Royal Park,
Buninyong
1101 Warrenheip Street,
Royal Park, Buninyong
Victoria, 3357
Buninyong’s original name was a Wadawurrung word Bun-a-nyong.
Mount Buninyong was long the spiritual home of the Keyeet Balug clan of the Wathaurang (or Wada Warrung) people who occupied this area for thousands of years before new waves of settlers arrived in the early 19th century. An aboriginal burial site was located in the 1860s and stone tools have been found there but no archaeological survey has yet been carried out.
The first white settlers came in 1838 when the Learmonth brothers set up a sheep station nearby. By 1841 sawyers and wood cutters were building huts and stores in the village. The area was transformed after August 1851 when a local blacksmith Thomas Hiscock discovered gold at a spot west of the village. This set off huge gold rushes. About two km west of the village a stone memorial cairn recording this discovery is erected (on the north side of the Midland Highway opposite the cemetery) at the corner of Hiscock Gully Road. About 500 m further along that road, plaques and historical signage mark the exact spot where gold was first discovered by Hiscock, and where later a huge gold mine was established. During the mid-1800s the population here reached some 10,000people.
Why is it called "Royal Park"?
It is all due to our Scottish ancestors!
1857 was the first year a Buninyong Highland Society was formed, and a year later the site we call the Soccer pitches, or "the old footy ground" was fenced to be a suitable place for the next "Highland Games".
The Royal connection comes in, when about 10 years later a young Prince Alfred (second son of Queen Victoria), the Duke of Edinburgh, visited Buninyong. He attended the games at the Highland Grounds, and it thereafter became known as 'Royal Park'.
BUNINYONG
Buninyong, one of Victoria’s oldest inland settlements, is rich in history and cultural heritage. The area, traditionally known as "Bun-a-yong" by the Wathaurung people, meaning "place of the smoke" or "man lying down with bent knees," was inhabited long before European settlers arrived. The Indigenous people revered Mount Buninyong, an extinct volcano, as a spiritually significant landmark and used the surrounding area for hunting and gathering.
In the early 1830s, European settlers were drawn to Buninyong by its fertile land, ample water, and natural resources. The first Europeans to explore the region were the squatting party of Thomas Learmonth in 1837, which led to an influx of settlers. The town of Buninyong was formally established in 1845, with its early economy based on farming and grazing.
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The discovery of gold near Buninyong in the 1850s brought about a dramatic transformation. As news spread, prospectors flocked to the area, and Buninyong became a bustling service town, providing supplies and accommodations to miners on their way to nearby Ballarat, which soon became the center of the Victorian gold rush. Although Ballarat overtook Buninyong as the primary hub of gold mining, Buninyong retained its importance as a prosperous township.
Buninyong’s growth during the gold rush era led to the development of historical buildings, many of which remain standing today, adding a unique charm to the town. The Buninyong Highland Society, founded in the 1850s, was among the early social and cultural organizations, reflecting the Scottish heritage of many settlers.
Today, Buninyong is celebrated for its well-preserved heritage buildings, thriving community spirit, and commitment to sustainability. The town hosts annual events like the Smart Living Expo and the Buninyong Community Garden, embracing its historic roots while paving the way for a sustainable future in regional Victoria.
