Benalla’s Grand Design: A Township Built for Greatness

Listen as Dr. Jacqui Durrant shares the curious story of assistant surveyor Thomas Wedge, who in 1848 laid out the township of Benalla. His survey, covering an area almost as large as Melbourne with equally wide streets, redefined the frontier settlement of ‘Broken River’, once ancient corroboree grounds. Wedge’s plan imposed a new colonial order, creating winners and losers, while imagining Benalla as a place of regional importance — designed for status as much as function. This vision sparked an enduring expectation of greatness that has shaped, and perhaps burdened, the town ever since.