1. Themes
  2. A to Z

Garfield

(3814, 65 km SE, Cardinia Shire)

This district, originally known by the name of the nearby Cannibal Creek, developed from the mid-1860s when it became a changing place for the coach service to Gippsland. The arrival of the railway in 1877 stimulated the timber industry, and Jefferson's brickworks, with its own railway siding, became a major local employer. In the 1880s it was suggested that the Cannibal Creek Siding be renamed Swamp Vale, but residents objected and the name Garfield was chosen after the American President who was assassinated in 1881. The 1890s saw the swamps drained and the development of dairying, market gardening and orchards. The district, which has remained largely agricultural, has survived several damaging floods.

Jenny Keating