By RUSSELL BENNETT
MANY Emerald residents are likely unaware that their town is named after the Irishmen who came to the area from the Emerald Isle following the gold rush of the late 1850s.
It’s also doubtful they’d know that the Emerald Football Club’s original colours were green and gold – not the Bombers’ long famous red and black.
The Emerald Heritage Walk was officially launched on Wednesday and has been designed to showcase some of the town’s existing heritage buildings while also providing a host of little-known facts about the town.
Emerald is the oldest town in the Dandenong Ranges, with a history dating back to 1858.
Those who go along for the new walk, which encompasses much of the town centre and business district, can meander through the local streets, purchase a coffee on the way and see snapshots of where it all began.
They can begin their journey at any location and finish at the Emerald and District Museum located within the historic Nobelius Heritage Park.
The walk is a joint venture between the Emerald Community House, and Emerald Museum and Nobelius Heritage Park.
Community House co-ordinator Lynne Trensky could barely contain her excitement at the launch of the walk which was held near the Commonwealth Bank branch on Kilvington Drive in front of more than 100 onlookers.
“For our local community, this is just a wonderful way to embrace our history,” she said.
“For tourism – wow!
“I think this will put Emerald and the eastern Dandenong Ranges corridor on the map and it will encourage visitors to stay longer and in doing that to spend more across the businesses throughout the township.”
Brochures are available in the Emerald town centre – including outside the bank at the main information board for the walk.
They detail significant moments in Emerald’s history and contain maps to find key buildings and locations throughout the town.
Nobelius Heritage Park and Emerald Museum committee president Carey Williams said he was “overwhelmed” by Wednesday’s turnout, which included Gembrook MP Brad Battin, La Trobe MP Jason Wood, Cardinia Mayor Graeme Moore and Ranges Ward councillors Brett Owen, Leticia Wilmot and Tania Baxter.
“The museum contains a great deal of significant historical material on the development of Emerald and its surrounding districts,” Mr Williams said.
“The heritage walk is something that’s been on our agenda for some time – we’ve spent many months working on this project in partnership with the Emerald Community House and it’s a great delight to us that it’s finally come to fruition.”
In officially opening the walk, Cr Moore thanked Ms Trensky and her colleagues at the community house “for driving the project”.
“This fits into our Healthy Together program,” he said.
“The walk suits all different levels – all ages – and I think that’s a wonderful initiative on its own.
“I’d like to see, across our shire, more of these heritage trails.
“This is the first that I know of and I think it’s a great initiative for Cardinia shire to have.
“It has definitely put Emerald on the map and I’m looking forward to 2015 when the extension will be complete with the Anzac Walk just in time for the 100-year commemoration.”
