Clonbinane

Clonbinane is a sparse pastoral community in the Australian state of Victoria.

Clonbinane is a sparse pastoral community in the Australian state of Victoria. It is located 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of the state capital city, Melbourne. Geographically, it lies east of the Hume Freeway but now lacks a distinctive township precinct. According to Crown Land records of 1856, the pastoral region was part of the Western Port District. At the 2011 census, Clonbinane had a population of 381.The name Clonbinane suggests a marriage of two surnames, Clon and Binane. The Binane part may have found its origins in Welsh, Irish or Scottish clans surnames, deriving from the Latin "Benedictus". It is suggested that the Binane part of the name came from the galectisation of Benedictus and that the Clon part may have its origins in early Scottish history. It is not clear how the name came about as a mention in the Crown Land Leases of 1848.

During the development of the Australian colonies, the Clonbinane area was part of the Colony of New South Wales between 1788 and 1851 when, on 1 July 1851, Victoria was separated from New South Wales. An early mention of the name Clonbinane appeared in The Argus on 29 September 1848 in relation to Claims to Leases of Crown Land. At that time, a 10,400-hectare (25,600-acre)–run Clonbinane was cited as a claim by Michael Heffernan. The property was bound by 8 kilometres (5 mi) along Reedy Creek to the north, Mt Whitehead 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) to the west, up to the ranges east and 4.8 kilometres (3 mi) off Kirk and Harlin to the south with a potential for 600 head of cattle.

Gold mining commenced in the Clonbinane area around 1870 and lasted until around 1880. There was a cyanide processing plant on the Wandong-Kilmore Rd which served the local gold mines. When the gold appeared to run out, the area was extensively logged and supported saw milling. More recently, test drillings have indicated 2 to 10 grams per tonne (0.072 to 0.358 oz/long ton) potential yield on the Golden Dyke, Rising Sun and Apollo prospects at Beadell Resources Reedy Creek Project.

Clonbinane Post Office opened on 23 January 1892 and closed on 1 July 1895, reopening again 5 October 1897 and closing 30 April 1956. According to National Archives of Australia, it was determined in 1964 that, at the time of its existence in 1902, the Clonbinane Post Office was domiciled at the Clonbinane Park homestead. The prominence of that site suggests that was the true location of Clonbinane, which concurs with government mapping. According to the Victorian Postal Guide of March 1895, mail coming from Melbourne had to be posted by 0530 hours to reach Clonbinane Post Office by 1330 hours on the same day, allowing for sorting and logistics. At Clonbinane, mail had to lodged by 0900 hours to reach Melbourne's GPO by 1525 hours. Those time-frames suggest that mail was routinely carried by train during the period, probably between Melbourne and Wandong. The Clonbinane post office building burnt down in the Black Saturday fires on 7 February 2009. It was a single room weatherboard shed with a corrugated iron roof and was on the property known as Walhaven on Government Road which, along with the original Clonbinane Park homestead, was destroyed in the fires.

Rainfall typically results in balanced wet and dry days per annum. Highest rainfall rates occur in February and late October through November. The average per day is around 2.9 millimetres (0.11 in) and the high range is 55 to 70 millimetres (2.2 to 2.8 in). Total rainfall per annum is around 1,000 to 1,400 millimetres (39 to 55 in).

Temperatures typically peak in February and are at their lowest in June–July which can result in morning frost. The daily spread is about 10 °C (50 °F) degrees. On Black Saturday, temperatures in and around Melbourne reached near 47 °C (117 °F).