Long before the name Ludlow appeared on a map, this was a place of deep knowledge, seasonal rhythm, and careful care. For thousands of years, Wadandi people lived with the Tuart Forest, tending Country so that people, plants, and animals could thrive together beneath these tall, majestic trees. The settlement story begins later, but it begins on much older ground. 

With the arrival of European settlers in the mid-1830s, the landscape began to change. Land was taken up for farming and settlement, and families worked to build lives in a place that was both beautiful and demanding. At first, the priority was simple: food, shelter, livestock, and survival. But before long, another value emerged. The mighty Tuart tree, strong, durable, and highly prized, became part of a growing timber economy, and the forest itself began to be seen not only as home, but as resource. 

Over time, the land that would later hold the Ludlow settlement passed through the hands of pioneering families including the McGlashans, Larkins, Forrests, Moriartys, and others. Old survey plans and landholding records show these names taking shape across the district. What now feels like settled history, was once a patchwork of rough boundaries, waterways, tracks, and hard-won footholds. 

Looking back now, these early years can be seen in two ways at once. They were the beginning of farming, family life, and community in Ludlow. They were also the beginning of profound change to the forest itself. Standing here today, we can read that early history with greater clarity, seeing both what was built and what was gradually lost.