12.8
degrees in the van and 8 degrees outside – overcast.
Jon
rang for a chat. Steve going detecting and I am heading towards Maryborough to
do my history sightseeing etc. I haven’t forgotten how to drive thank goodness
as it has been a while!!
Into
Maryborough and I found a park near the Info Centre. Went in to collect some
more Victoria brochures – they are really good and heaps of maps too. Chatted
with the couple there. Headed out to do the history trail around town.
First
stop was Nolan Street – I laugh at all the repeated names – Gladstone etc. It
is nice they have tried to keep a lot of the old world buildings and shop
fronts. Maryborough was first settled as early as 1840 by the Scottish Simson
brothers, who began sheep farming in the district – There is a little locality
as you come into town called Simson. When gold was found the population quickly
grew, by 1856 there were up to 53,000 people living in the district.
Maryborough was named after Commissioner James Daly’s home in Ireland.
Up
the block to High Street which is the main one through town.
On
the corner is the Bull and Mouth Hotel. The chap in the info centre said in the
1870s there was a women named Rose murdered on the staircase and her ghost was
often seen there and people even talked to her. His uncle was chatting with her
one day and his wife came out to ask who he was talking to – he could see her
but his wife couldn’t. In 1999 Rose’s sightings stopped as the hotel has sold
off the staircase and she must have gone with it!! The Hotel was originally built
in 1854 but was demolished in 1904 and then rebuilt. It was one of the first in
Maryborough.
Up
another block to McLandress Square where three beautiful buildings stand.
The
Post Office building is in the centre. It was built in 1878 from first class
stone mined from McCallum’s Creek and the clock tower was added in 1879.
On
the right is the Town Hall which was built in 1887. The original one was built in 1858.
On
the left side is the Court House which opened in 1893.
Around
the corner was the old Fire Station and Tower. It was one of the town’s
earliest buildings, built in 1861. The existing tower was the third one on the
site and constructed in 1888. Engine sheds were added early in the 20th
Century. The Central Goldfields Art Gallery is now housed there and I went in
to check out the exhibition of an artist the lady at the info centre mentioned.
His work was on The Colonies – exploring the early European exploration of
Australia. Well it took all my strength to not blurt out – what this rubbish –
there were kid like charcoal scratchings of scenes around Bruny Island, Tas and
he wanted 300 to 1000 for them!! Left very quickly so I didn’t have to make a
comment!!
There
was an information board inside though about the fire station and the Captain –
Thomas Casey. I thought of our Tom. Outside was a stone he laid on 2nd
April, 1888.
Wandered
up the street to check out the St Andrews Uniting Church. No info on it though.
Lots
of lovely colonial homes with beautiful gardens.
Back
down Nolan Street toward the Mandeville Coffee Palace and the Paramount Cinema.
The Coffee Palace was formerly the Yorkshire Hotel and Brewery in 1863. It was
delicensed in the latter half of the 1800s to be taken up as a Coffee Palace by
Mrs Mandeville. Next door is the Paramount Cinema which was built in 1926.
Walked
back to the truck then drove down the road to Central Goldfields Shire Offices
which was formerly the School of Mines. The foundation stone was laid in 1890
and the east wing was opened the following year. In 1903 it was renamed as
Maryborough Technical School, becoming the District Secondary College in 1992.
In 2008, it became the home for the Council.
Around
the corner was the beautiful Railway Station which was built in 1890. This
building was remembered by Mark Twain as ‘a station with a town attached’.
Unfortunately
the Antique Emporium and Station Café were closed so I just walked up onto the
platform for a look.
Drove
back to Coles which is on the site of the old Maryborough Knitting Mills. The
mills operated between 1923 and 1996 providing a lot of employment for the town
during the Depression years and onwards. Only the brick chimney remains.
Heading
out of town towards Timor I stopped at the site of the Bristol Hill Cemetery.
No marked graves but they have put up a plaque showing the names of some of the
400 buried here during 1854 and 1859.
One old headstone was placed in the cairn.
Drove
on to find the Grand Duke Mine at Timor. Put in the address of Bet Bet Creek
Road and actually ended up at Bowenvale as Timor was back down the road. Anyway
the information plaque was here about what is left of the thriving town. Gold
was first discovered here in 1854 at Chinaman’s Flat with only 500 miners in
the first rush. One month later 16,000 miners has arrived. Originally known as
Coxtown after the local butcher, it was surveyed as Timor in 1856. At it’s peak
there were 27,000 people here with 38 hotels, 3 butchers, 2 banks, 3 bakeries,
a police station and several lock-ups. The last hotel closed its doors during
the 1960s. Today the only historic buildings remaining are of the General Store
(1852), one of the lock-ups, the Post Office (1865) and the School (1873). The
General Store was established in 1852 and was originally in a building near Bet
Bet Creek. After severe flooding it was moved to the present site in 1870.
This
‘portable’ lock-up weighs over three tons. It was originally next to the Police
Station opposite the General Store and was used to temporarily house villains
until they could be moved to a larger penitentiary. When the station closed in
1915 it was moved to its present position and for a while it was used by the
local undertaker to store coffins. This particular building was built in early
1900s.
The
Primary School was established in 1873 with the present building being completed
and opened in 1880. Records show in 1883 there were 640 children with 10
teachers here.
Down
the road and into Bet Bet Creek Road I found the remains of the granite arch
which is all that remains of the massive pump house for the Grand Duke Mine. The
mine employed 150 men and yielded 6125 kilograms of gold and was one of the
longest serving wet mines in Victoria. It had four shafts (now filled in) and
operated from 1869 to 1896. The pump house housed a Cornish steam engine
capable of pumping 2000 gallons of water per minute from the mine. The walls of
the pump house were 265 feet long with six foot wide beams and the foundations
were 16 feet deep. The huge blocks of granite were quarried at Mt Hooghly.
Amazing to think of the miners working deep under the ground. Now there are sheep farms around it and they had just had their lambs who were bleating loudly.
Headed
off up another road towards Dunolly. Lots of flat grazing pastures amongst more
areas for detecting. Steve has a lot of walking to do to cover all this land!!
Drove
into Dunolly to Market Street to check out the old buildings. In 1845 Archibald
McDougall was given a run of 16,000 acres from Hector Simson, a relative.
McDougall named the run, Dunolly, after the Scottish Castle where his family
came from. The present site of Dunolly is the fifth location, the result of a
large gold rush in the winter of 1856. The town had been periodically moved
downstream along Burnt Creek in response to each new rush. At the height of the
1856 rush at least 35,000 people were at Dunolly. During the 1930s there was a dramatic revival
in gold mining as a result of unemployment and a rising gold price. In the late
1970s metal detectors began a new gold
rush that still brings visitors to the area. There were other industries here
over the years, timber, orchards, market gardens etc. At one time the grain handling
facilities near the train station boasted the largest shed in the southern
hemisphere (now demolished). Very impressive Court House which was originally
the Town Hall and built in 1863.
Across
the road was’Belleville’ the home of James Bell, a Scotsman who followed the
gold trails across Victoria. He was the town’s first Mayor and ran very
successful businesses. The gardens were beautifully laid out - would be great
to see inside the building.
Next
to the Court House was the Police lock-up and stables which were constructed in
1863. The lock-up was used until the Dunolly Court closed in 1981.
I
peered in through the gate and there were three cell doors.
Looking
over the rear end of the Court House building and across the road to
Belleville.
The
Police Stables which was converted to a garage sometime before World War 2.
I
walked down Market Street which had also housed the Land Titles Office and Post
Office in the mid 1800s. Turned the corner to check out the lovely old church.
The sign is a bit confusing because it shows the school house while it is
talking about the church.
Walked
back to the truck then drove to the main street called Broadway. Walked down
the street reading the info boards about the heritage buildings. It is getting
quite cold as I haven’t seen any sun or warmth all day. Bendigo Hotel and Coach
Office.
The
Dunolly Post Office. The tower clock was erected by citizens in memory of those
who paid the supreme sacrifice in the World War 1939-1945.
1866
view of Broadway Street and current view.
Another
view from the northern end of the street including the Ironmonger building.
The
Railway Hotel was originally the Criterion that you can see in the 1866
picture.
Some
many of these towns have such a rich history but nothing here now except some
tourism and grazing etc to keep them alive. Headed back to camp. Glad to be
back as it was a cold overcast day. Great news – Steve has found another 2
little bits of gold.
Wandered
over to see how some others did – one couple said they found 8 little pieces -
with a 2300 detector. Another chap was just starting so Steve was giving him
pointers!! Not sure about this detecting club – don’t seem to help each other
out!!
Got
the fire going with the great timber Keith and Sue have been cutting. They are
very thankful for Steve’s help in fixing their fridge. Had pizza tonight which
was nice for a change. The moon is trying to shine through the thin clouds.
Into
the van to watch TV as the temp dropped outside. Got a knock on the door and it
was Helen who is a friend of Pete and Penny’s. They had just arrived and came
to say hello. Will catch up with them in the morning.
