Arthurs Seat

History

Wonga was home to the Boonwurrung prior to European settlement. The lower slopes of the hill were known as Wango, and were a place where corroborees were held. Three Boonwurrung names have been recorded for this hill: Momo, Wonga and Tubberrubberbil, though the latter is possibly confused with Tubba Rubba creek. The term Arthurs Seat was first applied to the mountain range, then to a squatting run, next to the pre-emptive right, then to land allotments in the area that is now the suburb McCrae, and currently to the suburb at the summit of the range. It was named by Acting Lieutenant John Murray when he entered Port Phillip in in February 1802, for an apparent resemblance to the hill of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh (which was his home city). Captain Matthew Flinders climbed Arthurs Seat on 27 April 1802, noting in his log "The Bluff Mountain on the eastward I estimated at over 1000 feet high, and being near the waterside, possessed a favourable station for observation purposes. I ascend the hill and took an extensive set of bearings from the cleared place to be found on the north western bluff part of the hill." Another notable ascent was in 1844 when Sir John Franklin, a former Governor of Van Diemen's Land, climbed Arthurs seat with Andrew McCrae, the owner of the McCrae Homestead at the foot, and the Arthur's Seat Run. It was not until 1853 that a structure was placed on the summit, a trigonometrical station, for survey purposes. The station was burnt down in 1880. In 1883 a new lighthouse was assembled in McCrae making the previously wooden structure redundant, so authorities decided to transport the wooden frame by bullock wagon to the summit for use as a lookout tower where it remained until 1934 when it was again replaced by another tower. In 1913 the…

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  5,602
• Gray Fantail

  Rhipidura albiscapa Gould, 1840 · Aves
  5,395
• Superb Fairywren

  Malurus cyaneus (Ellis, 1782) · Aves
  5,159
• Red Wattlebird

  Anthochaera carunculata (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  5,113
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  5,106
• Brown Thornbill

  Acanthiza pusilla (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  4,828
• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  4,483
• Little Wattlebird

  Anthochaera chrysoptera (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  4,148

Most recent

• M 4.3 — 2024-02-08
  3 km E of Leongatha, Australia
• M 3.8 — 2023-05-28
  5 km W of Mickleham, Australia
• M 2.9 — 2021-11-05
  4 km S of Rosebud, Australia
• M 2.8 — 2015-03-10
  3 km NNE of Pakenham, Australia
• M 3.6 — 2014-12-03
  4 km SW of Pakenham, Australia
• M 2.8 — 2014-01-13
  1 km SSE of Lilydale, Australia