Mount Evelyn in Yarra Ranges Shire, Victoria, Australia — Oceania

The Berry Farm

— The Timeline Community Arts Project —

Photographed by Dean Barton-Ancliffe, June 18, 2026

1. The Berry Farm Marker

Inscription. Selectors took up land in the Mt Evelyn area from the 1870s onwards. The slopes and valleys were dotted with small farms, where selectors struggled to wrest a living from the rugged country. Drought, bush fires, pests and isolation added to their hardships and many farms failed. Crops grown in the area included fruit, flowers and berries. The picture shows the berry farm that once flourished on the spot where you are now standing. The farmer went broke - but that's another story.

Painted by St Mary's Primary School
Sponsored By Morrison on the Park Cafe & Wine Bar

Erected by Mt Evelyn Township Improvement Committee.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Colonial Era • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.

Location. 37° 47.154′ S, 145° 22.771′ E. Marker is in Mount Evelyn, Victoria, in Yarra Ranges Shire. It can be reached from Wray Crescent 0.1 kilometers north of York Road (Victoria Route C402). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 26 York Road, Mount Evelyn VIC 3796, Australia.

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Regionally, it is in Oceania,

Australasia,

the Pacific Ocean,

South Pacific,

the Pacific Rim,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Swaggies in Tough Times (here, next to this marker); Bullock Teams and Timber (here, next to this marker); The First Train (a few steps from this marker); The Wurrundjeri (a few steps from this marker); Peace after War (a few steps from this marker); Scouts 80 Years in Mt Evelyn (within shouting distance of this marker); The Aqueduct from Silvan (within shouting distance of this marker); The Army Camp (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mount Evelyn.

Also see . . . Mount Evelyn’s interesting volcanic history. Star Mail

Except for the alluvial soil found along the creeks, our soil is derived from these two rock types. The Mt Evelyn Rhyodacite produced a thin Light Grey Loam. The combination of the rock and the nutrient-poor grey soil defeated the early selectors
Photographed by Dean Barton-Ancliffe, June 18, 2026

2. The Berry Farm Marker along the Rail Trail
from the 1870s in their attempts to support themselves on the land. The western side began to be subdivided for weekend housing blocks from the 1920s. The basaltic Red Loam found in the eastern and south eastern parts of Mount Evelyn supported flower, fruit and berry growing.

There was traditionally a social distance in Mt Evelyn between the agricultural eastern end and the more closely settled west, with the railway line marking an informal boundary between them. There was even a political divide between the rural, conservative East Riding and the more progressive South West Riding of the former Shire of Lillydale.

So much depended on which volcano you lived under…

(Submitted on July 18, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.