Kilmore Historical Society

01/09/2026

Following on from last week’s look into Kilmore Hospital’s fascinating history, here’s your chance to hear the story brought to life — join us for a special public lecture exploring the people, stories, legacy and future of one of Kilmore’s most important landmarks. 🏥

✨ Everyone is welcome — Wednesday 30 September at 7.30pm.

26/08/2026

🏛️ KILMORE HISTORY MYSTERY — STOP ...🔎
Think you know Kilmore?

This week's stop has been part of our town for more than 160 years — but we're not going to tell you where it is just yet.

See if you can solve it from the clues… 👀

🔎 CLUE #1
Its story began because of the gold rush — but you wouldn't have come here looking for gold.

Instead, the influx of hopeful gold diggers passing through Kilmore created a need for something the growing town simply didn't have.

🔎 CLUE #2
Before this building existed, its work was already being carried out elsewhere in Kilmore from 1854.
At the time, there were no alternative between Melbourne and the Goulburn River.

🔎 CLUE #3
For generations, this grand bluestone façade looked down over the town — but the building once had an even more commanding presence on Kilmore's skyline.

High above its centre stood a clock tower, overlooking the town below. If you past by it today though, it's no longer there. 🕰️

The tower disappeared in the 1930s — but we'll tell you why shortly.

Do you know which Kilmore landmark this is?

👇 Put your guess in the comments ... we will reveal the mystery shortly...
•••

18/08/2026

🏡 ONE OF KILMORE’S OLDEST HOMES… BUT CAN YOU NAME THE OLDEST?

Sitting quietly at 10 Piper Street, Whitburgh Cottage has been part of Kilmore’s story since 1853.

Built by blacksmith William Smeaton, who arrived from England with his family in 1852, the cottage originally contained just a combined kitchen and living room and one bedroom. William had been travelling towards the goldfields, but found so much work in Kilmore that the family went no further.

Two more rooms were added in 1857, and remarkably, the Smeaton family continued to occupy the cottage for 133 years.

In 1968, Whitburgh Cottage was purchased by the Shire of Kilmore with the assistance of a government grant and became closely associated with the Kilmore Historical Society, serving for many years as a museum and a place for Society events and meetings.

🔎 BUT HERE’S ONE FOR OUR KILMORE HISTORY BUFFS…

Whitburgh Cottage is certainly one of Kilmore’s oldest original homes — but it isn't the oldest surviving house in Kilmore.

And what about our oldest surviving commercial building?

We know there are some very knowledgeable locals following this page, so we're not giving the answers away just yet!

Can you name the buildings that hold those two titles — and roughly when they were built? 👇
📖 Information sourced from Kilmore: A Walk Through History, p. 81, published by the Kilmore Historical Society.

🌷 AND THERE'S MORE COMING…

There are some exciting things happening behind the scenes, and we’re hoping to breathe new life into some much-loved pieces of Kilmore’s past — from forgotten paths that might one day come alive again, to celebrations of our roots ☘️, from the opening of old doors, to reviving traditions that once brought our town together.

Kilmore’s history isn’t just something to remember… it’s something we’d love to see living again. ✨

Watch this space — there may be more returning than you think… 👀

We'll leave you with a little hint:

Some history isn't meant to sit still...

And this spring, we're also planning a Kilmore history scavenger hunt that will have you searching the town for buildings, architectural details and clues hiding in plain sight.

So start brushing up on your local history now — you might need it. 🔎🌷

11/08/2026

🔐 PRISON BREAKS, NED KELLY RUMOURS… AND A GAOL THAT BECAME A BUTTER FACTORY.
Kilmore’s old bluestone gaol has more than 160 years of stories behind its walls — and some of them are wonderfully strange. 👻

🏛️ KILMORE THROUGH HISTORY | THE FORMER KILMORE GAOL

Built in 1857 at a cost of £4,751, the Former Kilmore Gaol at 8–12 Sutherland Street is one of Kilmore’s most fascinating historic buildings.
According to Kilmore Walk Through History, despite common assumption, Ned Kelly was never housed here — but the gaol certainly had its share of colourful prisoners.

🔓 One was bushranger Lowry, convicted of horse theft and shooting at a constable. After only a couple of weeks, he reportedly tore a blanket into strips, made a rope and escaped over the wall, heading down Piper Street and into the bush — despite being seen making his escape!

🧈 By around 1890, the gaol had an entirely different purpose: a butter factory. Milk arrived from surrounding farms and by rail from Pyalong, with around 600 pounds of butter produced each day.

🧱 And those famous bluestone walls nearly disappeared altogether. In 1910, plans were reported to demolish them and use the stone as road metal. Fortunately, it never happened, and much of the walls remain today.

👻 AND WHAT ABOUT THE GHOSTS?

With more than 160 years of history, the old gaol has naturally collected its share of paranormal tales. Visitors and investigators have reported unexplained sounds, voices, shadows and mysteriously opening doors. These remain folklore and paranormal claims rather than documented history — but they certainly add another layer to the mystery of the place.

Today, the Former Kilmore Gaol is recognised on the Victorian Heritage Database as one of a small group of early Victorian prisons built outside Melbourne.

And when you think about everything these bluestone walls have witnessed — prisoners, escapes, a butter factory, businesses, fire, threatened demolition and generations of local stories — it’s remarkable they are still standing.
Do you remember the Old Kilmore Gaol in one of its later lives? Or does your family have a story connected to it?

And, of course… has anyone ever experienced something a little unusual inside those walls? 👻
We’d love to hear your memories, photographs and stories in the comments.

📖 Source: Kilmore Walk Through History, p. 79 — “8–12 Sutherland Street, Former Kilmore Gaol” (pictured).

04/08/2026

🚪 Think you know Kilmore? Can you name ALL 8 of these doors?

👀 Some are easy. A few might have even lifelong locals stumped…

🏆 And we might just have a little prize for the first person to get all 8 right!

This Tuesday we’re featuring Door No. 8 from Caroline Lodwick’s beautiful Doors of Kilmore collection — the unmistakable entrance to the Former Kilmore Shire Town Hall, 16 Sydney Street.
Built in 1894, the Town Hall was designed by architect G.R. Johnson, who also designed town halls in Collingwood, Fitzroy and Northcote. The building cost £2,000, with its foundation stone laid on 4 January 1894 by Shire President Thomas F. Murray JP.

✨ A detail we love from our history book: the building’s elaborate decoration was a reflection of just how prosperous and busy Kilmore had become by the late 1800s. Even inside, much of the early character survived — including the impressive oak wood-graining to the joinery.

Now for the challenge… 🔎

The Doors of Kilmore design features eight beautiful local doorways photographed by Caroline Lodwick. How many can you identify?

Drop your answers below — 1 to 8, top row left to right, then bottom row left to right. And don't give up too quickly… there may be something in it for the first person clever enough to identify all eight. 😉

The Doors of Kilmore collection is available through the Kilmore Historical Society as cards, prints and our tote bag — a gorgeous little piece of Kilmore to keep or gift.

So… who knows Door No. 1? 👇

27/07/2026

🚶 A Walk Along Sydney Street – Stop #18: Mac's Irish Pub & the Mystery of Kilmore's Lost Hotels 🍀 Mac's Irish Pub, Kilmore Vic

Did you know that Kilmore and its surrounds once boasted an incredible 32 hotels? During the gold rush era, Sydney Street was alive with travellers, coach teams and locals, making Kilmore one of Victoria's busiest inland towns.

One of the few survivors is Mac's Irish Pub, built in 1861 by John Kelly Trainor. Originally designed as a shop and dwelling, it became the Hibernian Hotel, later the Railway Hotel, before becoming the much-loved Mac's that locals still know today. The original 1861 date can still be seen on the building's façade.

📖 Did you know?
Mac's Irish Pub is just one of around 100 fascinating places featured in our book, Kilmore: A Walk Through History – Discover Victoria's Oldest Inland Town. The book takes you on a self-guided journey through Kilmore's rich history, uncovering the stories behind many of the buildings we walk past every day.

🕵️ Tonight's mystery...
If Kilmore once had 32 hotels, can you name any that have disappeared over the years? We'd love to hear your memories, family stories or see any old photographs you might have tucked away.
Every building has a story... and we're only just getting started. ❤️

21/07/2026

Tune in to OKRFM for Roscoe’s Rambles at 4pm today. Francis Payne will be talking about the history of racing in Kilmore and Liz Dillon-Hensby on Kilmore Industries over the years.

20/07/2026

🏛️ Kilmore Landmark Spotlight – St Patrick's Church ⛪

Did you know the beautiful St Patrick's Church featured on our Kilmore Historical Society tea towel wasn't Kilmore's first Catholic church?
Before the impressive bluestone church we know today, Mass was celebrated in private homes before a simple timber church was built on Brewery Hill in the 1850s. The current church's foundation stone was laid in 1857, with the first section opening in 1861, and the magnificent chancel completed a decade later.

🔔 A fun mystery: St Patrick's bell has puzzled historians for years. Cast in Belgium in 1888, no one knows exactly who commissioned it or how it found its way to Kilmore. Even today, its journey remains one of our town's most intriguing unsolved historical mysteries!

Have you spotted St Patrick's Church on our beautiful Kilmore tea towel? At just $15, it's a wonderful way to take home a piece of Kilmore's rich history while supporting the Kilmore Historical Society. ❤️

14/07/2026

14/07/2026

🛍️ Welcome to the Kilmore Historical Society Merchandise Collection! 🏛️

Looking for a unique gift, a special keepsake, or a way to celebrate Kilmore's rich history?

Browse our Gift Shop Album, showcasing a growing collection of locally inspired products including our popular Doors of Kilmore range, history books, greeting cards, tote bags, historic prints, tea towels and much more.

Every purchase directly supports the Kilmore Historical Society in preserving, protecting and sharing the stories of Victoria's oldest inland settled town. Your support helps us care for our collections and continue bringing local history to life for future generations.

📍 Visit us at the Old Post Office 2 Powlett Street, Kilmore

Opening Hours 🕙 Tuesday: 10:00am – 3:00pm 🕙 Thursday: 10:00am – 3:00pm 🕙 Saturday: 10:00am – 1:00pm

📦 Can't visit us? Many items can be posted Australia-wide. Simply send us a Facebook message to enquire about availability, postage or to reserve an item.

✨ Be sure to follow our page and keep an eye on this album! We'll be regularly featuring individual products, sharing the fascinating stories behind them, and introducing exciting new merchandise, limited collections, historic treasures and gift ideas throughout the year.

There's even more to come! Watch out for community scavenger hunts, heritage walks, family-friendly activities, special events, exhibitions and plenty of exciting new initiatives as we continue finding fun and engaging ways to celebrate Kilmore's incredible history.

Thank you for supporting local history and helping us preserve the stories that make Kilmore so special.

We can't wait to share what's coming next!