119-741: The Castlemaine Mail is a weekly newspaper published in Castlemaine , Victoria, Australia . The Castlemaine Mail continued the Mount Alexander Mail (also the Mail ). It was published daily from 1 October 1917 until 14 November 1942, then tri-weekly until 13 July 1979, and later as a weekly, published on Tuesdays. Earlier newspapers in Castlemaine included the Castlemaine Yarner and Digger’s Gazette published on
238-400: A saw-tooth roof above suspended ceilings. A "jazz" style frieze decorates the parapet, front wall and tympanum over the central front door, itself recessed behind ornate wrought-iron grille gates above which is a bas-relief in artificial stone by Orlando H. Dutton . Extensions were made at the rear in 1960, 1973, 1987 and 2000. The Castlemaine Market building at 44 Mostyn Street, facing
357-449: A tuscan portico, round headed entrance and roundels. The pediment , simply decorated with a rising sun motif, bears a statue of Ceres , the goddess of agriculture, between two towers with cupola crowns. A clerestory lights the interior from above deep side wings which are 'arcaded' and capped by a cornice. A landmark in the historic townscape, exemplifying the period when the temporary town became permanently established, it now serves as
476-404: A "screw" propeller with much of the blades close to the shaft, which contribute little to propulsion but much to drag , cut away, a principle which is well understood today. Thomas and Mary Mitchell had twelve children: Livingstone, Roderick, Murray, Campbell, Thomas, Richard, Georgina, Maria, Emily, Camilla, Alicia, Blanche. Georgina and Maria died young, and Murray before 1847. Roderick became
595-639: A Commissioner of Crown Lands and head of the Border Police in the Liverpool Plains district. Roderick was drowned during the last years of Mitchell's life. Campbell discovered oil shale deposits and attempted to establish oil shale and coal mines; he died in 1883. Son Richard Blunt Mitchell ( c. 1857 –10 June 1916) became a clerk of petty sessions in the Molong area in 1858, before returning in 1881 to Scotland after receiving
714-580: A central clock tower, five arched bays and strongly contrasting colouration. This structure replaced a wooden post office which was built on this same spot in 1859 when the service was transferred from the gold commissioner's camp. Over the road is the Cumberland Hotel (1884). At 25 Lyttleton Street is the Castlemaine Town Hall, a design submitted by Wilkinson and Permewan successfully for a 1898 competition, and repeated by them in
833-603: A clash in 1996 with the October Melbourne Festival instituted by then state premier Jeff Kennett . He compensated in part for its consequent losses with a grant of $ 41,800. Subsequently, it is now usually held in late March. It offers visual and performing arts and attracts internationally and nationally renowned performers, including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra . See Castlemaine Art Museum The Theatre Royal claims to be
952-467: A considerable distance. This river's name was given to Mitchell by Indigenous residents before the expedition's dogs chased them away, biting at their legs. Being a tributary of the Burdekin River , a waterway already visited by Ludwig Leichhardt on his expedition to Port Essington in 1845, Mitchell was dismayed to find that he was approaching ground already explored by Europeans. He returned to
1071-460: A family at Sackville where she died around the age of thirty. Mitchell's fourth expedition was into northern interior of the colony (a region now part of Queensland ) in 1845–46. He was convinced that a significant river must flow north-west into the Gulf of Carpentaria , and finding this river was the main focus of the endeavour. On 15 December 1845 Mitchell started from Boree near Orange with
1190-717: A few men. Mitchell followed the Balonne to the Maranoa , and the Cogoon (now called Muckadilla Creek, near Roma). This rivulet led him to an area with an "abundance of good pasturage" in which stood a solitary double topped hill that he named Mount Abundance, on which grew a species of bottle tree . He then crossed to the Maranoa and awaited Kennedy's arrival. Kennedy, who had trouble with local inhabitants trying to burn down his camp, rejoined Mitchell on 1 June 1846. Leaving Kennedy for
1309-614: A large inheritance on the death of his uncle and namesake Richard Blunt, settling in Peeblesshire . Camilla Victoria Mitchell married surveyor John Frederick Mann . Their son Gother Victor Fyers Mann was a prominent painter. His family enjoyed a privileged upbringing, and Blanche Mitchell, his youngest daughter, recorded her daily activities and social life in childhood diaries and notebooks. Her sister Emily married George Edward Thicknesse-Touchet, 21st Baron Audley . In 1841, Mitchell completed his new Gothic home, Carthona , on
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#17327941135941428-451: A large party of 32 people including Edmund Kennedy as second in command (later speared to death at Escape River near Cape York ). The Wiradjuri man named Piper from his previous expedition was also a member. Yuranigh (also Wiradjuri) and a ten year old boy from the lower Bogan River named "Dicky" were also assigned as guides. The party travelled north along the Bogan where a war between
1547-665: A little over 12 knots, and Sir Thomas Mitchell took his Invention to England. In 1853 the propeller was fitted to the Genova , and a trial was conducted on the Mersey. Then the Admiralty gave it a test on HMS Conflict . The Genova ran at 9.5 knots as against 8.5 with a screw propeller, and the Conflict 9.25 knots as against the screw propeller 8.75, and at a lower engine speed. The "boomerang" propeller can be simply described as
1666-523: A nearby clan led Mitchell to vital waterholes near the Narran River . Mitchell "blushed inwardly for our pallid race" knowing that "white man's cattle would soon trample these holes into a quagmire of mud." More bundles of harvested millet lay for miles along their journey up the Narran. Mitchell then received a message from his son, Roderick Mitchell, a Crown Lands Commissioner who had previously been to
1785-571: A night in a "snug old hut of the natives" at Narrawong . On 17 September, in order to speed his return, Mitchell split the party in two, taking 14 men with him and leaving the remainder with Stapylton to follow with the bullocks and drays. The young girl Ballandella went with Mitchell, while her mother Turandurey remained behind. On the plains around the Hopkins River , Mitchell came across a community of Aboriginal people who cultivated and harvested murnong tubers with specialised tools. Mitchell
1904-412: A number of other secondary industries sprang up. These included breweries, iron foundries and a woollen mill. Thompson's Foundry (now trading as Flowserve ) was one of Castlemaine's largest employers. From the 1970s the industries that had dominated employment in the town for a century began to decline, with many factories closing and others such as Thompson's Foundry significantly downsizing. This led to
2023-530: A record of his 'Progress in roads and Public Works in New South Wales to 1855', including sketches and plans of Sydney, Emu Plains , the Blue Mountains , Victoria Pass, roads to Bathurst , Wisemans Ferry , and indigenous Australians. As Surveyor General, Mitchell also completed maps and plans of Sydney, including Darling Point , Point Piper , the city , and Port Jackson . In 1834 he
2142-647: A rich culture and reverence for the land. The environmental devastation caused by gold mining from the 1850s was widespread and permanent in the entire district. It extinguished many native plant and animal species in the area, and decimated and displaced the Dja Dja Wurrung, for whom quartz was of value but not the soft gold it contained, and who regarded the resulting destruction as having turned their land into 'upside-down country.' Their vital water sources included non-perennial creeks and associated underground springs. Mining spread contaminants and destroyed
2261-427: A search party of military mounted police commanded by Lieutenant Henry Zouch of the first division, discovered that Cunningham had been killed by four Wiradjuri men and his bones were found and buried at Currindine. After the fruitless search for Cunningham, Mitchell decided to continue the expedition. He was assisted by a local unnamed elder who provided a guide called Tackijally. This man led Mitchell downstream along
2380-582: A second time, he set out on an extensive excursion of more than four months. Mitchell traversed the country at the head of the Maranoa, on one occasion discharging his rifle over the heads of the Indigenous people to gain "peaceful occupation of the ground." He sighted the headwaters of the Warrego and Nogoa Rivers , then came across the upper reaches of the Belyando River which they followed for
2499-604: Is a town in west central Victoria , Australia, in the Goldfields region about 120 kilometres (75 miles) northwest by road from Melbourne and about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the major provincial centre of Bendigo . It is the administrative and economic centre of the Shire of Mount Alexander . The population at the 2021 Census was 7,506. Castlemaine was named by the chief goldfield commissioner, Captain W. Wright, in honour of his Irish uncle, Viscount Castlemaine . Built on
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#17327941135942618-528: Is also their work), is rare in a building of the early 1860s. The iron crested mansard attic storey, elaborate detailing of both the corner chimneys, and pedimented dormer windows of the street and side elevations make the Imperial Hotel historically significant as one of the more distinctive hotel buildings in Victoria and a critical component in an important historic townscape. On 17 November 1983
2737-689: Is centred around Harcourt. The Coliban Ward covers the villages of Chewton, Elphinstone and Taradale. In state politics , Castlemaine is located in the Legislative Assembly districts of Bendigo West currently held by the Australian Labor Party . In federal politics , Castlemaine is located in a single House of Representatives division – the Division of Bendigo . The Division of Bendigo has been an Australian Labor Party seat since 1998. Castlemaine's largest industry
2856-566: Is in manufacturing, particularly food manufacturing. The biggest employer is KR Castlemaine (formerly the Castlemaine Bacon Company, established 1905), producing smallgoods with over 900 employees. Cultural and heritage tourism is another large industry in Castlemaine, with the historic art gallery being a major drawcard. Castlemaine has joined the likes of nearby Daylesford with gaining tourism from Melbourne, offering an array of local cafes and bars which have increased
2975-564: Is located at 149 Pyrenees Highway, Castlemaine, and has over 70 stalls selling a range of merchandise, local products and farmers' products. The old wooden mill beside Barkers Creek opposite the Botanical Gardens was at one stage a carpet factory As a gold rush town, Castlemaine attracted migrants from all over the world. So in addition to 'established' churches such as the Anglicans, Presbyterians and Roman Catholics, arrivals in
3094-451: Is now simply the largest town in the Shire. The Theatre Royal opened in 1856 to provide entertainment for the gold diggers , with a notable performance being provided by the world-renowned Lola Montes and her celebrated Spider Dance. It remains mainland Australia's oldest continuously operating theatre. In 1859, the historic Castlemaine Football Club was established. Evidence makes it
3213-427: Is pavilion-planned. Dutch-Flemish architecture inspires the gabling of the projecting wings, the verticality of the windows and the superimposed post-and-lintel system with Tuscan and composite capitals, while the panelling and representation of fans to the side of the lower windows is unusual. Two storeys of pedimented porticos stacked in top of each other form the central element with a 'broken' upper pediment, while
3332-753: Is the first of its kind in Australia. It embraces gold rush relics and bushland. Home to rare and threatened species of both flora and fauna it offers opportunities for bush walking, bird watching, wildlife monitoring and study while providing a bush setting for the township. Housed in an historic building, the Mechanics Institute at 212 Barker Street in which it was established in 1857, the Castlemaine Library held 4,781 volumes in 1877, and since 1996 has expanded its services and offerings and access to 222,931 items (in 2021–22) as part of
3451-493: The Bogan River . On 17 April 1835, Richard Cunningham wandered away from the party while looking for botanical specimens and went missing. The party, with the assistance of various local Aboriginal people, searched for him until 5 May, following Cunningham's tracks around the headwaters of the Bogan until they disappeared. Cunningham's dead horse, saddle, glove and fragments of his coat and map were all they found. Months later,
3570-682: The Castlemaine Art Museum at 14 Lyttleton Street was classified by the National Trust which notes its significance as "an exceptional building in its intent and execution and ... historically important as one of the earliest examples of the 'modern movement' in provincial Victoria". Despite the onset of the Depression , £3,250 was raised in only six weeks from private individuals and local companies, augmented by state government grants totallng £1,500, which together covered
3689-570: The Darling River and decided not to proceed any further. At this stage, Finch had finally caught up with the main group. Finch conveyed the news that the provisions he had obtained had been ransacked by Aboriginal people at Gurley . Two men he had left to guard the supplies had also been killed. The immediate effect was that Mitchell decided to abandon the expedition and return south. The party retraced their path having tense but peaceful interactions with large groups of Gamilaraay people along
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3808-530: The Dja Dja Wurrung people, also known as the Jaara people. They were regarded by other tribes as being a superior people, not only because of their rich hunting grounds but because from their area came tachylite , a hard glassy volcanic stone valued for weapons and tools Early Europeans described the Dja Dja Wurrung as a strong, physically well-developed people and not belligerent. The Jaara people have
3927-550: The Murray River and then return to the settled areas around Yass . Second in command was assistant surveyor Granville Stapylton . A Wiradjuri man named John Piper was also recruited and 23 convicts and ticket of leave men made up the rest of the party. The group set out from a valley near Mount Canobolas on 17 March 1836, and made their way to Boree and the Bogan River as on previous journeys, then veered south to
4046-480: The Murray River . There were 24 men in the party including Mitchell, James Larmer (assistant surveyor) as second in command, Richard Cunningham (colonial botanist) and 21 other men. The main party under Larmer left Parramatta on 9 March and rendezvoused with Mitchell at Boree near the township of Orange . From there, the expedition was guided through the Goobang Ranges by local Wiradjuri people toward
4165-568: The National Trust of Australia (Vic). Adjacent to the solicitors' offices is the library, built in 1857 as a mechanics' institute with additions in 1861, 1872 and 1893. Next to it is the Faulder Watson Hall which opened in 1895 and adjacent is the old telegraph office (1857). On the Lyttleton Street corner of Barker Street is the decorative Neoclassical post office (1873–75). It is in the form of an Italian palazzo with
4284-659: The New South Wales Legislative Council . He found it difficult to separate his roles of government employee and elected member of the legislature, and after only five months he resigned from the Legislative Council. Mitchell is also remembered as the last person in Australia to challenge anyone to a duel. In September 1851, Mitchell issued a challenge to Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson (later Premier of New South Wales ) because Donaldson had publicly criticised excessive spending by
4403-603: The Bogan and started following the Macquarie River where Mitchell was informed of Pipers' intention to leave the expedition. Mitchell ordered him back to Bathurst , accompanied by Corporal Graham. Near the Macquarie Marshes the harvesting of native millet by Aboriginal people to make bread was recorded and a local man named Yulliyally guided the group to the Barwon River . From here two brothers from
4522-543: The British and the Indigenous inhabitants was at that time occurring. Mitchell noted areas where the British had been pushed back, abandoning their farmhouses which were subsequently burnt down by the local people. Mitchell stated "All I could learn about the rest of the tribe was, that the men were almost all dead, and that their wives were chiefly servants at stock stations along the Macquarie." In January 1846, they left
4641-691: The British army in Portugal as a volunteer in the Peninsular War , at the age of sixteen. On 24 June 1811, at the age of nineteen, he received his first commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion 95th Rifles (later the Rifle Brigade / Royal Green Jackets). Utilising his skills as a draughtsman of outstanding ability, he was occasionally employed in the Quartermaster-General's department under Sir George Murray . He
4760-536: The British sovereign of the time, he named the waterway, Victoria River. On the homeward journey Mitchell noticed the well known grass that bears his name . They trekked back along the Maranoa River to St.George Bridge, arriving in Sydney 20 January 1847. Later in 1847, Kennedy proved beyond doubt that the Victoria in fact did not continue north-west, but turned south-west and joined Cooper Creek . He renamed
4879-674: The Castlemaine Post Office on 1 January 1854.) The first official Post Office was established after "The Argus" (Melbourne) correspondent at Forest Creek had an article published in November 1851 that put the case forward for a Post Office to be established somewhere between the Forest Creek goldfield and Kyneton. At the same time (November 1851) he described the Forest Creek diggings as having many businesses such as stores and licensed hawkers and "at least 8000 persons on
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4998-560: The Church of England, and the Congregational Church, and despite the town's topographical limitation to the valley of the two creeks, broad streets and grand buildings convey an atmosphere of spaciousness. Named after William Barker, the pioneer pastoralist whose run included part of the land which is now Castlemaine. The whole eastern side of Barker Street, between Templeton Street and Lyttleton Street, has been classified by
5117-514: The County of Bathurst.' He travelled west during winter to visit the Ophir gold diggings, accompanied by his son, Roderick, and Samuel Stutchbury the government geologist. In June 1851 Mitchell selected the site for the township of Ophir. W.R. Davidson plotted a survey of the ground and Mitchell planned the streets and allotments for the town. Mitchell returned with a collection of specimens from
5236-476: The Eaglehawk Town Hall in 1901. Constructed by H D McBean, builder of many substantial buildings in Castlemaine, including part of the hospital and Thompson's foundry, it cost £2,000. Essentially a Queen Anne building with elements of Dutch Renaissance, its complex eclecticism is typical of the period. Constructed of face red brick and coloured cement dressings (now painted white) and a tiled roof, it
5355-613: The Hunter Valley, the local assistant surveyor, Heneage Finch, expressed a desire to join the expedition which Mitchell approved, provided he first obtain extra provisions and rendezvous later. The expedition continued northward, and having climbed the Liverpool Range on 5 December, they found an Aboriginal tribe who had fled from their home in the Hunter Valley and were suffering from what appeared to be smallpox . On 8 December they arrived at Quirindi and by 11 December
5474-615: The Kalare or Lachlan River to approach the Darling from its southern end where it joined the Murray. The party was guided by various Aboriginal people such as "Barney" along the Lachlan, passing Lake Cargelligo , as John Oxley did in 1817. At this place they met with a large clan from which a number of people joined the expedition and gave vital information about waterholes, as the Lachlan
5593-569: The Military Depot. His duties also included conducting several other important surveys which had been impossible to finish whilst operations were in progress in the field. On 10 June 1818, during this posting, Mitchell married Mary Blunt (daughter of General Richard Blunt (d. 25 December 1859) in Lisbon and gained promotion to a company in the 54th Regiment. In the summer of 1819, he returned to Britain where he devoted himself to finishing
5712-650: The Mount Dispersion Massacre Site Aboriginal Place. The expedition continued down the Murray River, encountering a major Aboriginal grave-site at Red Cliffs . On 31 May they arrived close to the junction of the Murray with a "green and stagnant" waterway. Local people advised Piper that this was the Darling River. Mitchell did not believe it, and only when he travelled upstream for some distance, coming across
5831-695: The North Central Goldfields Regional Library Corporation which services also the City of Greater Bendigo, Loddon Shire and Macedon Ranges Shire; an area of 12,979 square kilometres. The shire contributes a budget of around $ 500,000. The Castlemaine branch is the most subscribed of all the NCGRL branches with 53% (10,687) of the Mount Alexander Shire population holding a library card and having used
5950-424: The Shire of Mount Alexander and the former main road leading to it from Melbourne – Mount Alexander Road. Major Mitchell passed through the region in 1836. Following his discovery, the first squatters arrived in 1837 to establish vast sheep runs. In 1854, Chief goldfields commissioner, Captain W. Wright, renamed the settlement 'Castlemaine' in honour of his Irish uncle, Viscount Castlemaine . On 20 July 1851 gold
6069-573: The Surveyor General's Department. The duel took place in Sydney on 27 September, with both duellists missing their marks; only Donaldson's hat was damaged. The French 50 calibre pistols used in the duel are in the collection of the National Museum of Australia . In 1851, Mitchell was instructed by Governor FitzRoy to make a report on, and survey of, 'the extent and productiveness of the goldfield reported to have been discovered in
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#17327941135946188-603: The Swedish army, patented another. On his travels, Mitchell must have been evolving the idea of his boomerang propeller—he spelled it "bomerang", while newspapers used "bomarang" and "boomerang." The first test was made in the Sydney Harbour in May 1852, an iron propeller being fitted to the "screw-steamer" Keera . The results of this trial were considered satisfactory, the ship's progress being calculated on two runs at 10 and
6307-450: The area, which recommended following the Balonne and the Culgoa rivers north. They encountered many Indigenous people who guided the group along the way. On 12 April 1846 Mitchell came to a natural bridge of rocks on the main branch of the Balonne which he called St. George Bridge, now the site of the town of St George . Kennedy was left in charge of the main body here, and was instructed to follow on slowly while Mitchell pushed ahead with
6426-406: The clan asking for food and ordered some of his men to march at them with bayonets . On 9 September they came to the upper reaches of the Bogan where they found a cattle-station had already been formed along their route by William Lee . The expedition arrived back at their starting point of Boree on 14 September. While Mitchell did not trace the Darling River to its junction with the Murray River,
6545-406: The construction of their tomb-sites. Just north of the Menindee Lakes , the expedition came across a large congregation of several tribes and Mitchell decided that continuing the exploration would be too dangerous. On 11 July, just as Mitchell had resolved to return to Sydney, shots were heard from a forage party up the river. Mitchell sent a further three armed men to the scene of the shooting and
6664-422: The course and terrain of the Bogan River and much of the Darling River had been charted. The places where this and other Mitchell expeditions were most assailed by Aboriginal Australians, including the location of Cunningham's killing, are marked on an 1836 map produced by Mitchell. The goal of Mitchell's third expedition was to explore and survey the lower part of the Darling River , with instructions to head up
6783-558: The depot. He split his party again, leaving half the men to hide in the scrub in ambush, while he continued ahead with the carts. When the armed Barkindji warriors approached, the convict Charles King, who was involved in the earlier killings, fired first without waiting for orders. The tribesmen fled into the river and Mitchell's two groups reunited on the shore and continued to shoot at the people for up to 15 minutes. Around 75 shots were fired with Piper later being told that seven Barkindji were killed and four wounded. Mitchell wrote about
6902-595: The diggers. Initially they preached in tents and from tree stumps but by 1853 the first rough churches had been built. Thomas Mitchell (explorer) Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (15 June 1792 – 5 October 1855), often called Major Mitchell , was a Scottish surveyor and explorer of Southeastern Australia. He was born in Scotland and served in the British Army during the Peninsular War . In 1827 he took up an appointment as Assistant Surveyor General of New South Wales. The following year he became Surveyor General and remained in this position until his death. Mitchell
7021-450: The diggings, mostly quartz, with 48 of these stored in a wooden chest. His report of the goldfields was presented to the Legislative Council in February 1852. The search for a method of screw propulsion of ships intrigued many inventors during the latter half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th. An Englishman, K. P. Smith, patented a screw propeller in 1836, and shortly afterwards Captain John Ericsson , formerly an officer of
7140-525: The displacement of large numbers of people, with many families leaving in search of jobs elsewhere. The area's precious goldrush history and heritage was, however, increasingly recognised, along with its notable population of arts practitioners. Substantial planning and activity helped create new industries in heritage tourism, arts tourism, nature tourism and so on. As a result, Castlemaine began to be visited – and settled – by more 'outsiders', primarily from Melbourne. Some of these more recent arrivals added to
7259-447: The district included Methodists, Baptists and Congregationalists from mining areas in provincial Britain where nonconformist churches were more popular, as well as Lutherans from continental Europe. Initially the churches in Victoria were unable to cope with huge numbers of migrants settling in areas which had been sparsely populated. However a few proactive clergymen set out for the diggings where they were assisted by lay preachers amongst
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#17327941135947378-436: The drawings, but with the cessation of the government allowances he had to stop this work. The reductions in the military establishment which followed the withdrawing of the Army of Occupation from France forced Mitchell on to half-pay . It was not until much later, while Mitchell was in London between 1838 and 1840, that the work was completed. The finished drawings were published by the London geographer James Wyld in 1841 under
7497-462: The employ of Barker as shepherds and a bullock driver, immediately teamed with Peters in working the deposits by panning in Specimen Gully where the gold had been found, which they did in relative privacy during the next month. When Barker sacked them and ran them off his land for trespass, Worley, on behalf of the party "to prevent them getting in trouble", mailed a letter to The Argus (Melbourne) dated 1 September 1851 announcing this new goldfield with
7616-433: The expedition had reached Wallamoul Station near Tamworth , the northern extent of white settlement at the time. Mitchell continued his northward push into uncolonised territory, guided by a local Gamilaraay man named "Mr. Brown". In mid-December, near to where Boggabri now stands, they located the remains of a stockyard and huts built by George Clarke and his Aboriginal colleagues. By early January 1832 Mitchell's group
7735-400: The firing continued. After more than an hour, some members of the group returned reporting that a skirmish had occurred over the possession of a kettle and at least three Aboriginal people had been shot dead, including a woman and her child. One of Mitchell's men had been knocked unconscious. The party then commenced their return via the outbound route with Mitchell deciding to avoid contact with
7854-412: The first small village was established. By the end of the year there were about 25,000 on the field. The first small village developed at Chewton, today in effect a suburb of Mount Alexander Shire, which included the Commissioner's tent, stores, an office for The Argus newspaper, and an office for the Mount Alexander goldfields' own newspaper the Daily Mail . On 28 January 1852, William Henry Wright
7973-446: The following notice: "- The Lieutenant Governor has appointed John Fletcher, Esq., J.P., to be Police Magistrate at Castlemaine; but where Castlemaine is situate[d] we cannot tell." A court house was established on what is today known as Goldsmith Crescent, Castlemaine near the new government camp. Stores were also established nearby. The first official Post Office at Castlemaine, named "Forrest Creek", opened on 1 March 1852. (Renamed
8092-451: The gaol had been built, and Castlemaine was moving from 'tent' town to bricks and mortar. Notable prominent businesswoman Fanny Finch was running a restaurant and lodging house at Forest Creek at this time. A local government was formed on 23 April 1855 and was later to become the Town of Castlemaine and in 1965 became the City of Castlemaine . However, with municipal amalgamations in the early 1990s, Castlemaine lost its 'City' status and
8211-429: The gentrification of the Victorian era town, helping to preserve its already charming country aspect and enhancing it by establishing a number of cafes and restaurants. As with much gentrification, however, consequent rising house prices placed increased economic pressure on many earlier inhabitants who sometimes struggle to continue living in the area. The town has, overall, taken on a fresh lease of life, combining some of
8330-417: The goldfields in December 1853, and the daily Leader which ceased publication on 12 February 1916. Castlemaine Mail covered the Mount Alexander Shire including Castlemaine , Maldon , Newstead and Metcalfe . Its office is at 29 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Circulation in July 2008 was advertised as 3,250. It was merged with Guardian express to form the Midland Express ( Kyneton , Victoria) but
8449-422: The group in boats down the Glenelg to where it discharged into the ocean at a bay which Mitchell named Discovery Bay . Mitchell then returned to Fort O'Hare and altered direction towards Portland Bay to the east. When this was reached on 29 August, Mitchell was surprised to find an established farm and whaling station operated by the Henty brothers . The expedition continued north-east with Mitchell spending
8568-537: The head of the Nogoa and struck west, meeting with a tribe who caught emus with nets. He encountered a river which he was certain was the fabled waterway that would flow north-west to the Gulf of Carpentaria. He followed it until he came across a large clan of Aboriginal people living in permanent huts on the banks of a lagoon. He called this place Yuranigh Pond after his Wiradjuri guide and decided to return home. In honour of
8687-461: The infrastructure the indigenous people created over generations to maximise seasonal drainage patterns; channels and weirs they built out of timber stakes, to slow receding summer flows, were wrecked; water holes where the people gathered in smaller groups during periods of scarce rainfall and from which they transported water in skin bags when moving, were muddied, polluted and drained; the soaks they had dug between banks into sandy sediment to tap into
8806-603: The interior of eastern Australia. In 1831, a runaway convict named George "The Barber" Clarke (a monument to whom exists at Barber's Lagoon near Boggabri and who had lived with the Kamilaroi people in the area for several years) claimed that a large river called Kindur flowed north-west from the Liverpool Ranges in New South Wales to the sea. Charles Sturt believed that the Murray-Darling system formed
8925-465: The junction with the Darling River was reached. Here, on a high point of land which bore many Aboriginal grave sites, Mitchell decided to build a fort as he realised that they "had not asked permission to come there" and he needed a stockade for "stout resistance against any number of natives." He named it Fort Bourke in honour of the Governor, Richard Bourke . Two whale boats had been transported
9044-538: The junction with the Lachlan. They continued down the Murrumbidgee until 21 May when they were close to the junction with the Murray River. A depot was established at this point, and Mitchell left Staplyton with eight men to guard the stock, while he ventured downstream with the rest of the group. According to the account given to a later enquiry by William Muirhead (bullock-driver and sergeant), Alexander Burnett (overseer) and Jemmy Piper (Aboriginal man accompanying
9163-478: The lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung, Castlemaine began as a gold rush boomtown in 1851 and developed into a major regional centre, being officially proclaimed a City on 4 December 1965, although since declining in population. It is home to many cultural institutions including the Theatre Royal, the oldest continuously operating theatre in mainland Australia. Castlemaine colonised the traditional lands of
9282-497: The large permanent dwellings of others. One clan appeared more hostile than others, kicking up dust and spitting at party members. Mitchell acknowledged that his group were "rather unceremonious invaders of their country" but inflamed tensions by firing a pistol at a tree. Mitchell wrote that "the more they saw of our superior weapons...the more they shewed their hatred and tokens of defiance." The party continued downriver, meeting with friendlier locals, passing through villages and noting
9401-588: The library over any two-year period. The building, administered and maintained by the shire, also houses the 231-seat Phee Broadway Theatre and a foyer exhibition space. Since 1976, Castlemaine has biennially been the home of the Castlemaine State Festival. Running for ten days, the festival is one of Victoria's most notable regional arts events. It was originally held over the Melbourne Cup period in November before it lost $ 130,000 in
9520-400: The local people's practice of making large nets that spanned above the river to catch waterfowl and also came across unusual animals such as the now extinct Southern pig-footed bandicoot . At the end of June, Mitchell chose to leave the Murray to investigate better looking lands to the south-west. Mitchell was so impressed with the country he saw, he named it Australia Felix . In early July
9639-459: The loss of life in his journal, describing the Barkindji as "treacherous savages", and detailing how his men had chased them away, "pursuing and shooting as many as they could". This section was withheld from Mitchell's report when it was released to the public in Sydney. Mitchell named the hill near to where the mass-shooting occurred Mount Dispersion and in May 2020 it was heritage-listed as
9758-413: The main party, while he returned hastily to Sydney. He was satisfied that there was no truth about the river Kindur claimed by Clarke. Fourteen years later, Mitchell revealed that the convicts had indulged in sexual relations with Aboriginal women. Mitchell's next expedition was in 1835. The purpose was to explore the course of the Darling River from where Sturt had turned back in 1829, to where it joined
9877-419: The main river system of New South Wales and Mitchell wanted to prove Sturt wrong. Mitchell formed an expedition consisting of himself, assistant surveyor George Boyle White and 15 convicts who were promised remission for good conduct. Mitchell took 20 bullocks, three heavy drays, three light carts and nine horses to carry supplies, and set out on 24 November 1831 to investigate the claim. On reaching Wollombi in
9996-592: The main shopping strip, is a rare example of such buildings and, according to the Victorian National Trust, is one of the most important in the country. An 1861 design of town surveyor William Beynon Downes, it is one of the most distinctive classical revival buildings in Australia. It was classified on 11 December 1958, then acquired by the National Trust in 1967 which restored it from a dilapidated condition. Its symmetrical elevation features
10115-549: The masthead continues to be published every Friday as the Castlemaine Mail and circulated in Castlemaine and surrounds. The paper has been digitised as part of the Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program of the National Library of Australia . Castlemaine, Victoria Castlemaine ( / ˈ k æ s əl m eɪ n / KASS -əl-mayn , non-locally also / ˈ k ɑː s -/ KAHSS- )
10234-415: The more desirable aspects of urban Melbourne with the charm and openness of old Castlemaine. Castlemaine is nestled in a valley. The urban area extends to several suburban areas, north toward Barkers Creek , west to McKenzie Hill , east to Moonlight Flat and Chewton and south to Campbells Creek . In local government , the Castlemaine region is covered by the Shire of Mount Alexander . The council
10353-554: The oldest continuously operating theatre in mainland Australia. It hosts films (including several world and Australian premieres), concerts and functions. See Buda Historic Home and Garden Castlemaine also hosts a local farmers market where the finest producers of the Mount Alexander Shire region, all in one place. The market is currently held on the Western Reserve, Forest Street, Castlemaine The Wesley Hill Community Market operates every Saturday from 9a.m. to 2 p.m. It
10472-685: The party crossed the Loddon River , and made their way in a south-westerly direction which brought them to the Grampians and the Wimmera River . Confrontation with people in this region resulted in an Indigenous man being shot in the arm. They were guided by a local Aboriginal woman along part of the Nangeela ( Glenelg River ) with Mitchell constructing a fortified base on its banks which he named Fort O'Hare . From here Mitchell led part of
10591-443: The party): on 24 May Mitchell noticed that Barkindji tribesmen from the Darling River were gathering in large numbers, and by 27 May the hostile intentions of these men became known, when local Murray River people told Piper that the Barkindji were planning to kill Mitchell and his men. Mitchell had to decide whether to wait for an attack, or plan a pre-emptive manoeuvre. His numbers were reduced, as Staplyton and eight men were still at
10710-493: The precise location of their workings. This letter was published on 8 September 1851. "With this obscure notice, rendered still more so by the journalist as 'Western Port', were ushered to the world the inexhaustible treasures of Mount Alexander" also to become known as the Forest Creek diggings. Within a month there were about 8,000 diggers working the alluvial beds of the creeks near the present day town of Castlemaine, and particularly Forest Creek which runs through Chewton where
10829-608: The quality and accuracy of surveying – a vital task in a colony where huge tracts of land were being opened up and sold to new settlers. One of the first roads surveyed under his leadership was the Great North Road , built by convict labour between 1826 and 1836 linking Sydney to the Hunter Valley . The Great South Road (now replaced by the Hume Highway ), also convict-built, linked Sydney and Goulburn . He kept
10948-497: The region's appeal. Castlemaine is also home to the Castlemaine Rod Shop (CRS), a company known Australia-wide for its aftermarket components for Holden , Ford and many others, especially Australian-made vehicles. The Castlemaine goldfields' legendary prosperity raised expectations of Castlemaine becoming Victoria's second city. That is reflected in imposing buildings erected in the town's first few years. Though
11067-416: The rich alluvial diggings were largely exhausted within 15–20 years causing the town's population to shrink after the 1870s, a rich legacy remains in the form of its buildings and intact nineteenth century streetscapes comprising public buildings as well as simple miners' cottages. The historic area tells the history of Castlemaine in relics of significance, including the former steam flourmill (now 'The Mill'),
11186-574: The same type of burial mounds that he had seen in 1835, did he acknowledge that "this hopeless river" was the Darling. He turned back and headed upstream on the Murray to rejoin Stapylton at the depot. The reunited expedition now travelled south-east following the Murray. They passed Swan Hill on 21 June and encountered a group of native inhabitants at Lake Boga . These people were angry at Piper for "bringing whitefellows" to their country and threw spears at him. Piper shot one of them dead. Mitchell noted
11305-471: The second oldest football club in Australia and one of the oldest football clubs in the world. In 1877-80 the residences numbered over 2000, and there was a population in the township of 7,500, forming an electorate in itself, within the district, the County of Talbot, of 19,000 people. Four trains ran daily to and from Melbourne with fares at 13 shillings (A$ 80 value in 2021) for First Class, and 8s. 6d. (A$ 52.70) for Second. As gold mining gradually ceased
11424-562: The time he arrived back in mid-1848, he had published his Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia, in search of a route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria . Mitchell's journals proved a rich source for historians and anthropologists, with their close and sympathetic observations of the Aboriginal peoples he had encountered. These publications made him the most celebrated Australian explorer of his day. But he
11543-516: The title Atlas containing the principle battles, sieges and affairs of the Peninsular War . Of high quality, the drawings are the prime source for the topography of the war. In 1827, with the support of Sir George Murray, Mitchell became Assistant Surveyor General of New South Wales with the right to succeed John Oxley . Oxley died the following year, and on 27 May 1828, Mitchell became Surveyor General. In this post he did much to improve
11662-422: The total cost of £4,132. Architect Percy Meldrum 's design in an American Art-deco style was constructed by local builder Frank Pollard in local brick, slate and granite, by April 1931 for the official opening, free of debt. It consisted of a main gallery behind two smaller galleries and with the museum in the basement with storerooms. The gallery walls are naturally and indirectly lit from concealed windows of
11781-547: The tourist centre. Castlemaine has its own botanical gardens , established in 1860, which are on the Victorian Heritage Register . The gardens feature Lake Joanna (an artificial lake), many exotic tree species and structures dating to the Victorian era. The Castlemaine public swimming pool is 50m in length and is located next to the botanical gardens. The Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park
11900-474: The two creeks (Forest and Barker)". The need pointed out in "The Argus" in November 1851 had resulted in an unofficial Post Office being established on the diggings at Chewton (Forest Creek) in December 1851, a Post Office then described as being "on the most central part of the diggings". On 15 February 1853 town lots were offered for sale. By that time the first Castlemaine District Hospital had been opened,
12019-481: The various tribes as much as possible. The "spitting tribe" attempted to burn down their camp on this return journey which resulted in Mitchell ordering shots to be fired over their heads. They arrived at Fort Bourke on 10 August and continued back along the Bogan River. Near Nyngan they met again with members of Tackijally's tribe who allowed Mitchell to walk through their cemetery at Milmeridien. Mitchell soon tired of
12138-709: The vertical line is continues above a balconied parapet, completed by a square tower with glazed circular openings on all four sides, surmounted by an onion dome. Opposite the town hall is the Imperial Hotel, a thirty-room, two-storey hotel with attic erected in 1861 for Faulder Watson at a cost of £4,000 and classified in 1982 by Heritage Victoria which describes it as "one of the most innovative classical revival buildings in Victoria". The sophisticated design in French Renaissance style by leading Melbourne architects Purchas and Swyer (the Glenara homestead at Bulla
12257-459: The water table were likewise obliterated. Some of their waterholes in rock platforms of the Creek that they found or enlarged, then covered with slabs to protect them from animals, may still remain, unidentified. The first European settlers named it Forest Creek and as the population grew it became known as Mount Alexander . The old name is still present in some place names in Victoria including
12376-640: The water's edge in Darling Point , Sydney. Following Mitchell's death, his family moved to Craigend Terrace in Woolloomooloo . In July 1855 a Royal Commission was appointed to inquire into the New South Wales Survey Department, but Mitchell did not live to see the report. While surveying the line of road between Nelligen and Braidwood , he developed a chill which led to a severe attack of bronchitis. He died
12495-708: The watercourse the Barcoo River from a name mentioned by local Aboriginal people. In 1837, Mitchell sought 18 months leave from his position and in March he left Sydney for London. During his leave, he published an account of his explorations called Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia: with descriptions of the recently explored region of Australia Felix, and of the present colony of New South Wales . Mitchell sought additional periods of leave and finally arrived back in Australia in 1841. Mitchell left Sydney again in March 1847 on another period of leave. By
12614-445: The waterholes adjacent to the Bogan River as far as Nyngan . Tackijally left them at this point and the group was soon involved in a brief confrontation after they startled an Aboriginal man at a waterhole. The man, who was shot in the hand, had his wounds dressed by the group and later departed. They proceeded down the Bogan, encountering several gatherings of people to which Mitchell gave tomahawks and pieces of an old sword. On 25 May
12733-502: The way. They reached Gorolei on 18 February where Mitchell buried the bodies of the two killed men and salvaged some equipment. Aboriginal people approached the group laying down their spears and offering females to Mitchell's men in an apparent attempt at appeasement for the killings. Mitchell refused the offer but accepted their guidance on an easy way back to the Namoi River . Once back at Wallamoul, Mitchell placed White in charge of
12852-421: The whole distance on bullock drays and on 1 June Mitchell launched the boats on the Darling to transport the party downriver. However, the Darling became shallower and unnavigable resulting in the expedition resorting once again to overland progress. They encountered many tribes as they headed south, with Mitchell documenting the agricultural practices of some, such as the harvesting of Panicum decompositum , and
12971-519: Was a difficult man to get on with, made evident by this passage made by Governor Charles Augustus FitzRoy : "It is notorious that Sir Thomas Mitchell's unfortunate impracticability of temper and spirit of opposition of those in authority over him misled him into frequent collision with my predecessors." In a by-election for the Electoral district of Port Phillip in April 1844, Mitchell was elected to
13090-543: Was commissioned to survey a map of the Nineteen Counties . The map he produced was done with such skill and accuracy that he was awarded a knighthood. Around this time, a portrait of Mitchell was painted showing him in the uniform of Major of the 1st Rifle Brigade of the 95th Regiment, complete with whistle used to direct the movement of troops. During his tenure in New South Wales, Mitchell led four extensive and historically significant surveying expeditions into
13209-535: Was created in 1995 as an amalgamation of a number of other municipalities in the region with the Council and Civic Centre in the former School of Mines, in central Castlemaine, next to the original town hall. Castlemaine Town is represented by the Castlemaine Ward. The Loddon River Ward is centred around the township of Newstead. The Tarrengower Ward is centred around the township of Maldon. The Calder Ward
13328-645: Was discovered near present-day Castlemaine (Mt Alexander Goldfields) at Specimen Gully on Barkers Creek . The gold was discovered by Christopher Thomas Peters, a shepherd and hut-keeper on the Barker's Creek, in the service of Dr William Barker on his Mount Alexander run. When the gold was shown in the men's quarters, Peters was ridiculed for finding fool's gold, and the gold was thrown away. Barker did not want his workmen to abandon his sheep, but in August they did just that. John Worley, George Robinson and Robert Keen, also in
13447-416: Was drying out. Piper also obtained a "good, strong woman" from this tribe. On 2 May they arrived at Combedyega where an Aboriginal widow named Turandurey with her four-year-old daughter Ballandella also joined the expedition as a guide. She remembered Oxley from nineteen years earlier and Sturt as well, and knew the lower Lachlan. The Murrumbidgee River was reached on 12 May, but at a point downstream from
13566-479: Was knighted in 1839 for his contribution to the surveying of Australia. Thomas Livingstone Mitchell was born at Grangemouth in Stirlingshire , Scotland on 15 June 1792. He was son of John Mitchell of Carron Works and was brought up from childhood by his uncle, Thomas Livingstone of Parkhall, Stirlingshire. The antiquarian John Mitchell Mitchell was his brother. On the death of his uncle, he joined
13685-568: Was one of nearly 200 men who were assigned or affirmed as Territorial Magistrates for Victoria. Not long after, he took control of the Mount Alexander diggings and set up a government camp on Forest Street near the junction of Barker and Forest Creeks (today's Camp Reserve). This was to be the new township of Castlemaine. The first reference in a newspaper to the township is found in the Geelong Advertiser of 13 March 1852 with
13804-596: Was present at the storming of the fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo , Badajos and San Sebastian as well as the battles of Salamanca and the Pyrenees . Subsequently, he would receive the Military General Service Medal with bars for each of these engagements. When the war was over, Mitchell was selected to reside in Spain and Portugal for four years to complete sketches of the battlefields for
13923-435: Was received with great joy. However, when the remainder of his party arrived two weeks later, rumours circulated about the mass killing on the Murray. He subsequently faced a Legislative Council Inquiry in December 1836, receiving an official rebuke. Ballandella joined Mitchell's family of eight other children and learnt to read and write, but was left by Mitchell when he returned to England. Ballandella later married and raised
14042-569: Was travelling along the Namoi River , by which stage Mr Brown had left them. Mitchell's party then headed north unguided but managed to reach the Gwydir River in mid-January where they found a small Aboriginal village of conical-roofed huts. They followed the Gwydir west and made it to the Barwon River by the end of the month. Mitchell came to the correct conclusion that the Barwon flowed into
14161-550: Was wary and when forty of them approached his camp, he ordered his men to charge at them. On 30 September, Mitchell climbed and named Mount Macedon , from the summit of which he had a view of Port Phillip . Progress was slowed due a member of the group, James "Tally-ho" Taylor, drowning while crossing the Broken River . Their return to the frontier of British colonisation on the Murrumbidgee was not completed until 24 October. When Mitchell arrived in Sydney in early November he
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