Birdwood, formerly known as Blumberg, is on Peramangk Country. In the 1840s, this pretty village was settled by German Lutherans who had migrated to Australia seeking religious freedom. They named it Blumberg, but anti-German sentiment in the Great War saw it renamed after a British general who led the ANZACs at Gallipoli. The pub in the main street and several other traders

maintain the original name. Note the old beer truck hoisted on a pole outside the pub – a nod to the famous National Motor Museum across the road. The museum is dedicated to the nation’s love affair with cars and motorbikes and is home to over 350 vehicles of historic significance.

FAST FACTS!

• A smaller village once existed alongside Blumberg called Oliventhal. The only relic is a German-style halftimbered cottage bearing the name
• The Blumberg Hotel started out as a single-storey inn in 1865 named the Napoleon Bonaparte, reputedly because some of the locals had fought with the French general
• The magnificent Birdwood Primary School building was once the residence of Mr Pflaum, the  wealthy owner of the flour mill that now houses the National Motor Museum
• Each September Birdwood is the endpoint of the 70 km Bay to Birdwood, an annual rally that is one of the world’s great historic motoring events