The European Settlers.
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- The movement of squatters -
During the early to mid 1800's there was a boom of squatters occupying free land throughout Australia. Squatters were always in the hunt for good grazing grounds in which they could establish a run.
In 1846 several runs were set up in the Devils river area (North west of the current Eildon township) as squatters claimed their sections of land. Eildon station was one of the first attempts at European settlement within the area in 1846. This 25,000 hectare run was established by Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Thom. They named the site Eildon due to the area from Darlingford to Thornton closely resembling and reminding Mrs. Thom of the Eildon hills where she was born in Abbotsford Scotland. This name has carried on to today with Lake Eildon and the township of Eildon. Mimamuluke and Maintongoon, were two other major homesteads within the Eildon area run by the Forsyth family in the 1850's. The Mimamuluke homestead was located south of the Piries and Maintongoon is located north east to were Alexandra currently sits. They later were divided into two separate properties known as Kilbride and Rosebank. Sadly these properties can no longer be seen today due to the flooding caused by the Lake Eildon Reservoir. Other squatters within the area included Chenary and Goodman (establishing on the other side of the Delatite to the Devils river) and David Waugh occupying the Piries area. |
Kilbride Homestead
Ruins of old Mimamuluke homestead. Pulled down in the 1890's.
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- 1850's Gold Rush -
During the mid 1850's there was a gold rush throughout a number of Victorian areas including those surrounding Eildon. Mansfield (named after Edward Mansfield) was established as the central hub for the surrounding mining colonies. Gold was first found just up from Darlingford (on the Big River) by an old prospector by the name of Enoch Hall in around 1855. He was known to be the first to discover gold in the area but it is unclear as he never made any reports of his finds nor claimed rewards due to being illiterate. Enochs point was later named upstream of the Big River.
It was this 1850's gold rush that led to a population and township boom throughout the area with a number of towns such as Matlock, the A1 mine settlement, Gaffneys creek, Enochs point and of course Darlingford.
It was this 1850's gold rush that led to a population and township boom throughout the area with a number of towns such as Matlock, the A1 mine settlement, Gaffneys creek, Enochs point and of course Darlingford.
- Darlingford is formed -
The small town of Darlingford was established in the 1860's after gold was discovered in the area. The town was named after Sir Charles Darling, the Governor of Victoria at the time (1863-66). It was developed near the junction of the Goulburn and Big Rivers, a convenient position for surrounding gold prospectors.
The town expanded quickly along with the growing mining opportunities within surrounding areas. It had seven hotels, a number of shops, a post office, a small school, log gaol and five policemen. This expansion didn't last long however. The area was noted as having large potential for water storage due to the tributaries and elevation of the deep valleys. In the early 1900's the development for Lake Eildon got underway by the State government. The construction of the Sugarloaf reservoir between 1915 and 1929 resulted in the flooding of Darlingford. Darlingford is still submerged beneath the lake. In the early 2000's when serious drought occurred, the tops of some of these historical buildings once again felt the forgotten breeze.
Darlingford 1875
Allens Darlingford Hotel and General store 1910.