It was established as a coaching stop in 1842 and grew rapidly with the local houses being built out of wattle and daub and the hotels, The Bald Faced Stag (1838) and St Andrews Inn (1845), having a Georgian permanence and solidity.
At one time there was a plan to make Cleveland a major centre along the highway but a poor water supply and substandard soil ensured that the town did not grow.
Today Cleveland is a sleepy settlement. The two inns still stand. It is worth noting that St Andrews Inn, a classic Georgian Inn with plain brick broken by five bays with twelve-pane windows, was, at its peak, a popular stopping point for bushrangers.
Both the town's inns have been converted - The Bald Faced Stag is now a private residence and St Andrews Inn is a restaurant.
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