Victoria experienced a warm and wet tropical type climate throughout much of the Tertiary period and temperate rainforest was widespread over much of the state.

Following the uplift of the South-Eastern highlands in the late Tertiary period (approximately 5 million years ago), extensive river systems developed over dry land areas.

This rise extends from west of Drouin towards the coast at Grantville and forms the western margin of the elevated block-faulted terrain of the South Gippsland Hills.

When the Chief Protector George Augustus Robinson (1791-1866) accompanied by the Protector of the Melbourne District Mr William Thomas (Australian settler) (1794–1867) and their government party, consisting of one dray, a fine team of eight bullocks, six native police, under Sergeant Wyndrige, with three white men camped at the Hurdy Gurdy Creek (native name Barbin Bullook).

[8] With one native policeman with the sergeant, going before to direct the way, followed by two white men, one with a felling axe, and the other with a tomahawk to make a passage for the dray.

The path on which the native policeman, directed the group, most likely having been originally made by the Boon wurrung people, (and probably not far from where the Bass Coast Highway crosses the creek today), as the forest above formed an impenetrable jungle.

The Protectors wanted to keep Aboriginal people out of the town, in order to "civilize" them by settling them in villages and converting them Christianity and eventually enable them to be part of society.

His instructions were nearly identical to when he was appointed Assistant Protector, except Superintendent Charles La Trobe now emphasised that Thomas was ‘to keep the blacks out of Melbourne.

[9] Just 8 years earlier, in 1836 news of increasing numbers of unauthorized settlers in the south and of their outrages against the Aboriginals had reached Sydney.

Further attention was attracted in June 1835 the Port Phillip Association headed by Vandemonians (Tasmanians) — Batman a pastoralist, Swanston a banker, Gellibrand a lawyer, and Wedge a government surveyor — "illegally" planned to occupy land in Victoria with their sheep so that they could expand their pastoral experiences.

The inland site, however, had the advantage of a plentiful supply of fresh water, and was, he reported, suited to the performance of his civil duties.

[12] The last major deployment of the British Army took place in 1838, when Major James Nunn, led the 80th Regiment to the Melbourne road in the Port Phillip District, after which the army left frontier fighting to settlers and civilian police, but warfare would continue for another 90 years, until the British had occupied the entire continent from Gippsland to the Kimberleys.

The lessees of the Hurdy Gurdy Pastoral Run, over its lifespan, were as follows: 1838 John Thom[15] 1841 Cuthbert and Gardiner, abandoned Feb. 1851 Jas.

Barrett Nov. 1883 cancelled It was still being referred to as "The Wilderness" in 1918 by Mr G. E. Bonney, who had lived on Crown Allotments 98A & 98B since 1885, a part of this historic run, commonly known as "The Gurdies".

[22] The same 'Parish Map' in 1948 reveals to the reader, that most of the title deeds located in "The Gurdies" had changed hands during the 1880s, with some local landmarks (like roads) still bearing these names today.

[28] The Gurdies has a high demand for housing, particularly appealing is the proximity to the nearby Nature and Conservation Reserves, and any sunset views out over Westernport Bay that a property may have.