Overview

Hume and Hovell Explorers Bike Ride 2024

The Expedition and the Monuments

In 1824 Hume & Hovell were tasked by Governor Brisbane to find  grazing country between Sydney and Western Port settlement at Bass Strait. Their journey southwards, after crossing the Murray River, east of Albury on November 20, passed through Northeastern Victoria before crossing the Great Divide and descending to Melbourne’s lava plains on the way through to Werribee. Climbing many hills to locate their way, they crossed 10 rivers. These now have the names of Murray (Hume), Mitta, Kiewa (Little or Maranatheran), Ovens, King (Oxley), Broken, Goulburn (Hovell), Yea (Muddy), Deep Creek (Broughtons), Maribyrnong (Arndell), and Werribee (Kennedys) was the final waterway at the end of their journey. 

Twice their forward trek was blocked. The explorers spent 5 days wandering down and up the river plain of Albury in their attempts to cross the Hume and 5 days finding a pass through the Great Divide over Mt Disappointment. 

They travelled most days, leaving camp early, stopping for breakfast and usually resting for some hours during the heat of the day. A continuing hazard to their navigation was the smoke of grass fires. The fires destroyed the feed for the stock. It was an amazing journey of some 350 miles during which the explorers travelled from Albury leaving on Nov 18th and arriving in Lara on Dec 17th. (Now considered to be Werribee.)

In 1924 a Victorian committee was formed to coordinate the Centenary celebrations of the expedition through Victoria. Thirty-seven monuments were erected highlighting the expedition route and these were unveiled during a week of festivities in 1924 November 16-22. A motorcade carried the committee members from Melbourne to Albury and onto the various towns for the unveiling ceremonies and celebrations. 

Today in honour of the explorers the North-South Road from Sydney to Melbourne is named the Hume Highway. In the main riverside park beside the Murray River at Albury stands the Hovell Tree blazed ‘Hovell 17 Nov 1824’. These are just two references today that mark the explorers' route. Many monuments commemorate the Centenary of the expedition. These were erected by the town communities in 1924. The Explorers Bike Ride 2024 follows the line of the monuments. 

The expedition was an extraordinary feat and more details can be viewed in the pages below.