Aberfeldy, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Aberfeldy is a small town in Victoria, Australia
. It is located on Mount Lookout, north east of Lake Thomson, 125 kilometres east of Melbourne.
The area was settled in 1871 following the discovery of gold, a Post Office opening on January 1, 1872 (closed 1967).
The town was surveyed and proclaimed in 1885. It was initially known as Mount Lookout, but was eventually renamed after the Scottish
town of Aberfeldy
. At its peak, the township has a population of around 500. After the gold rush, the town produced potatoes and other crops, and sheep and cattle were grazed.
Following the First World War the population diminished, though the town managed to survive. The hotel was burnt down in 1938 and the Black Friday
bushfires of 1939 destroyed many of the town's buildings. A road was constructed to Matlock
by 1950, but it remains in poor condition to this day.
The town was home to Kitty Cane, a former dancer who was believed to have weighed 120 kilograms. At the time of her death, she had to be buried beside the road, because her body could not be lifted to the cemetery.
Today there are only a few permanent residents, though land was released for public sale in 1999. Remains of former buildings are still visible.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located on Mount Lookout, north east of Lake Thomson, 125 kilometres east of Melbourne.
The area was settled in 1871 following the discovery of gold, a Post Office opening on January 1, 1872 (closed 1967).
The town was surveyed and proclaimed in 1885. It was initially known as Mount Lookout, but was eventually renamed after the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
town of Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross
Aberfeldy is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, on the River Tay. A small market town, Aberfeldy is located in Highland Perthshire and houses a population of about 1,895, as of the 2001 census...
. At its peak, the township has a population of around 500. After the gold rush, the town produced potatoes and other crops, and sheep and cattle were grazed.
Following the First World War the population diminished, though the town managed to survive. The hotel was burnt down in 1938 and the Black Friday
Black Friday (1939)
The Black Friday fires of 13 January 1939, in Victoria, Australia, were considered one of the worst natural bushfires in the world, and certainly the single worst in Australian history as a measure of land affected...
bushfires of 1939 destroyed many of the town's buildings. A road was constructed to Matlock
Matlock, Victoria
Matlock is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Warburton - Woods Point Road, in the Shire of Mansfield.The town began after gold was discovered in 1863...
by 1950, but it remains in poor condition to this day.
The town was home to Kitty Cane, a former dancer who was believed to have weighed 120 kilograms. At the time of her death, she had to be buried beside the road, because her body could not be lifted to the cemetery.
Today there are only a few permanent residents, though land was released for public sale in 1999. Remains of former buildings are still visible.