Murrayville. Mosiaci mural on the womens' public toilet. It show the Kow Plains historic homestead.
Murrayville.
Farming settlement began in the region by the SA border at Panitya and Carina in 1908 but the first town lots were sold in Murrayville in 1910 two years before the railway reached the town from Ouyen. The town came into being in 1911 and it was named after the Victorian premier of the day John Murray. By the end of 1911 the town had several stores, a blacksmith and an Institute which opened in that year. Once the railway arrived in 1912 the large Murrayville Hotel opened and by 1916 the town had two banks. A new Post office was built in 1916 along with several community buildings- the private Austral Hall (now demolished) and the Institute Hall which was erected in 1911. It was replaced with a new public hall in 1957. Murrayville Courthouse was designed and built in 1914 by the same architect Samuel Bindely who designed the Courthouse in Ouyen. It closed as a courthouse in 1983 and became the local CFS station. Bindley’s courthouses have been described as wooden Federation Arts and Crafts style. The Masonic Lodge in Murrayville was formed in 1919 and members joined the Lodge in Pinnaroo across the border. The Lodge building in Murrayville was erected in 1923 and only closed in 2001. The Shire of Walpeup was formed in 1912 with the offices in Murrayville but these were moved to new shire offices in Ouyen in 1918. The first school in Murrayville opened in 1912 in the Mechanics Institute building. A year or so afterwards that a wooden school was built on the highway but this building was moved in 1926 to the consolidated school site in Poole Street. The Consolidated School (formed after the closure of small rural schools) was created in 1944 as the first area or consolidated school in Victoria. The closed wooden small rural schools – all 14 of them- were all moved to this site. That school complex has now been converted to an accommodation centre as there is another modern state school in Murrayville. Murrayville High School was established in 1969, with new buildings completed in 1973. Since then the high and primary schools have merged on one campus.
The earliest church in Murrayville was St Peter’s Lutheran Church erected in 1923 in limestone with brick quoins. But the Lutherans began worshipping in house as early as 1910 or they journeyed to the Lutheran Church in Pinnaroo. The wooden framed Catholic Church was built in 1937. Prior to that Catholic services were held in the Institute, Shire Hall and Hotel from 1921. Anglican services were held in Murrayville from 1911 in the hall until a timber and iron church was erected in 1913, with a local minister appointed to the town in 1916. But the stone Anglican Church in Murrayville was not built until 1926 with decorative buttresses and a steep roof. In recent years the Anglican Church combined with the Uniting Church for services in a new timber framed building but now only the Uniting Church survives in Murrayville. Both the Presbyterians and Methodists had early wooden churches in Murrayville but both are now gone.
The town has a good range of old shops and a quaint little railway station. On the main highway is the old baker’s shops now a café and bakery. A second Post Office was built in Murrayville in inter war Arts and Crafts style in 1926. The first Post Mistress of the 1926 building was a Fairy - Miss Mary Fairy. The café at no 19 McKenzie Street was one of the first shops in Murrayville built around 1912 to sell fruit and vegetables and then from 1920 meat was sold from this shop. It is now the Cobb and Co Café almost next door to the Murrayville Hotel. It has an usually high Dutch gable style parapet to the street. Perhaps the most interesting heritage shop in Murrayville is the former bakery and soft drink business at no 8 Reed Street. This shop was built in 1931 and retains the original glass, tiles and timber surrounds to the front. The advertising on the windows is related to Holten’s soft drink business which was based in this shop from 1949 to 1994. Other shops in this precinct still have shop advertising from the early 1940s. The Commercial Bank building from 1917 also constitutes part of this streetscape.
Murrayville. Mosiaci mural on the womens' public toilet. It show the Kow Plains historic homestead.
Murrayville.
Farming settlement began in the region by the SA border at Panitya and Carina in 1908 but the first town lots were sold in Murrayville in 1910 two years before the railway reached the town from Ouyen. The town came into being in 1911 and it was named after the Victorian premier of the day John Murray. By the end of 1911 the town had several stores, a blacksmith and an Institute which opened in that year. Once the railway arrived in 1912 the large Murrayville Hotel opened and by 1916 the town had two banks. A new Post office was built in 1916 along with several community buildings- the private Austral Hall (now demolished) and the Institute Hall which was erected in 1911. It was replaced with a new public hall in 1957. Murrayville Courthouse was designed and built in 1914 by the same architect Samuel Bindely who designed the Courthouse in Ouyen. It closed as a courthouse in 1983 and became the local CFS station. Bindley’s courthouses have been described as wooden Federation Arts and Crafts style. The Masonic Lodge in Murrayville was formed in 1919 and members joined the Lodge in Pinnaroo across the border. The Lodge building in Murrayville was erected in 1923 and only closed in 2001. The Shire of Walpeup was formed in 1912 with the offices in Murrayville but these were moved to new shire offices in Ouyen in 1918. The first school in Murrayville opened in 1912 in the Mechanics Institute building. A year or so afterwards that a wooden school was built on the highway but this building was moved in 1926 to the consolidated school site in Poole Street. The Consolidated School (formed after the closure of small rural schools) was created in 1944 as the first area or consolidated school in Victoria. The closed wooden small rural schools – all 14 of them- were all moved to this site. That school complex has now been converted to an accommodation centre as there is another modern state school in Murrayville. Murrayville High School was established in 1969, with new buildings completed in 1973. Since then the high and primary schools have merged on one campus.
The earliest church in Murrayville was St Peter’s Lutheran Church erected in 1923 in limestone with brick quoins. But the Lutherans began worshipping in house as early as 1910 or they journeyed to the Lutheran Church in Pinnaroo. The wooden framed Catholic Church was built in 1937. Prior to that Catholic services were held in the Institute, Shire Hall and Hotel from 1921. Anglican services were held in Murrayville from 1911 in the hall until a timber and iron church was erected in 1913, with a local minister appointed to the town in 1916. But the stone Anglican Church in Murrayville was not built until 1926 with decorative buttresses and a steep roof. In recent years the Anglican Church combined with the Uniting Church for services in a new timber framed building but now only the Uniting Church survives in Murrayville. Both the Presbyterians and Methodists had early wooden churches in Murrayville but both are now gone.
The town has a good range of old shops and a quaint little railway station. On the main highway is the old baker’s shops now a café and bakery. A second Post Office was built in Murrayville in inter war Arts and Crafts style in 1926. The first Post Mistress of the 1926 building was a Fairy - Miss Mary Fairy. The café at no 19 McKenzie Street was one of the first shops in Murrayville built around 1912 to sell fruit and vegetables and then from 1920 meat was sold from this shop. It is now the Cobb and Co Café almost next door to the Murrayville Hotel. It has an usually high Dutch gable style parapet to the street. Perhaps the most interesting heritage shop in Murrayville is the former bakery and soft drink business at no 8 Reed Street. This shop was built in 1931 and retains the original glass, tiles and timber surrounds to the front. The advertising on the windows is related to Holten’s soft drink business which was based in this shop from 1949 to 1994. Other shops in this precinct still have shop advertising from the early 1940s. The Commercial Bank building from 1917 also constitutes part of this streetscape.