Best 25 Real Estate Agents In Mount Macedon [2025]

Mount Macedon Suburb Overview

Mount Macedon is a small town 64 kilometres north-west of Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria. It is on the side of the mountain of the same name, known as Geboor by the indigenous Wurundjeri people, which rises to 1,001 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census, Mount Macedon had a population of 1,694. Mount Macedon is best known for its collection of 19th century gardens and associated extravagant large homes which is considered to be one of the most important such collections in Australia.

Mount Macedon township was largely established by Melbourne’s wealthy elite in the post gold rush era of the mid to late 19th century who used it as a summer retreat. The Post Office opened on 18 July 1870, known as Upper Macedon until 1879 and Macedon Upper until 1936. An earlier Mount Macedon office was renamed Kyneton.

The mountain was originally sighted by Hamilton Hume and William Hovell on their 1824 expedition to Port Philip from NSW. They named it Mount Wentworth. It was renamed Mount Macedon by explorer Major Thomas Mitchell who ascended the mountain in 1836. He named it after Philip of Macedon in honour of the fact that he was able to view Port Philip 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.

Due to its relatively high elevation above sea level), the area experiences much cooler temperatures on average relative to nearby Melbourne. The area also receives high rainfall relative to the surrounding plains and much of the Melbourne area. This combination of geographic factors have contributed to the town’s reputation as a resort town and wine region..

Snowfall is a fairly regular feature on the higher elevations of the mountain, although the peak of the mountain is marginally too low for snowfalls to lie on the ground for more than a few days in most instances. Occasionally, the lower parts of the town experience snowfalls and on occasion these have been substantial.

The gardens and homes of Mount Macedon are well known for their lavish size and scale, many of which contain collections of exotic plants that are rare in cultivation.

One of the major attractions of Mount Macedon is the 21-metre high memorial cross which stands near the summit of the mountain. This structure was established by early resident William Cameron in 1935 as a memorial to his son and those who died in World War I. The view from the summit of Mount Macedon is spectacular and takes in Melbourne city, the Dandenong Ranges and the You Yangs near Geelong.

Another attraction of the Mount Macedon area is the extensive native forests which cover the mountain and surround the town. Much of the forest on Mount Macedon consists of wet sclerophyll communities which are more commonly associated with areas east of Melbourne. Alpine Ash occurs here at the western extent of its range and Mountain Ash at the northwestern extent of its range, Snow Gums are also found on the highest peaks. A large area of the Macedon Ranges forest is included in the Macedon Regional Park, managed by Parks Victoria.

The area was devastated by the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983, but the forests and gardens have since regrown.

The Mount Macedon area also comprises a second important peak, The Camels Hump, rising to 1,011 metres above sea level. The volcanic trachyte rock of the crag is favoured by rock climbers and the mountain has become a popular sport climbing venue due to its proximity to Melbourne.

Hascombe is a large garden owned by Linfox. It has an annual open day where all money received goes to charity. It only has two gardeners working for the whole 28-acre property. It has one of only two Himalayan Fir trees in Australia, the other being located in Adelaide. It is the highest private property on Mount Macedon by altitude.

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