Talbot, Victoria
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Talbot Federal division(s) | Mallee |
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Talbot is a town in
History
In September 1836, Major
Gold and the development of Talbot
With the discovery of gold, the pleasant pastoral scene changed as the gold seekers from various parts of the world invaded the country-side looking for the precious metal. The first unofficial record of a discovery of gold in the area was at Daisy Hill on Hall and McNeill’s ‘Glen Mona Run’. The discovery was made by a shepherd, Thomas Chapman. This discovery was not reported for fear of prosecution for gold digging. Official gold finds in Victoria date from 1851, but there is evidence of many unofficial finds like the one at Glen Mona. The first official discovery in the area around Talbot was made by two South Australians and their families at Daisy Hill Creek (later Amherst) in 1852. One of the men was Cowley, the other was John Potter. Potter claimed they unearthed a nugget while trying to free a bogged wagon. The rush to Daisy Hill followed his discovery. Amherst was first called by that name in official letters in May 1853. The population in those early years drifted up and down according to the reports from other areas. The miners started to test the ground around Back Creek and soon discoveries were made. During 1854 the only mining at Back Creek was on the creek about 2 and half miles from Amherst. Later in 1854 there was a big rush to Amherst and Back Creek. The rich ground of Ballarat Hill, Nuggetty Gully and Kangaroo Flat (Carallulup) were opened up. At the beginning of 1855 there were about 2500 diggers and store owners at Back Creek as well as 300 women and children. There was a certain amount of crime on the gold fields. Horse stealing, burglaries and violence were common.
Goodwoman’s Hill rush began in March 1855 behind Dale Goodwoman’s Hotel. This influential rush at Back Creek saw nuggets of 60 oz, 40 oz and 38 oz (1.86, 1.25 and 1.18 kg) unearthed. This led to discoveries at Bakery Hill and Church Hill. In May 1855 the Chinese arrived and setup camps in Long Gully and Nuggetty Gully. New rushes took place at Daisy Hill Flat (Three Mile), Mount Greenock, Mia Mia and White Hills. Enormous finds were made during this period. Nuggets 160 oz to 267 oz (5.0 to 8.3 kg) were found and holes yielding 250 ounces (7.8 kg) and a pound (370 g) of gold load have been recorded. From 1855 until 1859 the population varied according to the finds in the locality. A water scheme built by Stewart and Farnsworth on Stoney Creek provided water for
To break through the basalt cap over the gold saw the introduction of blasting. Some unlucky miners met their deaths in blasting accidents at this time. Such mishaps could not deter the miners from the wealth that was found from this field. This must have been one of the, if not the most, exciting births of any town in the country. Noise and confusion from large numbers of excited diggers, the clang of anvils, the rattle of windlasses and the explosions from blasting. The sights recorded by visiting correspondents—a cake of gold (200 ounces or 6 kg) in a gold broker’s window in the crescent and in another, 1,500 ounces (47 kg) of nuggets—seem like fairy tales. Such was the wealth of this area. In November 1858 the first sitting of a newly proclaimed Amherst Borough Council took place. This council was formed to administer the district including the Back Creek area. From the period we can obtain information via the Municipal Rate records. Crown survey of allotments took place in 1861-62. From these sources a view of the number and type of business ventures can be ascertained. For example, the Crescent could boast 23 restaurants, a variety of hotels and ale stores, tobacconists, 4 butchers, 5 boot shops or boot makers, 3 tent shops, 6 drapers, a number of druggists or chemist shops, milliners, saddlers, confectioners and billiard saloons. This list is just a cross section to show the variety of goods and services available to diggers.
The Scandinavian Rush subsided in 1860. It had created a town and provided a population. At this time the "Frontage System" regulations came into force. This was an arrangement where parties were guaranteed priority of place on a lead according to the date of their registration. During this period there were possible one hundred companies working in the area. Some of these companies were the Great Extended Conway Castle, Independent, Talbot Paddock Co., Prince Alfred and Morton Extended. In 1862 the Sadowa Co. sank a shaft in the paddock owned by W.G. McCulloch. It got about 60,000 ounces of gold before it lost the lead. This lead has not been found. Companies on the Mount Greenock lead were the Union Co. (owned by Carl Schultz and Alolph Von Pein), the Hoffnung Co. (owned by Klein and Christensen), The Rip Van Winkle, Nichols Freehold Co., The Robert Nicholl and the Greenock Estate. Talbot had made rapid strides in its development. In 1864 it had a Court House, borough offices, seven schools, a street of good shops, two breweries, churches, two soap and candle factories, sixteen hotels, coach services and general carriers, and a number of crushers. It also had a population of about 3,400 (the accuracy of this figure could vary because of the transient nature of the miners). There were also cultivation blocks and dairy farms and a common pasturage which operated with the aid of a pound keeper. Talbot was officially named on 19 October 1861 by the then Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Barkly. The area continued to develop during the sixties and on 31 October 1865 the Shire of Talbot was proclaimed. The Post Office had opened as Back Creek on 24 February 1854 and renamed Talbot in 1862.[2]
Many of the buildings still existing in the town were built during the 1860s and 1870s. During the late 1880s the mines began to close and the population slowly started to drift away. The return of soldiers from the
The Town today
A popular Farmers Market sees thousands of people descend on the town the third Sunday of every month. The increase in tourism in areas such as Daylesford and Avoca is encouraging new businesses with several new restaurants and shops opening recently.
The town has an
Golfers play at the course of the Talbot Golf Club on Lexton Road.[3]
See also
Amherst Cemetery 235 Avoca Road, Talbot
References
- ^ a b "2016 Census QuickStats Talbot (Vic.)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ^ Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 23 February 2021
- ^ Golf Select, Talbot, retrieved 11 May 2009
This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2007) |
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Talbot (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 18 April 2018.