Box Hill is situated approximately 11 km east of Melbourne and can be accessed by tram line or through Victoria’s excellent public transport system. There’s a lot of history behind the popularity of Box Hill in the 1800s which we will go through in this article.
1. The Tom Roberts Connection
One of Australia’s greatest painters of landscapes, Tom Roberts had come to Box Hill following sojourns in France and Spain to try out his newfound adoration of impressionism. When he returned to Australia, he went looking for plays of light and shade in the countryside.
2. Box Hill’s First Landowner
Box Hill’s first landowner, thanks to the upsurge of sightseers, was Arundel Wright who took a lease on Bushy Creek in 1838. Today you can visit the Pioneer’s Memorial in front of the town hall that pays tribute to the first settlers.
3. The Township’s Establishment
The township was established after Box Hill was settled in 1854 and became a market centre for vegetables and fruits. The Methodist angle came from ministers who came from Yorkshire in the UK. Many of the street names have a similar origin.
4. The Land Boom of 1882
The land boom of 1882 was when men like Roberts and McCubbin were able to freely travel to and from Melbourne for their paintings, but due to the recklessness, it finally led to a bust in 1893 and was severely affected by the depression.
5. Box Hill Today
Today Box Hill is a remnant of those heydays and has been remarkably preserved so you can step out of your Box Hill hotel the likes of Avani Melbourne Box Hill Residences and explore what Austalia looked like in the 1800s.
