Walking in your pandemic isolation

The Mont Park to Springthorpe Heritage Project has developed a sixth walk to add to their suite of heritage walks around the Macleod precinct. These and other walks can be accessed via Walking Maps The latest walk features the Victoria Cross Estate near the old Mont Park asylum/hospital area. 

The Victoria Cross Estate west of the Macleod station, presents a unique walking opportunity around streets which commemorate ten veterans from WWI and WWII. Captain Albert Jacka VC (1893 – 1932) is probably the most famous of the Victorian and Tasmanian veterans remembered here. Read his story and those of the other men at the Information Boards near the ‘Lone Pine’ tree.

The age of the homes varies from the 1926 shop and residence at the corner of Cherry St and McNamara St, to million-dollar homes and new blocks of units. Behind most blocks there are laneways which were used for the ‘night soil’ collection before Macleod (then ‘North Heidelberg’) was sewered in the 1960s. See if you can spot the remaining laneways which led to backyard ‘thunder boxes’. 

Park in Macleod Parade which is named after Malcolm and Edith Macleod who owned this land from 1903 to 1910. They lived at Strathalan House on the hill, which is still evident in the Baptcare Strathalan Community Complex.    Enjoy this 40-minute Macleod Heritage Walk soon.

Laughing Waters walk

The Eltham District Historical Society’s next walk is along Laughing Waters Road, Eltham to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route – a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way the tour will access the two artist in residence properties to view the houses (from the outside) that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community.

The walk on 7th September will start at 2pm at the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads Eltham (Melway Ref. 22 F9). There is limited parking at this location so please park carefully.
The walk is along a well-formed bushland road but parts of the short driveways are a bit steep and rough. This free walk is open to the public as well as Society members. It should take about 2.5 hours. Dogs are not permitted.