Beveridge, Victoria

Beveridge was named after Scottish sheep farmer Andrew Beveridge, who built the Hunters' Tryst Inn in 1845. The Inn still serves as a hotel, as well as post office and general store.{{cite web |url=http://www.redreaming.info/DisplayStory.asp?id=47 |title=Beveridge |access-date=2008-08-13 |work=Redreaming the Plain |archive-date=20 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720055009/http://www.redreaming.info/DisplayStory.asp?id=47 |url-status=dead }}

Beveridge Post Office opened on 1 January 1865.{{Cite web | last = Phoenix Auctions History | title = Post Office List | url = http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&filter=*Beveridge* | access-date = 24 March 2021}}

Near Beveridge is Mount Fraser, an eroded extinct volcanic cone. It is a large scoria volcano with two craters, which last erupted about one million years ago. The north side of the hill is quite steep and reaches a height of 125 metres above the surrounding basalt plain.{{cite web |url= http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/portregn.nsf/pages/pp_eruption_points_fraser|title= Mount Fraser|access-date=2008-08-13 |work=Victorian Resources Online }} From this location, the explorers Hume and Hovell first saw Port Phillip on 14 December 1824. A quarry now operates at the side of the hill and supplies most of Melbourne's scoria.{{Dubious|date=November 2009}}{{cite web |url=http://www.mindat.org/locentry-127887.html |title=Hematite from Fe Quarry, Mt. Frazer, Beveridge |access-date=2008-08-13 |work= Mineral and Locality database }} A copy of the original Eureka flag flies atop this hill every year to commemorate Ned Kelly.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}

File:Beveridge Kelly1 imp.jpg

The town is principally known as the birthplace of bushranger, Ned Kelly, and his home for the first nine years of his life. Ned's birth was not officially recorded. Ned was born in December 1854 at Beveridge, on the {{convert|41|acre|ha|order=flip|adj=on}} Kelly farm near Big Hill (now known as Mount Fraser). John 'Red' Kelly sold his farm for £80, and headed further north up the Old Sydney Road to Avenel in 1863, where they rented {{convert|40|acre|ha|abbr=on|order=flip}} the banks of the Hughes Creek.

It is said that on the train heading south to Melbourne after his capture at Glenrowan in 1880, as he approached Beveridge station, he pointed to the left and said, "See that little hill over there, that's where I drew my first breath" (The Age, June 1880). Denheld argues that historians have mistakenly taken Kelly's words to have been spoken one month later on a train heading north to Beechworth for his preliminary trial, and have therefore looked to the other side of the railway line for the hill, concluding that this hill is Big Hill (now known as Mount Fraser).{{cite web|first=Bill |last=Denheld |url= http://www.ironicon.com.au/nativened.htm |title=Where was Ned Kelly Born? |date=May 2018}}

At Beveridge, a cottage where the Kelly family lived for a short time is still standing today, located on Kelly Street.{{cite web |url=http://www.thekellytrail.com/nedkelly/towns/town/beveridge/2 |title=The Ned Kelly Trail - Beveridge |access-date=2008-08-13 |work=The Ned Kelly Trail |archive-date=7 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007124137/http://www.thekellytrail.com/nedkelly/towns/town/beveridge/2 |url-status=dead }} It is recorded that John Kelly built this house in 1859, when Ned was about five years old.{{cite web |url=http://www.nedonthenet.com/kelly_house.htm |title=John Kelly house |access-date=2008-08-13 |work=nedonthenet |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121184727/http://www.nedonthenet.com/kelly_house.htm |archive-date=2008-11-21 }} His brother Dan was born in the house.{{cite web |url=http://www.ironoutlaw.com/html/writings_webb_01.html |title= Kelly Beveridge house|access-date=2008-08-13 |work= Iron Outlaw }} The house was added to the Victorian Register of Historic Buildings in September 1992.{{cite web|url= http://www.aussieheritage.com.au/listings/vic/Beveridge/JohnKellyHouseformer/16668|title= John Kelly House, Beveridge|access-date= 2008-08-13|work= Aussie Heritage|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080802014737/http://www.aussieheritage.com.au/listings/vic/Beveridge/JohnKellyHouseformer/16668|archive-date= 2008-08-02}} Its design is unusual in Victoria, and shows the Irish heritage of its builder. The Primary School is a bluestone building where the Kelly family once went to church and Ned went to school.{{cite book | last =McMenomy | first =Keith | title = Ned Kelly: The authentic illustrated story| publisher = Currey O'Neil Ross Pty. Ltd.| year = 1984| location = Melbourne, Australia | isbn =0-85902-122-X| page =15 }} Located on a hillside, this Gothic-style building was built between 1857 and 1862 as both a Catholic church and a school. The sacristy and chancel were added in 1877.{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Victoria/Beveridge/2005/02/17/1108500206253.html |title= Beveridge, Victoria|access-date=2008-08-13 |work=The Age Travel | location=Melbourne | date=2004-02-08}}

One bus route serves Beveridge:

• {{color box|e7b222|511|white}}: Donnybrook station – Mandalay via Olivine. Operated by Broadmeadows Bus Service.{{cite PTV route|511}}

There are no railway stations in Beveridge, with Donnybrook and Wallan the nearest stations to Beveridge. Both are on the regional North East line.

Beveridge had a railway station, which opened on 14 October 1872.{{cite web

|url=http://www.vrhistory.com/Locations/Beveridge.pdf

|title=Victorian Station Histories: Beveridge station

|publisher=vrhistory.com

|accessdate=9 August 2022

}} It closed on 2 April 1990, and was demolished by February 1991.

• Shire of Kilmore – Beveridge was previously within this former local government area.

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{{City of Whittlesea suburbs}}

{{Towns in Mitchell Shire}}

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Category:Towns in Victoria (state)

Category:Shire of Mitchell

Category:Hume Highway

Category:City of Whittlesea