Yan Yean
Boyhood Memories - James Chester Draper 1905 - 1998
James Chester Draper (1905–1998) provides a vivid account of his upbringing on the family orchard at Barton Hill in Arthurs Creek during the early twentieth…
Beginnings of the Whittlesea Fair and Show
Established in 1859, the Whittlesea Fair emerged as a vital institution for the Upper Plenty farming community, facilitating the local exchange of livestock and produce…
Waitui – the Macmillan Homestead
The Scottish immigrant Donald Macmillan established a farming life in the Arthurs Creek district following his arrival at Port Phillip in 1849. His descendants and…
Glen Donald
Established in 1864 by Scottish immigrants John and Christina McDonald, the Glen Donald selection at Arthurs Creek became the centre of a multi-generational farming and…
The 1900 Bushfire at Arthurs Creek
On 26 February 1900, a catastrophic bushfire devastated the Arthurs Creek and Yan Yean districts, obliterating fencing, livestock, and homes across a fifteen-mile front. Drawing…
John Bear on the Plenty
Arriving in Victoria in 1841, John Bear established a significant pastoral legacy through his New Leicester Farm at Yan Yean and his influential stock and…
Murder of Henry Hurst by Burke the Bushranger
On 4 October 1866, the bushranger Robert Burke arrived at Hurst’s station on the Diamond Creek, resulting in a violent confrontation that led to the…
Hazel Glen Run
In 1844, Patrick Reid established the Hazel Glen pastoral run in the Arthurs Creek district, marking the beginning of a long-standing association between the Reid…
Charles Draper of Charnwood, Arthurs Creek - Horticultural Pioneer
Charles Draper (1825–1909) was a pioneering horticulturist and orchardist who established the prominent Charnwood estate at Arthurs Creek during the late nineteenth century. An influential…
James Chester Draper
James Chester Draper (1905–1998) was a dedicated Victorian police officer and community leader whose life spanned the transition from pioneering orcharding in the Arthurs Creek…