Stonehaven, Victoria

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox Australian place | type = suburb

| name = Stonehaven

| city = Geelong

| state = vic

| use_lga_map = yes

| image = Stonehaven old school.JPG

| caption = Former school at Stonehaven

| coordinates = {{coord|38|07|21|S|144|13|31|E|display=inline,title}}

| lga = Golden Plains Shire

| postcode = 3221

| pop =

| pop_year =

| pop_footnotes =

| area =

| stategov = Polwarth

| fedgov = Corio

| near-nw = Bannockburn

| near-n = Gheringhap

| near-ne = Batesford

| near-w = Murgheboluc

| near-e = Fyansford

| near-sw = Gnarwarre

| near-s = Barrabool

| near-se = Ceres

| dist1 =

| location1 =

}}

File:Stonehaven CFA.JPG

Stonehaven is a locality about 10 km west of Geelong, Victoria, on the Hamilton Highway. It consists of a number of scattered farmhouses, the former primary school building (now a private residence), a community hall (now derelict) and a Country Fire Authority (CFA) fire station. The fire station is sometimes used as a polling booth for state and federal elections.{{cite web |url= http://www.vic.alp.org.au/textdb4b.html |archive-url= https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20021202130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/15036/20021203-0000/www.vic.alp.org.au/textdb4b.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2 December 2002 |title=Polwarth District Polling Places |first= |last= |work=webarchive.nla.gov.au |year=2004 |access-date=21 June 2012}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The Ceres Bridge Estate winery has its vineyard in Stonehaven, producing chardonnay and pinot noir.{{cite web |url= http://www.ggscorio.vic.edu.au/index_news30ea.html |archive-url= https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20031009140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/22063/20031010-0000/www.ggscorio.vic.edu.au/index_news30ea.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2003-10-09 |title=Geelong Grammar School and the wine industry |first= |last= |work=webarchive.nla.gov.au |date=September 2003 |access-date=21 June 2012}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

The community started agitating for a post office as early as 1883, when over 30 people signed a petition to the government.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article150383183 |title=TOWN TALK. |newspaper=Geelong Advertiser |location=Vic. |date=17 December 1883 |access-date=9 June 2015 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} The Stonehaven Post Office opened in 1927 and was closed in 1958.{{cite web |url= http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&filter=*Stonehaven* |title=Post Office List |website=www.phoenixauctions |access-date=21 January 2021}}

The school was No. 2199. A contract for £320 15s 6d to build a wooden school building was given to H. Moran in April 1879.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article150422467 |title=MELBOURNE. |newspaper=Geelong Advertiser |location=Vic. |date=30 April 1879 |access-date=9 June 2015 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} From 1879 to 1926 the school was known as the Lower Leigh State School.{{cite web |url= http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/component/daPublicBaseContainer?component=daViewAgency&entityId=3465 |title=Public Record Office Victoria online catalogue |first= |last= |work=access.prov.vic.gov.au |year=2015 |access-date=8 June 2015}} In 1880 the teacher, J. McCann, wrote to the Geelong Advertiser about the difficulty students from Barrabool had reaching the school after a flood had damaged the bridge.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article150651328 |title=LOWER LEIGH STATE SCHOOL. |newspaper=Geelong Advertiser |location=Vic. |date=6 October 1880 |access-date=8 June 2015 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1935 the Public Works Department approved additions to the teacher's residence at the school to a value of £309.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11852971 |title=TENDERS ACCEPTED Public Works Department. |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=9 November 1935 |access-date=8 June 2015 |page=28 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In 1953, farmers discovered rabbits at Stonehaven which had become immune to myxomatosis.{{cite web |url= http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23302900 |title='Super-rabbits' now! |first= |last=|work=The Argus |page=7 |date=27 November 1953 |access-date=21 June 2012}} These so-called "super rabbits" had appeared only three years after the virus had been released to control rabbit numbers.

In 2012 a CFA fire truck became bogged in a paddock at Stonehaven while fighting a grass fire. The crew had to abandon the $500,000 tanker which was extensively damaged by the fire.{{cite web |url= http://www.cfaconnect.net.au/news/gnarwarre-crew-praised.html |title=Gnarwarre crew praised |first= |last= |work=CFA Connect |year=2012 |access-date=21 June 2012}}