Near the top of Mount Macedon stands a memorial to a tragedy that took place on the mountain in 1948. This poignant site commemorates the site where the Kurana, an Australian National Airway plane, crashed in the middle of a flight.

On November 8, 1948, the Kurana took flight from Essendon Airport on a route to Deniliquin, a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales. In a tragic series of events, the misty and rainy conditions led to a sudden plummet in the plane’s altitude before the aircraft crashed into the trees on the southern slope of Mount Macedon below. 

A loud crash came and the plane burst into flames in the surrounding area of forest. The captain and first officer on board died in the incident and this site pays tribute to their lives. Elizabeth Fry was one of the flight attendants and her rescue efforts led to the survival of all passengers. After the incident, she received a medal and scroll from the Royal Humane Society to commemorate her bravery. 

The Kurana Memorial recognises the 50th anniversary of the incident and was unveiled on November 8, 1998, 40 years after the crash of the Kurana.