Inverleigh township heritage trail guide |
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Lawson's Park (playground) is the starting point for all trails. The Township Heritage Trail can be undertaken on foot, bicycle or vehicle, however it is designed to be a pleasant and informative walk taking about one hour to complete at a leisurely pace. Cars can be parked at Lawson's Park. From Lawson's Park, follow the information signage directions to Lawson's Tree, about 130 metres in a westerly direction. Opposite Lawson's Tree is the Cobb and Co. Hotel built in the late 1850’s to replace Lawson's Horseshoe Inn (operating 1843), which is almost entirely obscured by trees. At the rear of the inn are the Cobb and Co. stables. (Note that this is a private residence, please respect the owner’s right to privacy). Follow the track closest to the river back past the playground to the bluestone remnants of the 1856 Bridge to Geelong (reported to be "one of the most substantial in the colony" at the time). After viewing the old bridge abutment, continue under the present Hamilton Highway Road Bridge, continuing just past the bridge until the old hotel is in view on the right. Follow the track to the present Hotel (bluestone, operating around 1860), continuing west past the Hotel along High Street. Opposite the Township Display Gazebo (see the current display here) is the old bakery which is presently being restored. From the bakery continue west to Dundas Street (garage corner) and turn left. Continue along Dundas St until just before railway line, the old Methodist Church (National Trust oldest recorded primitive Methodist church) is on the left. Do a U turn and then turn left into Napier St for one block, then right into Newman St back towards High St. Turn left into High St service road. Continue West along High St past RSL at West St. Note Inverleigh Public Hall (the Mechanic’s Institute and Free Library, opened 1866) on left. Continue west to Whistlers Cottage gift shop (originally a Store and Carrier). Continue west to a monument for local soldiers killed in World War 1 and 2, Korea and Vietnam. Adjacent is another monument to a single local soldier killed in the Boer war (earliest monument to a soldier in Victoria). Carefully cross the Hamilton Highway and head back towards town along the service road to the Catholic Church on the left, opposite the Inverleigh Public Hall. Continue past the Tennis Club to the Inverleigh Primary School which incorporates the original Presbyterian School building (operating in early 1856, taken over by the Board of Education in 1872). Optional walk over Federation Bridge (suspension footbridge): Proceed down Newman Street, continue along path to the bridge then cross over. Fifty metres to the left is a river bank excavation which provided clay for the old brick kiln, 100 meters to the right are fruit trees of a historic orchard (commercial orchards were operating from the 1850’s). Return back to Newman Street and proceed to the Anglican church on the corner of Newman & High Street. Turn left into service road and….. Otherwise: Continue along High St back towards Lawson's Park. On the left is Inverleigh General Store and Post Office (rendered bluestone). Continue in an easterly direction back to your starting point at Lawson's Park. |