Barkly, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Barkly is a very small town in Victoria, Australia, about 180 kilometres northwest of Melbourne
. It is located near the intersection of the road from Landsborough to Redbank, and the road from Frenchmans to St Arnaud. It is close to the west boundary of the St Arnaud Range National Park
.
The area was first called the Navarre Diggings when gold was discovered there in June 1859 by a group led by James Law (1827-1910). It was about six miles from the Navarre
township. There was an immediate goldrush and there were soon about 700 people on the diggings. At the peak of the rush, there were over 6000 people in the area digging for gold.
James Law, who had come to Australia from Scotland, received a reward of 150 pounds for finding gold. Other members of his group, John Fewster, W.R. Marshall and George Mill also were rewarded.
The name was changed to Barkly on 1 November 1861, after the Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Barkly
. A school was started, the Barkly Common School.
A cemetery, now called the Pioneer Cemetery was established close to the original diggings. The town of Barkly developed about two miles from this area, and a new cemetery was begun.
Barkly has a small Anglican church, a hall, and a few scattered houses. The school has been closed and the buildings removed. There is a rose and lavender farm which is open to the public at various times during the year. A headstone was placed on James Law's grave on 5 May, 1985. In 1996 a memorial stone was placed at the site of the first gold discovery.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. It is located near the intersection of the road from Landsborough to Redbank, and the road from Frenchmans to St Arnaud. It is close to the west boundary of the St Arnaud Range National Park
St Arnaud Range National Park
St Arnaud Range National Park is located in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, to the south of the town of St Arnaud.The area's status as a national park is relatively new, having been gazetted by the Victorian Government in 2002. Extending over 13,900 hectares, it incorporates the former...
.
The area was first called the Navarre Diggings when gold was discovered there in June 1859 by a group led by James Law (1827-1910). It was about six miles from the Navarre
Navarre, Victoria
Navarre is a town in the Wimmera region of the Australian state of Victoria. The town is in the Shire of Northern Grampians local government area, north west of the state capital, Melbourne and north east of the regional centre of Stawell...
township. There was an immediate goldrush and there were soon about 700 people on the diggings. At the peak of the rush, there were over 6000 people in the area digging for gold.
James Law, who had come to Australia from Scotland, received a reward of 150 pounds for finding gold. Other members of his group, John Fewster, W.R. Marshall and George Mill also were rewarded.
The name was changed to Barkly on 1 November 1861, after the Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Barkly
Henry Barkly
Sir Henry Barkly, GCMG, KCB, FRS, FRGS was a British politician, colonial governor and patron of the sciences.-Early life and education:...
. A school was started, the Barkly Common School.
A cemetery, now called the Pioneer Cemetery was established close to the original diggings. The town of Barkly developed about two miles from this area, and a new cemetery was begun.
Barkly has a small Anglican church, a hall, and a few scattered houses. The school has been closed and the buildings removed. There is a rose and lavender farm which is open to the public at various times during the year. A headstone was placed on James Law's grave on 5 May, 1985. In 1996 a memorial stone was placed at the site of the first gold discovery.