved uneconomic and were ultimately abandoned, Lancefield in 1903 and Heathcote in 1968.

Turn west along Rutledge Street and you are faced with the 1857 triple-gabled facade of St Patrick's Catholic Church. It was built just to the north of a prior church building, perhaps to take advantage of the view you are now presented with as you come up from Powlett Street. Although the church retains all its original features, the presbytery to the south has been severely modified, losing much of its architectural character.



Continuing south along Sutherland St is the 1876 building originally built for the Sisters of Mercy, St Joseph's College. Meanwhile, by 1914 the Marist Brothers School in White St had become quite inadequate for their purposes, so the two premises were exchanged and this building continued as Assumption College, firstly as a day school and boarding school for boys and more recently co-educational with a great deal of extension of facilities.



Turn east now down Lumsden St and and make a short detour south down Powlett Street and cross to the east side of the road for these two lovely 1860's cottages at 78 and 80 Powlett Street. No. 80 is a four-roomed cottage opening directly onto the footpath and has been used as an antique shop and Doll Museum at times as well as a residence. No. 78 was owned by Mrs Eliza Nelson who conducted classes for junior girls.

Return to Rutledge St and travel east to White St to what was originally a Marist Brothers day school for boys. This soon outgrew their needs so in 1914 it was exchanged with the OPP al St Joseph's Convent in, Sutherland Street. Since the closure of the Convent School the building has grown as the Kilmore International School specialising in teaching at International Baccalaureate level and particularly geared to overseas students.



Continue now down Rutledge Street crossing the Kilmore Creek and the Sam de Gabrielle Reserve to come to the Kilmore Hospital. The oldest section of this facility was built in 1859 and since the recent removal of the cyprus trees, this fine blue-stone building can once again be seen to its best advantage.



Retracing our steps as far as Ryan's Road, wander along to the north to a small parking area with a fine view over the town and the Creek with three of the church spires in view. If you look up to the east you will see the former Police Superintendant's House, which was both office and residence, built in 1859 and known as "The Camp". It passed into private hands in 1926 and owned by J.J. Ryan until 1981.

From this point you may keep to the road and turn west into Foote St or make your way down past the Scout Hall to the Creek where you will find a footbridge in line with Foote St. Cross over this and continue west through Skehan Place.

On your left is the Kilmore Family Centre built on the site of the old Cobb and Co. Stables, sadly now demolished, removing the last link with the coaching days which were a major feature of Kilmore's past. To your right on the corner of Hudson Park was the two-story Kilmore Hotel, later Vinge's Hotel, many of whose patrons would have alighted from the Cobb and Co. coaches from Melbourne to take advantage of the respite after a hard days travel from Melbourne up the Sydney Road and Pretty Sally's Hill.

Continuing to the corner at No.2 Powlett St. we come to the old Kilmore Post Office, built in 1861. In its original usage, customers only used the porch area via service windows in the wall until the 1880's when counter service was introduced. Early newspapers tell some interesting stories of the unusual manner of operation of one of the early postmasters who had his own ideas of which customers should receive service!



Next door at 4 Powlett St. is the old Kilmore Courthouse built in 1863 to replace the original building in Hamilton St which was burnt down. This site had previously been occupied by Dr Pierse and Stillman's Chemist shop. Police Court sittings commenced in Kilmore in about 1850 and County Court and General Sessions commenced in 1854 until 1916 after which Petty Sessions continued until 1989. This building is now also securely in community hands under a Committee of Management.



At No.8 Powlett St we have the old Police Station and Barracks built in 1893. This two-story red-brick building became necessary due to the large police presence in the town. As always, the majority of people are law-abiding, but the opportunity for lawlessness was everpresent and a major thoroughfare such as the Sydney Road, gave ample opportunity for every kind of misdemeanour.

Continue south up Powlett St to No. 22 on the corner of Piper St. to 'Bindley House', built in 1862 for Dr Frank Bindley. An eminent surgeon in Kent before coming to Australia, he became a prominent member of Kilmore society, being president of the Library Committee of Council in 1859 and associated with the Masonic Lodge.

Cross over Powlett St to the west and two doors south of Piper St to find the 1859 bluestone churchwhich was built for the Wesleyan Methodists who ultimately resolved differences with the Primitive Methodists and combined to use this church around 1898. Ultimately, after the amalgamation it became part of the Uniting Church until closure in 2007.



Continue north down Powlett St to No. 11, a delightful house built in about 1860 and shortly occupied by Dr. William Semple who came to Kilmore from Stranraer, in Ayrshire, Scotland in 1868. He remained in practice over fifty years as house surgeon at Kilmore Hospital and a prominent member of the Kilmore community. His son, John continued his practice after his death in 1924.



Continue on to the corner of Lancefield Rd to No. 1 Powlett St. Built in 1860 for Mrs Morris for use as a bank, it was purchased in 1867 by the Colonial Bank who operated here until 1883 when they moved to new premises at 39 Sydney Street. It then became a hotel and under any changes of name, ownership and licencees operated until about 1922 and continues today in Real Estate.



Heading north again, at 5 Sydney Street is a small pair of shops but of great significance as the birth-place of the Kilmore Free Press in 1865. Thomas Hunt, the proprietor then purchased the property and remained the proprietor of the Free Press for nearly seventy years, during which time he also owned and published another four regional newspapers.

Moving north to No. 9 Sydney St is the long-time home of Miss Isobel Taylor, built in 1930 for her and her brother. Their father, John Taylor, 1834-1917 was Kilmore's first Mayor in 1864, a JP, Member of the Water Trust, Hospital Board and instrumental in uniting both the Presbyterian Churches.

Note: Please note the dates and details in the above tour are indicative only and must not be taken as historical facts. For more historical details and further information please refer to the "Regional Studies Collection" in the Kilmore Library which includes much vital biographical and historical information.

Note: This brochure can be obtained from the Kilmore Visitor Information Centre at 12 Sydney Street, Kilmore.

Photos:

Location

12 Sydney Street,  Kilmore 3764 Map

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Kilmore - Roaming Round Historic Kilmore (The New Township)12 Sydney Street,, Kilmore, Victoria, 3764