Mount Buninyong

Mount Buninyong is an extinct volcano in western Victoria, Australia rises to 719m AHD. Within the Mount Buninyong Scenic Reserve north of the town of Buninyong and south of Ballarat, it is on the regional city's rural-urban fringe.Location and featuresThe mountain was originally named Mount Bonan Yowing, which is said to derive from an Aboriginal word meaning 'a man lying on his back with his knee raised'. It was from its peak that Thomas Learmonth and a group of squatters first viewed in 1837 what would become the Ballarat district. It is one of the more recognizable landmarks in the entire Goldfields region.Mount Buninyong is located on crown land. Much of it is a public reserve with a substantial native forest that is a major koala habitat. It is an important piece of regional infrastructure as a site for multiple communications antenna for radio and television broadcasting. It is home to picnic areas and the observation tower at its summit is a local tourist destination.Much of the mountain was cleared for agriculture or housing, but widespread protests during the 1980s led to the preservation of native forest cover on much of the upper portion.Total annual rainfall for the Mount Buninyong area is. During the colder months growing conditions are restricted. Severe frosts and snow fall occur during winter.