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Produced and published by the School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne
Published July 2008
Published July 2008
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(3815, 69 km SE, Cardinia Shire)
A mainly residential township in an agricultural district, Bunyip is situated on the Gippsland railway line at the north-eastern end of the former Koo Wee Rup Swamp. The area was originally known as Buneep Buneep or Bunyip Bunyip, an Aboriginal name for mythical swamp-dwelling monsters that had been applied to a local pastoral run. The growth of the township was stimulated in the 1870s when it became the railway line terminus, where goods and passengers transferred across the Bunyip River to the Gippsland Road. Bunyip also thrived as a result of the draining of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp in the 1890s, becoming a base for the works on the eastern side. Many settlers moved into the area and its agricultural focus around dairying and beef production remains. A horse tram was built from Bunyip to Iona, although it was never extended to the western end of the swamp as had been intended. Present-day attractions in the area include Gumbuya Park.