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To quote from my Peninsula School cadet unit handbook [1989] when I did annual cadet camp at Puckapunyal :
The origin of the name Puckapunyal is derived from the Aboriginal tribe which lived in the area. Briefly, the history of the Puckapunyal tribe is that the last Chief's ancestors were a large tribe living on the Loddon River, north of Bendigo. Generations ago the eldest son of the Chief was to be killed for spearing his father. He escaped with some members to start a tribe nearer Bendigo, which the Loddon tribe called the Panyule - meaning barbarian.
Years later the son of the Panyule Chief speared a tribe chieftain then fled with a group from the tribe to set up a camp on Mollinson's Creek which the Panyules named 'Puck-Panyule' meaning 'Outer-Barbarians'.
Hence the name Puckapunyal.
In 1910 Lord Kitchener made an inspection of Australia's military installations and recommended Seymour as a suitable training area. The First World War, 1914-1918, saw Seymour Military Camp come into existence and in November 1939, Puckapunyal was acquired as a Military Training Area.
