Knowsley began to develop in 1876 with the opening of the Moorabbee Hotel, followed by a school in 1879. Its early economy relied on timber cutting, particularly firewood, which was transported to Bendigo. In 1888, Knowsley became a station on the railway line connecting
Bendigo,
Heathcote and
Heathcote Junction. The station closed in 1958. As the forests were cleared, the land transitioned to grazing. By 1933, Knowsley was a small farming and grazing township with a school, church, recreation hall, and hotel, supporting a population of around 150. Over time, the population declined, and the school, which had only seven students in 1981, closed in 1991. ==References==