The traditional Wathaurung country was first settled in 1836 when the Yuille brothers established a sheep run that included the sheltered corner under the escarpment later named Mount Pleasant.

In December 1854, on the gentle slope above the creek, the Cornish families set up their tents and established a school, a memorial to which can be found near the reserve.

This quiet life was rudely disrupted in late 1856 when gold was found and for a few years Mount Pleasant itself suffered all the disturbances of a rush.

There were several hotels near where the sewerage pipe now runs, When the alluvial gold ran out, the community settled down and its Methodist character reasserted itself.

With the closure of the church and the everyday shops, it is mainly the primary school, which traces its origins back to the beginning of Mount Pleasant as a suburb, which continues as a communal centre.

The housing stock is solid but modest, with many Victorian era Single-family detached homes on larger than average blocks.

The newer housing estate to the south of Elsworth Street is on the site of the alluvial gold rush of the late 1850s and traces of mining can still be seen.