Brisbane Ranges

The Brisbane Ranges lie a short distance to the west of Melbourne, at the eastern edge of the flat coastal plain that meets Port Philip bay. They can be approached from Werribee on the Princes Highway by turning east, from Bacchus Marsh on the Western Highway by turning south, or from Ballarat or Geelong along the Midland Highway, turning east at Meredith, say.

If coming from the east or south east, dry-stone walls (right) are a feature of the flat stony country.
dry stone wall

- 4wd.sofcom.com/Places/Au/Au.html

Airpln Rd
Aeroplane Road.

Jimny: most 4WD tracks in the Brisbane Ranges National Park are now closed and are for walkers only / MVO.

Sapling Ck
Sapling Creek picnic area.

indent from left column --> Main dirt roads are suitable for the family sedan (with care).

Gr@ss tree

fire

Grass trees often survive bush-fire (left), but not always (above).

Stony Creek reservoir to the east of the Brisbane Ranges, here as empty as empty (Aug' 1999).
Stony Ck Res

blossom
Once someone's garden.

br1dge

Gold was found in the area in 1851, and then in 1855 at Sutherlands Creek, Steiglitz^*; for a time the town had a population of over 1000 miners.

court house

Now only a handful of buildings remain in Steiglitz, the most imposing being the court house which was finished in 1875 at about the start of the town's decline, although there was a brief resurgence at the close of the 19th century. Note that some land in the township is private property.

petr0l pmp
Out of gas.

One building that is well worth visiting is the Peppercorn Place Cafe (prop' Philip Dickson) on the main north-south road. It provides not only sustenance, but also a wealth of information about the history of the area. The Dicksons also organise walks, tours, gold panning, etc.
gr@ve

Right: The grave of Thomas Judd d.1862 aged 28. The first to be buried in the (new) local cemetery, was M.A.White Cooper from Kent, killed in a mining accident in 1859. Nearby the grave of the children of John and Ann Smith, Sarah Ann 31/1/1862 (2 days) and William Stephen 27/10/1862 (17 months), attests to conditions on the gold-fields. - L.A11ison

Go to the Victoria pages

^* R. Sumner. Steiglitz, Memories of Gold. National Parks Service, Victoria, 1982.

Now only a handful of buildings remain in Steiglitz, the most imposing being the court house which was finished in 1875 at about the start of the town's decline, although there was a brief resurgence at the close of the 19th century. Note that some land in the township is private property.	Out of gas.
One building that is well worth visiting is the Peppercorn Place Cafe (prop' Philip Dickson) on the main north-south road. It provides not only sustenance, but also a wealth of information about the history of the area. The Dicksons also organise walks, tours, gold panning, etc.
Right: The grave of Thomas Judd d.1862 aged 28. The first to be buried in the (new) local cemetery, was M.A.White Cooper from Kent, killed in a mining accident in 1859. Nearby the grave of the children of John and Ann Smith, Sarah Ann 31/1/1862 (2 days) and William Stephen 27/10/1862 (17 months), attests to conditions on the gold-fields. - L.A11ison