Ever wondered how Stud Rd got its name? Ever wondered why the Dandenong Police Paddocks are so named? Then come along to this cache and let a Californian (or as dak says "a Yank") educate you!
This cache is located in the Dandenong Police Paddocks Reserve. Specifically, it is located in the Narrandjeri Wurundjeri Park, which was named by the people of the Kulin Nation. The area is of historic importance as a place where early contact and interaction occurred between Aboriginal and European people, and contains significant archaeological and cultural heritage values relating to its past uses. After completing this cache you will know a little more about the history of the area, and will be able to answer the two questions posed above.
Just to make it more interesting I have converted the distances in the below description into feet. Since that is what we use here in California and to give the cache more of an international feel. You do feel it don't you?
You can park in Churchill Park Drive at S 37° 56.930, E 145° 14.725. The first waypoint is a 2,034ft(0.39 miles) walk along a paved track; the last 164ft or so of the track is gravel.
At the advertised coordinates you will find two informational signs. Read the signs and gather the following information:
- Number of non-plant items in the Aboriginal people's diet = A
- Last year that the site operated as the central station of the Western Port District Aboriginal Protectorate = BCDE
- The year that Lady Franklin possibly planted the pine tree = FGHJ
- Number of acres that were proclaimed a public reserve in 1930 = KLMN
Update 2007-01-01: I have been informed "some morons have vandalised one of the signs".
So I am going to give you the some of the information that is missing.
It is possible that the scarred pine tree still standing to your left was planted by Lady Franklin, wife of the Tasmanian Governor, in 1839. She visited the area en route to Sydney and was the first woman to complete the overland journey, which took many weeks, on horseback.
Update 2011-06-21: I have heard that both the signs are now missing so I am going to give you the pertinent text from the signs.
Before European settlement the old red gum floodplains and eucalypt woodlands below you teemed with wildlife. The Aboriginal people were natural farmers, hunting and gathering food according to the season and abundance. Their diet included eels, wombats, birds, bandicoots, swamp wallabies and a variety of plant foods...
... It has a mixed history, operating as the central station of the Western Port District Aboriginal Protectorate (1840-1844) and as the National Police Corps head quarters (1842-1853)....
...In 1930 the Police Department vacated the property and 1,720 acres were proclaimed as public reserve....
The cache is located 138ft away at:
S 37° 57.(D–E)(A+K)(G–N)
E 145° 14.(M+B)(L–H)(D–F)
The cache container is a nice big strong sistema container.
As always, please replace the cache as you found it to discourage accidental discovery.
Small note on cache maintenance: This cache was placed as part of an International Cache Exchange. Since both of us are not in a position to maintain our own cache we will both maintain each others cache.
Maintenance Update 2016-09-04: Since dak's Emu Mob passed away I have not had a local maintainer and the cache has been in decline. I have now found a new local maintainer! Many thanks to TeamThommo for volunteering to take care of it.
