Ironbark Fence

BEALIBA

Main Street

The Bial balug clan of the dja dja wurrung first roamed this area. Major Mitchell explored the district in 1836, reporting good arable land. 

The first Europeans settlers arrived soon after bringing mostly sheep and some cattle By 1845 the township of Cochranes was established, it was surveyed and renamed Bealiba in 1864.

In 1856 gold was found at the foot of the mount, over 12,000 people flocked to the rushes that sprang up all around. 

Along with the remaining aboriginal people, many Chinese and the Europeans mingled on the goldfields. 

Many buildings still exist from those times, the Evans Hotel, 1857, the Bealiba Hall, 1879 and others. 

Main Street was a bustling thoroughfare with general stores, hotels bakeries, blacksmiths plus a drapery to rival Myers. 

The railway line was extended to Bealiba in 1878 opening up commercial opportunity. 

A government reservoir had to be built to accommodate the many steam trains. Up to 30 railway trucks a day laden with the famous Bealiba Box and Ironbark left for Melbourne.

Later during the depression, sustenance camps provided work for many in the forests. The Timber industry remained important for many years with post and sleeper cutters working the forests until recent times.

The early pioneers faced droughts, fires and a lack of reliable water; many descendants of these early settlers remain having inherited the strong spirit and determination of their ancestors.

Today sheep and mixed cropping is the mainstay, with gold still being found in many places along with the enjoyment of the natural beauty of the area.