Ensay

History

The Aboriginal name for the area around Ensay was Numblamunjie, which translates as ‘blackfish place’. Archibald Macleod (see Bairnsdale, History) set up a station in this area in 1843. He named it after the now unpopulated island of Ensay in the Outer Hebrides of his homeland of Scotland, whose name originates from the Old Norse for Ewe Island. The land around Ensay was originally taken up in 1839 by the noted explorer of the district Angus McMillan on behalf of his then employer Lachlan Macalister. This was abandoned shortly afterwards in 1841 with the settlement of large areas of land in the more central parts of Gippsland. The original Ensay Station covered an enormous , which took in most of the Ensay district up to Swifts Creek, where it abutted the Tongio Station. Some areas very near Ensay, such as Reedy Flat, were outside the Ensay Station boundaries and were not occupied by European settlers until the 1870s. About 1881 T. Macknight Hamiton (d. 1907) and James Hamilton Irvine (d. 1895; whose brother was the 20th Laird of Drum) purchased Ensay Station. Ensay Station was progressively split up into smaller farms over the years. Notably the area became a site for soldier settlers following World War I, as returned servicemen looking for employment were allocated areas of land to farm by the government. Agricultural use of the land around Ensay remains chiefly for the raising of cattle and sheep.

Most-observed species

• Superb Fairywren

  Malurus cyaneus (Ellis, 1782) · Aves
  201
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  174
• Crimson Rosella

  Platycercus elegans (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  154
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  151
• Australian Raven

  Corvus coronoides Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  146
• Gray Fantail

  Rhipidura albiscapa Gould, 1840 · Aves
  145
• Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

  Cacatua galerita (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  138
• Gray Shrikethrush

  Colluricincla harmonica (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  138

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2010-01-08
  39 km N of Briagolong, Australia
• M 2.9 — 2006-02-28
  14 km WNW of Falls Creek, Australia
• M 3 — 2003-09-26
  53 km SSE of Corryong, Australia
• M 3.2 — 2003-07-07
  28 km SSE of Lakes Entrance, Australia
• M 3.4 — 2001-12-16
  8 km SW of Hotham Heights, Australia