Gembrook is a small picturesque town located roughly 54 km from Melbourne's CBD. Gembrook was settled in 1873 for farming and timber, the surrounding countryside was suitable for both dairy and orchards. Timber provided income while farms were established. The name Gembrook came from the small gems that were found in small creeks and watercourses in the surrounding area.

Gembrook is a popular destination for the residents of Melbourne as it is less than 1 hour's drive from the city centre.

The railway line

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The Gembrook railway line was opened on the 18th December 1900, it was a narrow gauge line originally from Upper Ferntree Gully. The narrow gauge railway, known as 'Puffing Billy' brought tourism from Melbourne, and it also enable timber and local produce, including fruit trees, to be taken back to Melbourne. At its peak there were more than 20 timber mills operating in Gembrook and the surrounding area, with tramlines operating between the mills and the railway station. The Ranges hotel which still operates today was built in 1901 to cater for the local population as well as day trippers from Melbourne. In 1954 the decision was made to close the railway line after the devasting fires in 1926 and 1939 which destroyed many of the timber mills. At this time the broad gauge line to Upper Freetree Gully was extended to Belgrave which is less than 18km away from Gembrook. The line closed on 30th April 1954 after a landslide blocked part of the line (the line was already scheduled to be closed because motor traffic had replaced much of the railways patronage). In 1962 the western end of the Gembrook railway line which extended from Belgrave to Emerald Lake was opened as a scenic railway, and a short section from Gembrook was opened in the early 1990's. In 1998 services resumed between Belgrave and Gembrook.

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