Gaffneys Creek, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Gaffneys Creek is a former mining locality situated between Jamieson
and Woods Point in Victoria
, Australia
. It is located at the junction of Gaffney and Raspberry Creeks in a steep valley in mountainous terrain. It is situated in the Shire of Mansfield.
A prospector from the Big River area to the east, Terence “Red” Gaffney, was the first to actively search the area for gold
, followed by two others who discovered alluvial gold at Raspberry Creek in 1859.
A string of small villages later appeared in the valley, and these were subsequently amalgamated and collectively named Lauraville by the Government Surveyor in honour of his wife, Laura. The Post Office (called Gaffneys Creek) opened on 1 January 1862 and closed in 1981. A Lauraville Office was open from 1902 until 1910.
The name "Lauraville" was changed to Gaffneys Creek in 1900.
Alluvial mining was later replaced by reef mining, but none of these mines were to achieve the success of the nearby A1 Mine Settlement
and by the turn of the century the population had dwindled.
In 1980 the area of the original valley settlements was placed on the Register of the National Estate
as a Conservation Area including early miners' cottages, a hall, stone retaining walls and a hotel which succumbed to a fire in 1993.
The population within the locality has steadily declined over the years:
and Ten Mile.
Jamieson, Victoria
Jamieson is a small town in Victoria, Australia. It is located at the junction of the Goulburn River and Jamieson River, north-east of Melbourne. The name is believed to have been derived from George Jamieson, a shepherd who grazed sheep in the area in the 1850s...
and Woods Point in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
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 at the junction of Gaffney and Raspberry Creeks in a steep valley in mountainous terrain. It is situated in the Shire of Mansfield.
A prospector from the Big River area to the east, Terence “Red” Gaffney, was the first to actively search the area for gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, followed by two others who discovered alluvial gold at Raspberry Creek in 1859.
A string of small villages later appeared in the valley, and these were subsequently amalgamated and collectively named Lauraville by the Government Surveyor in honour of his wife, Laura. The Post Office (called Gaffneys Creek) opened on 1 January 1862 and closed in 1981. A Lauraville Office was open from 1902 until 1910.
The name "Lauraville" was changed to Gaffneys Creek in 1900.
Alluvial mining was later replaced by reef mining, but none of these mines were to achieve the success of the nearby A1 Mine Settlement
A1 Mine Settlement, Victoria
A1 Mine Settlement is a town in Victoria, Australia, located north of Woods Point on the Mansfield - Woods Point Road, in the Shire of Mansfield. The town has also been known as Castle Reef, Castle Point, and Raspberry Creek....
and by the turn of the century the population had dwindled.
In 1980 the area of the original valley settlements was placed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
as a Conservation Area including early miners' cottages, a hall, stone retaining walls and a hotel which succumbed to a fire in 1993.
The population within the locality has steadily declined over the years:
- 1865: 1000
- 1871: 502
- 1911: 274
- 1954: 91
Fire problems
In 2006 Gaffneys Creek was threatened by bushfires. Not much of the town remains anymore except a couple of houses which survived. The whole area was burnt including A1 Mine SettlementA1 Mine Settlement, Victoria
A1 Mine Settlement is a town in Victoria, Australia, located north of Woods Point on the Mansfield - Woods Point Road, in the Shire of Mansfield. The town has also been known as Castle Reef, Castle Point, and Raspberry Creek....
and Ten Mile.