In December 1857 the "Buneep Run" was surveyed with a view to establishing a village on the Melbourne to Sale Road and Messrs. Connor, Vale and McKinnon purchased most of the allotments in the area. This site was between the Bunyip River and the present Ellis Road (referred to now as Tonimbuk) north-east of the current town. Connor built the old "Buneep Hotel" around 1858 to accommodate coach travellers on the long route, a journey that usually took 36 hours. The names recorded in this era for the old town included "Buneep", "Burneep Burneep" and "Burra Burneep". At around the same time and in the same area the transport company Cobb and Co established their own trading post.