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History

2017 WAANYARRA REUNION

          May 2017   George Swinburne, Convenor, Waanyarra Reunion Apartment 1701 The Hallmark, 2-14 Albert Road South Melbourne  Vic.  3205 Phone: (613) 9686 6737 Mobile 0413 612 623 Email:waanyarra1@gmail.com Waanyarra Website: www.waanyarra.com                   Waanyarra Reunion Sunday 26 March 2017 The Waanyarra Recreation Reserve … Continue reading »

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Depression letter

Tailings Newsletter of the Goldfields Historical and Arts Society Inc. No.A9641 Museum at 75 Broadway Dunolly 3472 John Tully editor No. 564                                                                                                                    November 2012   DEPRESSION LETTER  Many people came upon hard times during the 1930s depression. This letter is from one of them.  It is written in pencil on … Continue reading »

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Tobacco growing in Waanyarra

TOBACCO GROWING AT WAANYARRA  Tobacco was first grown at Waanyarra in the summer of 1864-65. Mr. Thomas Leech planted ½ acre crop at Grassy Flat, the fertile creek flats North of Morton’s Welcome Inn. The venture was successful, so the following season he planted a larger area. After dismissing the belief that the locally grown … Continue reading »

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Ballier’s 1868 Victorian Directory for Jones’ Creek

BAILLIER’S 1868 VICTORIAN DIRECTORY JONES’ CREEK; Loddon District; Postal Village; Dist from Melb 113 miles Samuel Heming, C Sch Teacher, Thomas Comrie Postmaster ———————————- Allen William, storekeeper Anderson James, miner Argnani Augusto, inkmaker Aubrey David, miner Baker Charles, miner Barns Thomas, tailor, Grassy Flat Benson Robert, dairyman, Mosquito Gully Berry John, farmer, Grassy Flat Boan … Continue reading »

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Chinese people on the goldfields

CHINESE ON THE GOLDFIELDS CHINESE MAN ON GOLDFIELDS NEAR WAANYARRA Note the use of flattened out kerosene tins on the walls. By early 1857 things had quietened down at the Jones’ Creek diggings. But there was still the steady stream of “locals” and Chinese working the gullies, some having large finds. The Chinese were well … Continue reading »

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Historical Sites

1. Original cemetery site – never used 2. White Swan Hotel 3. Jones’ creek school No. 339 4. Historic cemetery 5. Morton’s old hotel 6. Historic stone crossing 7. Head Teacher’s residence 8. State school No. 1879 9. Sports field 10. Penny school Tarnagulla cycling club at Waanyarra’s White Swan hotel c.1905 Rock walled dam-Built … Continue reading »

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Quartz Crushing

The Dunolly Government Battery was managed by Mr. Hamilton. Stone was carted to Dunolly from Waanyarra for crushing. In February Raven and Gourley crushed two ton of stone for 55 1/2 ozs. of gold and another load of quartz weighing six ton yielded 5 2 ozs. 12 dwt. The Mines Department called tenders for moving … Continue reading »

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Gold Discoveries 1855 to 1934

1855 – Two nuggets, one 145 ozs. 5 dwt., the other 140 ozs. were found at a depth of 20 ft. 1856 – 281 ozs found in shallow ground by an undisclosed finder. 1857 Henry Davey named the huge nugget he found at “The Shoots” Jones’ Creek on 11 th July, “Schlemm”. The nuggett which … Continue reading »

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Gold At Waanyarra

Waanyarra is known to have produced the purest gold ever found in the world, being 99.9% pure. Waanyarra is also known for the large amount of alluvial nuggets found there. Nuggets fascinated the digger more than the awesome amount of finer gold produced on the fields. A dull time on the fields was always revitalized … Continue reading »

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“The Loddon Aboriginals” by Norm Darwin.

Occupying parts of the North Central area of Victoria were the Jajoweroung (Jajawurrung) tribe, also known as the Djadja Wurrung people. The name, “Jim Crow blacks”, was also used by the early settlers. Jim Crow being the name given to Mt Franklin by Captain Hepburn. It is thought Jim Crow was a corruption of the … Continue reading »

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