Gembrook, Victoria

Gembrook is a town in Victoria, Australia, 54 kilometres (34 mi) south-east of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the Shire of Cardinia. At the 2011 Census, Gembrook had a population of 2,149.^[1]

Gembrook is a popular destination for the residents of Melbourne as it is less than 1.5 hours drive from the city centre.

History

Gembrook was settled in 1873 for farming and timber; the surrounding countryside was suitable for both dairy and orchards. Timber provided income while farms were established. The name Gembrook came from the small gems that were found in small creeks and watercourses in the surrounding area.

The Post Office opened on 5 October 1877.^[2]

The railway line

The Gembrook railway line was opened from Upper Ferntree Gully on 18 December 1900. The narrow gauge line, these days known as Puffing Billy, brought tourists from Melbourne, as well as enabling timber and local produce, including fruit trees and potatoes, to be taken back to Melbourne. At its peak there were more than 20 timber mills operating in Gembrook and the surrounding area, with tramways operating between the mills and the railway station. The Ranges hotel, which still operates today, was built in 1901 to cater for the local population as well as day trippers from Melbourne. After the devastating fires in 1926 and 1939 which destroyed many of the timber mills, there was talk of closing the line. The line eventually closed on 30 April 1954 after a landslide blocked part of the line the previous year (the line was already in decline because motor traffic had replaced much of the railways patronage). Soon after this time (between 1958 and 1962) the broad gauge line to Upper Ferntree Gully was extended to Belgrave which is less than 18 km away from Gembrook. In 1962, the western end of the Gembrook railway line which extended from Belgrave to Menzies Creek was reopened as a heritage tourist railway. Later extensions to Emerald in 1965, and Lakeside (in Emerald Lake Park) in 1975, were opened and finally the last section to Gembrook in 1998, which saw the complete service resume between Belgrave and Gembrook. A short section from Gembrook towards Cockatoo was gradually reopened in the early 1990s as restoration work progressed.

Modern Gembrook

Today Gembrook is seen by some as a suburb of Melbourne as it is within the Melbourne metropolitan area. Gembrook no longer relies on the income generated from farming and timber but rather from tourism and other professional services. The current population of Gembrook is over 2,000. The town is located within the Shire of Cardinia, and is within the state electoral area of Gembrook, and the federal electorate area of La Trobe.

Gembrook is served by a regular daily bus service running from/to Belgrave (route 695). A Friday evening and Saturday/Sunday service also runs from/to Fountain Gate shopping centre at Narre Warren. A daily service runs from/to Pakenham.

Together with its neighbouring township Cockatoo, Gembrook has an Australian Rules football team (Gembrook Cockatoo) competing in the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League.^[3]

Gembrook is also home to one of the most highly regarded wineries in the Yarra Valley, Gembrook Hill. The vines were planted in 1983 and the site is regarded as one of the best in the region for cool climate winemaking.

Gembrook is also home to the Gillwell Park Scout Camp, one of the largest scout camps in the southern hemisphere.

Gembrook is served by a volunteer CFA fire brigade, with the station located on Innes Road

See also

• Puffing Billy Railway
• Electoral district of Gembrook

References

External links

• Gembrook Village website Information on the Gembrook area
• Local History of Gembrook
• Gembrook Rural Fire Brigade website Information about the township's fire brigade

Coordinates: 37°57′00″S 145°32′28″E / 37.95°S 145.541°E / -37.95; 145.541