Board 4: Four Councils
Flemming’s Journal describes the party’s movements into Port Phillip then onto and upstream in both the Maribyrnong and Yarra Rivers.They came across the entrance to the Yarra and the Maribyrnong on February 2nd and explored and surveyed the land around the river for the next week.
The re-enactment in 2003 was enthusiastically embraced by four councils that share the river. These being Maribyrnong City Council, Hobson’s Bay, Moonee Valley and the City of Melbourne.
All the mayors of Maribyrnong, Hobson’s Bay and Moonee Valley dressed in Historical clothes of the era to welcome the replica of the small rowing boat that carried Grimes’ party along the rivers and welcomed the party in each municipality with a special event.
These proceedings took place on Saturday February 1st, 2003. On Sunday February 2nd the replica was rowed along the Yarra into the City of Melbourne to the area near Queen Street where once the fresh water started. The group was met by the then Surveyor General of Victoria, Keith Bell, who welcomed the group and acknowledged the significance of the event.
