Gisborne
Situated in the south of the shire close to Melbourne, Gisborne is the largest town in the Macedon Ranges that retains a semi-rural character and a wealth of open spaces.
Gisborne is located 54 kilometres north-west of Melbourne. The train station and nearby Calder Freeway provide easy access to Melbourne and the Airport, located 45 minutes and 30 minutes away by car respectively.
The town’s many open spaces are connected with pathways that follow Jacksons Creek, suitable for cycling or walking. The town’s botanic gardens are located among these open spaces, and have a more contemporary design and feature many New Zealand native plants. Tree-lined avenues form major entrances to the town from the north and south.
Gisborne is situated within a large valley bordered by cleared agricultural land. It is nestled at the foot of the Jacksons Creek escarpment which almost rings the town, and is flanked by Mount Gisborne to the south and the Macedon Ranges to the north. These significant backdrops enhance the town’s semi-rural character.
History
Gisborne was surveyed in 1851 and named after H.F. Gisborne, the Victorian Crown Lands Commissioner.
The present day
Despite being a major urban centre, Gisborne still retains its village character. The town combines old and new, rural and suburban. It brims with modern cafés and boutiques against a setting of mature oaks, heritage buildings and country homesteads.
Facilities
Gisborne has a town bus service and a railway station on the Melbourne-Bendigo line. It has one secondary school and five primary schools. Council facilities in Gisborne include:
See and do
visitmacedonranges.com provides information on things to see and do and what’s on in Gisborne.
People
For demographic data about Gisborne, see Macedon Ranges Community Profile.