KYNETON POLICE PADDOCK AND BENEVOLENT ASYLUM
85 EBDEN STREET KYNETON, MACEDON RANGES SHIRE
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
This record has minimal details. Please look to the right-hand-side bar for any further details about this record.
-
-
KYNETON POLICE PADDOCK AND BENEVOLENT ASYLUM - History
Kyneton was first settled in 1848. After the discovery of gold in centres such as Bendigo to the north from 1851 there was a strong flow of travellers on what is now the Calder Highway through Kyneton during the 1'850s and it was this period which saw the settlement founded in1848 become a proper town.
The first police buildings (pre 1851?) appear to have been located between Beauchamp and Mitchell Streets, west of Jeffrey Street, near a crossing of the Campaspe River. During the 1850s, the site for police activity appears to have shifted to a block between Jennings and Hutton Streets. An area was reserved here as a gaol reserve. (Sec 7, Township of Kyneton). Police quarters were located on this reserve in 1859/60 (PWD contract 59/24).The police station also included a small bluestone stable (1860) and bluestone lock up (1861).
A large police paddock to the north of the township was set aside c 1861, possibly earlier (1850s?). It is marked on a parish plan dated 1862. In addition, the plan shows several buildings marked out in the south east comer of the police paddock. Information on these is sketchy. One local study states that these are early police buildings. The site may also have held an old police station and an "alms house" (letter dated 1906). In July 1882, an area of 2 acres (the site of the buildings noted above) was set aside temporarily for an asylum. Later that year the reserve was made permanent (24 November 1882, VGG 82/2750) and a Crown grant was issued for the Kyneton Benevolent Asylum. Information about the benevolent asylum is elusive. There are no PRO land files catalogued for the reserve and no other sources of information have been found. However, a number of gold fields towns had benevolent asylums, to cater for those who required institutional care.
The police paddock was reserved for a public park in 1885, following a request from the local council. However, use of the reserve for park purposes is not documented: it appears to have been used largely for grazing, and the police were allowed use of the paddock for agistment. There do not appear to have been any features typical of park use developed by the committee of management.
In 1943, a document on file notes that the site of the asylum was used only for grazing.
KYNETON POLICE PADDOCK AND BENEVOLENT ASYLUM - Interpretation of Site
c.1861 (possibly earlier): Set aside as Police Paddock (possibly contained police station and "alms house")
1882: TWo acres temporarily set aside for an asylum. Later that year a Crown grant was issued for the Kyneton Benevolent Asylum
1885: Site was reserved for Public Park Land, but largely remained in use by the police.
1943: Site appears to have been used primarily for grazing
KYNETON POLICE PADDOCK AND BENEVOLENT ASYLUM - Archaeological Significance
Site is of archaeological significance for its association with the mid-19th century use of the site as both a police paddock and the Kyneton Benevolent Asylum, with evidence remaining of the buildings and well and historical documents suggesting at the potential for a bridge crossing the Post Office Creek within the vicinity of the asylum
KYNETON POLICE PADDOCK AND BENEVOLENT ASYLUM - Historical Significance
The Public park site, including former public park site can be assessed as being of local historic interest, as the site of an early police paddock (c 1850s/60s) and park reservation (c 1885). The asylum site is of local historic significance as the site of an early benevolent asylum, and possibly early police buildings.
Heritage Inventory Description
KYNETON POLICE PADDOCK AND BENEVOLENT ASYLUM - Heritage Inventory Description
Most of the former police paddock and public park reserve can be described as an open grassy area , used for grazing. The site of the former asylum includes a brick lined well, a large area of scattered building material remains (bluestone and brick) and several exotic plantings . There is some dressed bluestone that appears to form part of the foundations of a building and many bricks (handmade).
-
-
-
-
-
KYNETON COURT HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H1472
-
FORMER BANK OF NSW AND RESIDENCEVictorian Heritage Register H0308
-
FORMER WILLIS FLOUR MILLVictorian Heritage Register H2186
-
-