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We Found A Uranium Mine in the Victorian Goldfields!

The Victorian Goldfields region is well known for its incredible gold mining history - massive nuggets, rich quartz reefs, and buried riverbeds full of gold. But did you know that we had our very own ...
Posted 28/12/2023 in History
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Melbourne's Notorious Canvas Town

In the early 1850s, the dazzling news of Victoria's gold rush had drawn thousands upon thousands of prospective diggers across the world. Every heart was filled with hope, but after a long and diff...
Posted 09/01/2023 in History
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Halloween at Forest Creek, 1858

Back in 1858, at the world-renowned Forest Creek diggings, a group of Scottish puddlers held a Halloween Ball at the Red Hill Hotel in their traditional style of celebration!
Posted 14/10/2022 in History
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Great flood at Ballarat, October 1869

On Saturday the 16th of October, over 150 years ago, Ballarat experienced devastating flooding of an unbelievable nature. An unexpected rain storm hit the region, and it wasn't long before all the...
Posted 13/10/2022 in History
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BURIED ALIVE!

The following collection of incidents were printed in newspapers across Australia during the 1850s, and tell of tragic accidents where miners were literally buried alive.
Posted 22/01/2020 in History
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Hidden history around Maryborough, Victoria

Maryborough is filled with significant remnants of a bygone era. Grand gold rush architecture is a striking feature of the town, and long-forgotten relics are scattered through the region. This list t...
Posted 30/12/2019 in History
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Lone Graves of the Goldfields

Lone graves are a fascinating feature of the Victorian Goldfields, and along with the region's historical cemeteries they provide an interesting glimpse into the past. Some lone graves come about beca...
Posted 25/05/2019 in History
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Diaries and memoirs from the Victorian gold rush

Diaries and memoirs are an extremely valuable source of information about life in Victoria during the 19th century gold rush. These first hand accounts, written by people living and working on the gol...
Posted 26/04/2019 in History
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The moral state of the diggings during the Victorian gold rush

People were living and working under truly extraordinary circumstances during the early 1850s in Victoria. Thousands were flocking here in a frenzy with just one thing on their mind - gold! Their only...
Posted 25/04/2019 in History
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The wizard miners of the 16th century, De Re Metallica

De Re Metallica provides us with a wealth of insight into the mining industry during the renaissance as well as the culture, legalities, architecture and costume of the time. It is certainly fascinati...
Posted 25/04/2019 in History
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The dark side of the Victorian Goldfields

The Victorian Goldfields host a rich, fascinating, and often gruesome history. A casual browse through old newspaper articles can quickly reveal the darker side of life in Victoria during the 19th and...
Posted 22/04/2019 in History
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Easter Monday celebrations in 19th century Victoria

Easter during the 19th century in Victoria was a time for festivity and leisure, with Easter Monday being the main day of celebration. Picnics, parades, sports, dancing, and trips to the beach or coun...
Posted 19/04/2019 in History
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Victoria's Easter Grinch, 1865

No doubt you have heard of the Christmas Grinch, but have you heard of the Easter Grinch? Apparently he lived in Melbourne during the 1860s.
Posted 19/04/2019 in History
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April Fools Hoax in Creswick, 1873

Creswick was alive with mischief on April Fools Day 1873, when some prankster played an impressive hoax on all the publicans in the district.
Posted 31/03/2019 in History
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Fire in Sandhurst (Bendigo) Christmas Day, 1857

In the early hours of Christmas Day in Sandhurst (now known as Bendigo) 1857, a fire ripped through Williamson Street leaving a scene of devastation and almost destroying the iconic Shamrock Hotel.
Posted 24/12/2018 in History
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The Golden Christmas Cake, 1872

Imagine walking through the town at Christmas and seeing Christmas puddings made of solid gold displayed in the shop windows! The image above depicts one such cake being made in 1872, soon to be admir...
Posted 21/12/2018 in History
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An 1850s Christmas wedding with a tragic end

A grievous tale told by Ellen Clacy in her book A Lady's Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852-53 describes the tragic demise of a woman who, set to marry her love on Christmas Day, was aban...
Posted 02/12/2018 in History
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