Newham, Victoria

Newham is a small town in the Shire of Macedon Ranges in Victoria, Australia. It is situated between the towns of Kyneton, Woodend and Lancefield. At the 2006 census, Newham and the surrounding area had a population of 570.HistoryThe township of Newham was occupied as a station in 1847 by settlers named Peters and Dryden and called Dryden's Rock; The district of Newham and Woodend was created in December 1861; it became the Shire of Newham and Woodend in January 1905.Newham Post Office opened on 16 September 1861 and closed in 1971.Possible origins of the nameIn 1848 it may have been named Newham after Rev. Newham, an Anglican priest. Around the 1850s, Newham was known variously as Hieland Town or Isle of Skye, perhaps indicating a Scottish heritage of the early settlers. It would appear that these names were colloquial terms rather than official names.While it is likely that the town was named after Rev. Newham, other theories exist regarding the origins of the name Newham. Historians appear to be divided on the origins of Edward Dryden, one of the first settlers, who is thought by some to have been born in Newham, Northumberland, England. Alternatively, it has been supposed that Dryden came from Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, and that he named his new home in recognition of the new country.