Heritage
Moorabool has a rich heritage - both natural, social and built. As you tour through Moorabool take note of the the rich natural landscapes, evidence of early European settlement and wonderful heritage buildings still in use today.
The Landscape
Moorabool is characterised by mountain ranges of the Great Divide, forests, and open volcanic plains.
Volcanic cones dot the landscape such as Mt Buninyong, Mt Warrenheip and Mt Steiglitz. Valleys and rocky escarpments were formed by the Greendale, Rowsley and Spring Creek faults.
These diverse formations give rise to creeks and the Lerderderg and Werribee Rivers.
Mineral Springs
The area is also defined by its abundance of mineral springs. Springs can be found at Millbrook, Ballan, Blackwood, and at Spargo Creek.
The Kulin Nation and The Wuthaurung Community
The Kulin Nation, the original inhabitants of Moorabool, prospered in an area of over two million hectares of which the Wathaurung community inhabited the western plains and main areas of Moorabool.
The Kulin people beleif is that they were created by the Bunjil spirit which takes the form of an Eagle. Lal Lal Falls is of particular spiritual importance and is known as the resting place of Bunjil.
The Wathaurung led a nomadic life whic spread from Moorabool to Port Phillip and the Central Victorian areas.
European settlement brought dramatic changes to the lives of the Wauthaurung which led to the death of the last member in 1885.
The names of places, creeks, hills and rivers that identify the area with its indigenous past. Lal Lal (both the place and the falls) for example, means 'dashing of waters'.
Settlement
John Norman Mcleon (1837) was the first squatter to take up land in Moorabool. He was closely followed by von Steiglitx, Cowie, Stead and the Manifold brothers.
Many of these squatters exercised their rights to purchase land to establish runs. The Ballark and Yaloak Vale Runs still survive today as do Narmbool and Lal lal at Lal lal Falls. Narmbool is now owned by Sovereign Hill and operates as an educational facility and working farm.
The villages of Moorabool are filled with examples of early European settlement. Take the time to explore the streets, take the Heritage Trail and experience some of the history first hand.
What to find
- Cottages
- Homesteads
- Lal Lal Falls
- Blast Furnace
- Chickory Mill
- Historic Bridges
- The Avenue of Honour
Gold
Gold was discovered in the Moorabool area in the early 1850's at Barry's Reef, Simmons Reef, Gordon, Mt Egerton and more. Its discovery changed the face of settlement and towns sprung up at Blackwood and Mt Egerton. By the mid 1850's, the miners that had converged on Blackwwod left for other diggings.
The gold rush followed the course of the Lerderderg River and gradually petered out as the gold dried up. The last gold prospector to live on the banks of the Lerderderg River (until the 1970's) , was affectionately known as Peg Leg Pete. Follow the link to find out more about this local character.
In this section
Peg Leg Pete
All that glitters, in Peg Leg Pete’s case, was gold. Pete (alias Old Mac) wasn’t renowned for striking it rich or for any other momentous activity associated with the gold rush but he was a local legend none-the-less. Namely for his... Read more...









