Gheringhap
Gheringhap is an agricultural locality on the railway line from Geelong where it divides into the lines to Ballarat and Hamilton. It is 15 km north-west of Geelong.
Gheringhap is thought to be derived from an Aboriginal word meaning a type of gum tree or wattle blossom.
The Gheringhap school was opened in 1858 and the railway line to Ballarat was opened in 1862. Until the turn of the century Gheringhap was recorded as having a school and two churches, one being Wesleyan. Gheringhap was described in the 1903 Australian handbook:
The school closed in 1906. It was after this, in 1913, that the line to Hamilton was opened. In 2007 Gheringhap was identifed as a site for possible future industrialisation.
Gheringhap’s census populations were:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1911 | 233 |
| 1921 | 104 |
| 1961 | 64 |
| 2011 | 249 |
Further Reading
D.C. McLean, The Gheringhap to Maroona railway, Australian Railway Historical Society, Victorian Division, 1973
