3078 History: Heidelberg Road

Vanessa Reynolds, who is part of our History Group (which meets monthly at ACC and also leads our neighbourhood history walks) has put together a series of community posts about the history of our area. Here’s the first.

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Did you know - that Heidelberg Rd used to be a toll road? The toll booth used to be on our side of the Merri Creek ford.

"Heidelberg Road has the distinction of being Victoria’s first road outside the confines of the Melbourne township. The Heidelberg Road Trust was established in 1841, the very first form of local government in Victoria.

By 1847 the Great Heidelberg Road was looking worse for wear. Heavily used and poorly maintained it was close to unusable.

The Heidelberg Road Trust received permission to establish a toll gate just over the Merri Creek, and opposite the Yarra Bend Reserve.

This was the first toll established in Victoria."

It was macadmised (now called bitumen) and became a tourist attraction as the first macadam road in the colony!

Source: Darebin Heritage