Ferntree Gully, was home to the Wurundjeri Aboriginal tribe prior to European settlement. The abundance of Tree Ferns stretched from the Township to the National Park and picturesque scenery and lush flora started attracting recreational visitors from the 1870s. In 1882 the gully was set aside for public use. Throughout the 1880s the township began to grow, shops were established, as well as hotels, churches, and a primary school. With the arrival of the railway line (extended from Ringwood) in 1889, the area became more accessible to visitors. Initially the line terminated at Upper Ferntree Gully, with a narrow-gauge line extending to Gembrook in 1900. Between 1958 and 1962 the narrow-gauge 2' 6" line was upgraded to broad-gauge 5' 3" and electrified to Belgrave which is where the narrow-gauge line (now better known as Puffing Billy) operates from today. Up until the mid-1970s the old Puffing Billy Railway shed was located below Quarry Road just west of Upper Ferntree Gully railway station. The Shire of Fern Tree Gully also was proclaimed in 1889. One of the Buildings from the old shire offices, on the corner of Selman Avenue and Burwood Highway, Ferntree Gully, has been preserved under a heritage listing and now houses a community health service (entry via Selman Avenue). It was also used as the local library for many years. On 4 July 1969 the Shire of Knox was proclaimed a "City" and new offices were built on Burwood Highway Wantirna South where the offices are today. The Ferntree Gully cemetery is the resting place of a number of historically significant local people as well as world-renowned artists, authors and poets.