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Buchan |
Buchan (including Buchan South and Buchan
Caves)
Small timber town noted for the interesting
caves which are located nearby
Located 355 km east of Melbourne via the Princes
Highway Buchan lies at the centre of a sheep,
cattle, dairying and timber area on the Buchan
River. Its major attraction is a group of
spectacular limestone caves called,
unsurprisingly, the Buchan Caves.
No one knows how the town got its name. Some
people argue that the name derives from either
the Aboriginal term "buchan buchan", meaning
"smoke signal expert", or "bukkan munjie",
meaning "the place of the grass bag".
East Gippsland explorer, Edward Baylis, began
the Buchan station in the late 1830s. The area
was first settled around 1840 but no detailed
survey or exploration was carried out until 1899
or 1900. The land in the area was reserved by
the State Government because there had been
considerable vandalism of the area's caves.
Things to see:
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Buchan Caves
Fairy Cave, which is 400 metres long, has the
usual collection of quaintly named features
including the King's Chamber, the Queen Victoria
Chamber, the Hall, the Jewel Chamber, the
Grotto, the Bridal Chamber and the limestone
''Wedding Cake' which is frosted with what
resembles icing sugar.
The cave was discovered by Europeans in 1907
and opened to the public the following year. The
bones of kangaroos and a wombat the size of a
horse have been found on the cave floor. The
other cave open to the public is the Royal Cave,
which includes 'Niagara Falls' and the 'Font of
the Gods'.
The calcium carbonate which forms the basis
of the limestone formations in the area's 350 or
more caves derives from the skeletons of
shellfish and coral which were deposited when
the sea still covered southern Gippsland. The
subterranean chambers and passages were carved
out by the rainwater that trickles into the
caves, forming spectacular stalactites and
stalagmites which sometimes meet to form
impressive pillars, or waterfall-like
structures, due to the passage of the water over
ledges. Red and brown colourations are caused by
the presence of iron oxide while green shades
are caused by copper. The caves are lighted
artificially by electricity and have concrete
steps and hand rails. There is natural
ventilation and the temperature remains a steady
15 degrees celsius.
Buchan Caves Reserve
The Buchan Caves Reserve features picnic spots,
a camping ground, a 1 km walking track and a
variety of flora and fauna, including koalas,
over forty species of birds, kangaroos,
currawongs.
Other Caves in the District
Other cave areas not open to the public are the
Cloggs Cave Area, 4 km south-east of Buchan, and
the New Guinea Area, 20 km north-east of the
town, on the banks of the Snowy River. Apart
from their scenic value, these sites have
revealed important signs of Aboriginal
occupation, including hearths, middens, rock
paintings, burnt bones, and tools such as
pebbles for burnishing skins, scrapers, blades,
pebble choppers and awls for piercing holes in
skins for the manufacture of skin cloaks which
date from 17 000 years old. The remains of
extinct species, including a kangaroo the size
of a horse, the Tasmanian Wolf and a Tasmanian
Devil now extinct in the area, have also been
uncovered.
Buchan South
12 km south-west of the town is Buchan South,
the site of a black marble outcrop which was
used in the construction of 16 huge pillars for
Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. 900 tonnes
were also shipped to London for inclusion in
Australia House.
Stonehenge, in Buchan South, is worth a visit
for gemstone collectors. Black marble artefacts
are also available from the Black Marble Hut in
the main township of Buchan.
Sightseeing in the District
Those interested in sight-seeing may choose the
road to Orbost, 55 km south-east, or the 80 km
trek north to Suggan Buggan. The road north out
of Buchan overlooks the Buchan and Murrindal
Valleys and leads to Murrindal, the home of the
Shades of Death Cave, discovered by Europeans in
1900, explored in 1905 but not permanently
opened to the public until 1984. The area is
mentioned in an Aboriginal legend which tells of
a man who wandered into a cave and met Nyols,
tiny people rarely seen by mortals.
Further along the road are West Tree Creek,
where the river tumbles into a deep gorge,
Butchers Ridge, Gelantipy, where petrol,
refreshments and information are available and,
along an unsealed road, Wulgulmerang. This area
featured in Rolf Boldrewood's Robbery Under Arms
(1888). Bushranger, Captain Starlight, is also
said to have passed through the region.
The Bataluk Cultural Trail
The Bataluk Cultural Trail extends from Sale in
the east, through Stratford, Mitchell River
National Park, Bairnsdale, Metung, Lake Tyers,
Buchan and Orbost to Cape Conran in the west. It
follows the trails and trading routes of
pre-colonial days and focuses on elements of
Koorie history and culture, including Dreamtime
stories, traditional lifestyles, the Den of
Nargun, Legend Rock, Aboriginal Keeping Places,
archaeological sites such as canoe trees and
shell middens (some dating back 10 000 years),
cultural centres of the region, and aspects of
European invasion, colonial settlement and
present-day existence. At Buchan the focus is on
Buchan Caves.
Rafting on the Snowy
Peregrine offer rafting expeditions along the
Snowy River which depart from Buchan, tel: (03)
9662 2800 or the Peregrine Travel office in your
state capital.
