Mount Macedon ( ;[ and is located approximately northwest of Melbourne.
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Etymology
The mountain is known as Geboor or Geburrh in the Aboriginal Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people.[
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The mountain was sighted by Hamilton Hume and William Hovell on their 1824 expedition to Port Phillip from New South Wales. They named it Mount Wentworth.[ He named it after Philip of Macedon in honour of the fact that he was able to view Port Phillip from the summit. Several other geographic features along the path of his third Australia Felix expedition were named after figures of Ancient Macedonia including the nearby Campaspe River and Mount Alexander near Castlemaine (named after Alexander the Great).
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History
At the base of Mount Macedon is an axe-grinding site, a large sandstone boulder with thirty-one grooves made by the sharpening of stone axes. This is an important cultural heritage site for the Wurundjeri tribe.
Summit
The highest peak of Mount Macedon is Camel's Hump, or Camels Hump,
The view from the summit of Mount Macedon is spectacular, and takes in Melbourne city, the Dandenong Ranges and the You Yangs near Geelong.
Mount Macedon Memorial Cross
Mount Macedon Memorial Cross is a high monument standing near the summit of the mountain, in an area called Cross Reserve. It was established in 1935 by William Cameron, an early resident of the town of Mount Macedon, as a memorial to his son and others who had died in World War I.
Climate
Total rainfall approaches annually, reaching a maximum in winter, with minimum amounts occurring during the summer months of January to March. Snowfalls occurs on 15–20 days a year, with snow lying occurring on 10–15 days a year.[ Central Ranges Weather Discussion ] As with the entire region, Mount Macedon is susceptible to severe frost, generally between the months of May and September, with light frosts throughout the rest of the year and minimal frost between January and March. Extreme minimums have been recorded near . A feature of the region in winter is the occasional appearance of black ice.
Notable events
On 8 November 1948, Douglas DC-3 VH-UZK operated by Australian National Airways crashed on Mount Macedon a few minutes after leaving Essendon Airport. The pilot and first officer died; the cabin crew and all 19 passengers survived, with relatively minor injuries.
See also
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Mount Macedon, Victoria
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Macedon, Victoria
External links
