Westgarthtown, Victoria

Westgarthtown is a heritage registered precinct located within the Melbourne suburbs of Thomastown and Lalor, in Victoria, Australia.[1][2][3]

This article is about the heritage precinct in the Melbourne suburb of Thomastown. For the locality in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote, see Westgarth, Victoria.

The Lutheran Church (1856) at the top of the hill

History

The town was originally known as Neu Mecklenburg, and was established around 1850.[4] The name was changed to Westgarthtown in honour of William Westgarth, who sponsored German immigration.[4] The name was still in use up until the First World War, when it became officially regarded as part of Thomastown.[5]

Modern day

In the 1970s, urban sprawl caught up with the village, and though it is now surrounded by suburban housing, the village is protected by the Victorian Heritage Act.

Significant remaining buildings include:

  • The Lutheran Church (1856)[6]
  • Westgarthtown Cemetery (1850)[7][8][9]
  • Ziebell's Farmhouse[10]
  • Graff's Farmhouse (1873)[11]
  • Siebel's Farmhouse (1860)[12]
  • Maltzahn's Farmhouse[13]
  • Wuchatsch's Farmhouse[14]

The four farmhouses[10][11][12][14]are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

In 2018, Friends of Westgarthtown successfully completed the Museum Accreditation Program. This is a gold-standard program which promotes best practice across all areas of museum management in line with the National Standards for Museums and Galleries. [15][16]

Books on Westgarthtown

Jones, Michael Nature's Plenty: a history of the City of Whittlesea, Sydney, N.S.W. Allen & Unwin, 1992 ISBN 1863730761

See also

References
  1. Wuchatsch, Robert (1985), Westgarthtown, the German settlement at Thomastown, R. N. Wuchatsch, ISBN 978-0-9589153-0-4
  2. Friends of Westgarthtown, retrieved 15 January 2012
  3. Westgarthtown, Heritage Council of Victoria, 31 October 2008, archived from the original on 18 October 2009
  4. "The Beginnings Of The Lutheran Church In Victoria". Pinnaroo And Border Times. 25 (1261). South Australia. 1 March 1935. p. 3. Retrieved 11 May 2018 – via National Library of Australia., ...It might be mentioned that the settlement at Neu Mecklenburg was established by immigrants from Mecklenburg, Saxony, and Silesia, and the assertion is made that the choice ; of the name “Neu Mecklenburg” -- did not meet with unanimous hence some; named it “Westgarthtown,” after a Mr. : Westgarth, who had rendered considerable assistance to German immigrants, and 1848 had actually visited Germany in order to induce German prospective emigrants to settle in Victoria. Later, as already stated, the. place was called Thomastown...
  5. Allan, Lyle (1986), Review of R.N. Wuchatsch, Westgarthtown, in Journal of Intercultural Studies, Vol 7 No 1 62-63
  6. "Lutheran Church and Cemetery". vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  7. Wuchatsch, Robert, "Westgarthtown", eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online, retrieved 16 January 2012
  8. "Lutheran Church - Lalor, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H0899, Heritage Overlay HO30". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria.
  9. "Westgarthtown Cemetery - Lalor". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria.
  10. "Ziebell's Farmhouse - Thomastown, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H0979, Heritage Overlay HO29". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria.
  11. "Graff's Farm - Thomastown, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H0915, Heritage Overlay HO33". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria.
  12. "Siebel's Farmhouse - Thomastown, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H1212, Heritage Overlay HO32". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria.
  13. "Maltzahn's Farmhouse". www.westgarthtown.org.au. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  14. "Wuchatsch's Farm - Lalor, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H0950, Heritage Overlay HO10". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria.
  15. "City of Whittlesea". 2 May 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  16. "Museums Australia Victoria". 14 November 2018.


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