Victoria’s Forgotten Goldfield
Visit the Grant Historic area with a guided tour around the ghost town of Grant including one of the main mines in the district. Drive to the heritage listed spectacular Harrison's Cut water diversion for an understanding of how alluvial mining was carried out.
A visit to the Dargo Museum will set the scene for the following days activities and provide an overview of what life and working conditions were like during the 1860’s Crooked River Goldrush.
A 4WD is necessary for the visit to Harrison’s Cut 20 kms north of Dargo where miners have cut a passage through solid rock to enable them to divert the river and work the bend above for alluvial gold. The track is very scenic and passes numerous old hut sites and a walnut farm along the Dargo River.
The second part of the trip involves a walk and talk around the old gold town of Grant. At its height it had a population of 2000 people and in 1865 was the largest town east of Melbourne. The process of underground mining will be explained at the Union Mine adit. A short walk will then take us to the chimney at the Jolly Sailor mine, a rare still standing example of a chimney associated with smelting.
Celebrating 50 years of the Victorian Heritage Register