Dunolly, Victoria

Dunolly
Victoria

Broadway, the main street of Dunolly
Dunolly
Coordinates 36°51′0″S 143°44′0″E / 36.85000°S 143.73333°E / -36.85000; 143.73333Coordinates: 36°51′0″S 143°44′0″E / 36.85000°S 143.73333°E / -36.85000; 143.73333
Population 969 (2006 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 3472
Location
LGA(s) Shire of Central Goldfields
State electorate(s) Ripon
Federal Division(s) Bendigo
Localities around Dunolly:
Goldsborough Painswick Waanyarra
Archdale Junction Dunolly Laanecoorie
Mount Hooghly Bet Bet Bromley

Dunolly is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Dunolly - Maryborough Road, in the Shire of Central Goldfields. At the 2006 census, Dunolly had a population of 969.

History

The town began during the Victorian Gold Rush, and has produced more nuggets than any other goldfield in Australia. The town Dunolly is located on the traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung people, who originally called the area Lea Kuribur.

One of the very first accounts of the Dunolly Gold Rush was provided by an unknown prospector who arrived in Dunolly 1856.[2] The author wrote that within a week the population of Dunolly jumped from a dozen people to over two thousand. The unknown author then stated that it took them 8 days to sink their shaft which produced no gold so they were forced to make a claim elsewhere. In those 8 days the population was estimated at 80,000 and the author had to take up their second claim nearly a mile away. Though this letter is a fascinating curiosity, it was written much later and still doesn't give an exact date, the first known writing of the rush was a paragraphed rumour report, recorded by the Bendigo Advertiser on July the 3rd that estimated the population at 12,000. Confirmation of a rush followed on the 10th of July.[3]

The exact date that Dunolly was founded is unknown. The location of the township itself moved four times before the 1856 rush, further adding to the confusion of its early history. The town we all know today is the 5th location and was founded in July 1856 with the previous town-resettlements driven by further discoveries of gold leads.[4] Technically even at this time Dunolly was not a town. It was held as a Municipality from 1858 to 1863 and wasn't officially declared a Borough until the 1st of October 1863.[5]

Goldborough Post Office opened on 1 March 1856 and was renamed Dunolly in 1859.[6]

The legendary "Welcome Stranger", one of the largest natural gold nuggets ever, was discovered in nearby Moliagul.

Utilities and Attractions

Centered on the main street, "Broadway", Dunolly features a Rural Transaction Centre, embroidery business, 2 craft shops, an SES & CFA, both a top and bottom pub, a hospital, a grain terminal, three churches, an op shop, a neighbourhood centre, an Arts Hub, 3 art galleries, a laundromat, a reclaimed building business, swimming pool, refurbished playground, playgroup, pre-school and a primary school. Dunolly has a huge monthly market from all over Victoria and other states. The town boasts an award-winning bakery/cafe, 2 more cafes, a butcher, a supermarket, a friendly chemist with a full-time pharmacist, a full-time doctor, a hardware & produce supplier, 6 antiques and collectables shops, a fish shop, a service station and fuel stop, self-contained accommodation ("Hunt's Folly"), a motel, well-preserved historic buildings, and well marked cycle tracks through the abandoned diggings.

While the Royal Hotel is currently undergoing restoration and there are plans to reopen by the end of 2016 the Railway Hotel reopened on 28 July 2016 offering meals Thursday, Friday and Saturday night with a traditional Sunday roast available on Sundays.

Although Dunolly is located on a major rail line, no passenger services are available, but regular bus services offer travel to and from Dunolly.

There is a local museum on "Broadway". It has a major collection of historic photographs, goldfields implements, replicas of gold nuggets, ladies fashions, needlework, guns, and many more. The museum also offers a family research facility as well as regular history tours throughout the year. A Vintage Caravan Museum is situated on the corner of Broadway and Thompson st.

Dunolly has become a favorite location for gold fossicking using metal detectors. A number of small scale alluvial mining operations work local "leads" using mechanical diggers.

The town's Australian Rules football team, The Dunolly Eagles, competes in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League. Star recruits, Shannon Motlop and Robbie Ahmat, have played in the team.[7]

Interesting Trivia

On the 5th of August 1998, Ginny a 34-year-old elephant from a visiting circus escaped after being frightened by a passing train. The elephant fled into the surrounding forest where it eluded police and circus staff for 16 hours.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Dunolly (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  2. ↑ http://members.westnet.com.au/likelyprospects/ross%20fawkner%20letter.html
  3. ↑ http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88051160?searchTerm=Dunolly&searchLimits=l-state=Victoria|||l-category=Article|||l-title=346|||sortby=dateAsc
  4. ↑
    http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/22145411?selectedversion=NBD3205394 Dunolly: the story of an old gold-diggings town. James Flett
  5. ↑ http://members.westnet.com.au/likelyprospects/dunolly_municipality.html
  6. ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  7. ↑ Full Points Footy, Dunolly, retrieved 2009-04-15
  8. ↑ http://www.circushistory.org/Backyard/Backyard15Aug1998.pdf
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