Books

The history of the Mansfield District is as old as Australia itself going back many thousands of years.
However for obvious reasons documented records do not go beyond the late 1830's with the coming of the first European settlers to the area. From then until 1864 our information has largely come from the private letters of settlers to relatives or associates in Mel-bourne, Sydney or the U.K.
From 1864 however, with the establishment of a local newspaper, we have a contmous record of life in the district as it evolved on a day to day basis in response to the world-wide political, scientific and commercial influences.
The Mansfield Historical Society undertook a mammoth task to recognise Australia's bicentennial year. Society members, working in pairs, researched the district's history through the files of the Mansfield Courier.
Each team looked at a period of 10 years, and extracted the important news items from about 500 issues of the Courier.
From their research the content of these pages has been extracted.

28 pages = A5 Printed & Stapled
146mm x 212mm x 4mm

"The person or persons responsible for the bestowal of the name 'Merrijig' on that prettily situated locality must surely have possessed the gift of peeping into the future, with, perhaps, visions of merry gatherings in the schoolhouse, for, assuredly, no better or more appropriate name could have been chosen. "Merrijig! Why, the word itself is symbolic of the people." (The Mansfield Courier March 1920).
This statement by the reporter for the Courier encapsulates the unique quality of character that Merrijig and its community have - always it would seem - had to offer.
It was not the sight of a snow-capped Mt. Buller, which drew the original Merrijigers to the locality, it was the simple desire to own some land and they were lucky enough to be sent to Merriig. Although the scenery is magnificent and there is little to challenge it in the world, it is the community, which gives the area its depth, its third dimension - its very soul.
Between these covers you will experience the weave of life, the blend of families, the struggles and the achievements of people who lived here before us. And what a wonderful fabric they have woven for the benefit of all. For those of us who are fortunate enough to live here now, we will hopefully want to continue weaving along a similar pattern showing courage, consideration, generosity and general community support for all that happens in this, our unique 'enchanted valley'.
Adele McCormack
Pages 214 = Printed & Bound
260mm x 180.5mm x 100mm