History of the Area

Halls Gap is the tourist favourite. Here, visitors are in easy reach of MacKenzie Falls, Lake Bellfield and the Zumsteins.

Dunkeld rests at the edge of the Grampians, near the peak Mount Abrupt.  The nearby Stawell hosts the famous Stawell Gift foot race every Easter.

History - Then

Major Thomas Mitchell first climbed and named Mt William in the Grampians Ranges in 1837. In 1841, Charles Browning Hall explored a "gap" through the mountains to find the secret valley now bearing his name.

Early settlers established stations in the valley soon after the last cattle rustlers were shifted out.

In 1887, excited gold prospectors rushed to Stoney Creek in the wake of early discoveries. Larger amounts were found on Mt William from 1900. Land, timber and sandstone also became contestable.

Even then, guesthouses welcomed numerous visitors keen to catch sight of the local beauty.

History - Now

Halls Gap is still a fascinating destination for the adventurous.  The 160kms of possible walks amount to an indulgent choice of beautiful scenery.

Jump in a canoe, go rock-climbing or abseiling or choose the rhythmic rush of a horse ride. Let the kids see the kangaroos, emus, wallabies and koalas in their real settings. Listen too for an audio adventure: your heart will lift listening to the birds sing in the treetops.