Digby, Victoria

Digby is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The town is in the Shire of Glenelg, 366 kilometres (227 mi) west of the state capital, Melbourne, on the Stokes River, a tributary of the Glenelg. At the 2006 census, Digby and the surrounding area had a population of 369.[2] The town is believed to be named either after Digby, Lincolnshire, in England, or in honour of a legendary early rural Australian identity, "Digby" McCabe.[3]

Digby
Victoria
Digby
Coordinates37°48′0″S 141°32′0″E
Population124 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)3309
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Glenelg
State electorate(s)Lowan
Federal Division(s)Wannon

The Henty Brothers established the first European settlement in the Digby area in 1837. In 1843, the Woolpack Inn was established near modern Digby; it burnt down in 1887. By 1847 the town consisted of the inn, a blacksmith and a series of huts. The town was officially surveyed in 1852.[3] On 1 June 1858, Digby Post Office opened.[4] In 1857, a second inn—the Digby Hotel—was established. It still exists today, although it was rebuilt after a fire in 1935.[3]

The Digby Mechanics Institute was built in 1868 and has continually operated since. The first sitting of the Supreme Court of Victoria outside Melbourne was in Digby in 1869.[3] By 1874 the town had a post office, two hotels, four shops and a school.[3]

Traditional ownership

The formally recognised traditional owners for the area in which Digby sits are the Gunditjmara People[5] who are represented by the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.[6]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Digby (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Digby (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  3. "Digby, Victoria, Australia : Settlement & Timeline". Ballarat Genealogy. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  4. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  5. "Map of formally recognised traditional owners". Aboriginal Victoria. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  6. "Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal". Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. Retrieved 2 June 2020.


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