Did you know that Cranbourne East was once witness to a cosmic event? Imagine the late 1700s. The Bunurong people lived here. They had no idea what was about to happen high above.
Cranbourne East is a suburb of Melbourne. It is located in Victoria Australia. Cranbourne East is 45 km south-east of Melbourne’s Central Business District.
Suddenly a truck-sized iron bolide screams through the atmosphere. It came from the northeast. The bolide broke up over a wide area. This area stretches between modern-day Pakenham and Pearcedale. The daytime sky would have lit up brighter than the sun. Night would have turned into day. Sonic booms and shock waves would have rocked the land.
The Bunurong people likely attached great significance to this event. Other aboriginal groups have myths about impact events. These myths often portend catastrophe. The Wurundjeri tribe to the north tells of Bunjil. Bunjil is a creator deity. He punished people by causing a star to fall. The star struck the earth and killed many.
Sadly the Bunurong’s story was lost. Their culture was devastated after British settlement. Today’s Bunurong descend from abducted women. Sealers from Westernport Bay took them as sex slaves. Any oral tradition about the meteorite is gone. We can only wonder how they viewed this incredible incident.
The event proved inauspicious. Bunurong culture was laid waste. British vices murder and disease took their toll within 100 years.
One account suggests a more positive view. The Bunurong danced around a large iron meteorite. They beat their serpentine tomahawks against it. They seemed pleased with the metallic sound. Some say the meteorite was revered. It was a symbol of fertility. Fertility rituals were performed around it. A spur of nickel iron protruded from the top. It was shaped like a phallus. This meteorite became known as the Bruce meteorite. It was also called Cranbourne no.1.
When the meteor broke up pieces scattered. They landed in a straight line. This line stretched 25 km from Pakenham to Pearcedale.
In 1853 a settler tried to tether his horse to what he thought was a tree stump. He realized it was iron. Another mass was found 6 km northeast. This was on James Lineham’s land. It became known as the Abel meteorite or Cranbourne no. 2.
In 1854 the phallus-shaped spur was cut off. Two horseshoes were made. They were exhibited at the Melbourne Exhibition. It was later realized a priceless meteorite had been defaced.
In 1860 a Cranbourne councillor visited Melbourne. He wanted a railway line built. He claimed a huge seam of iron existed there. Edmund Fitzgibbon an amateur geologist knew this was unlikely. He inspected Cranbourne numbers 1 and 2. The landowners offered them to him for free. He declined wanting only to generate scientific interest.
Georg von Neumayer a German meteorologist read about the meteorites. He and mineralogist August Theodore Abel visited Cranbourne. They camped at the site of Cranbourne no. 1. The farmer informed them he’d sold it to James Bruce. Von Neumayer and Abel located Cranbourne no.2. Lineham sold it to Abel.
Abel had it delivered to Melbourne. It weighed over 1.5 metric tonnes. It was the second largest meteorite in the world. Abel offered it to the National Museum in Melbourne. They declined. He sold it to the British Museum.
Fitzgibbon obtained the remaining piece of Cranbourne no.3. He exhibited it and wrote a paper. This generated interest in Europe. Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria asked for more information.
Many in the Royal Society wanted the meteorites kept in the colony. Frederick McCoy wrote to Bruce. He asked if he would donate Cranbourne no. 1 to his museum. Bruce refused. He wanted to donate it to the British Museum. He offered to split it in two.
Henry Barkly arranged for the British Museum to return Cranbourne no.2. In exchange they would get Cranbourne no.1. This appeased everyone.
Cranbourne no.1 went to London in 1865. It is still on display at the Natural History Museum. Cranbourne no.2 returned to Melbourne. It is on display at the Melbourne Museum.
Today Cranbourne East is also home to the Casey Complex. It is also home to Casey RACE. This is its Recreation and Aquatic Centre. It features a 50m olympic swimming pool and water slides. Cranbourne East continues to grow. New residential developments are planned.
Cranbourne East a place where the earth meets the stars. A place of ancient stories and modern life.