Rich alluvial gold was discovered along the Forest Creek in October 1851 and the settlement that developed was generally known as ‘Forest Creek’. It was re-named Chewton in 1856 and became a municipality in 1860. The town’s population in 1861 was 3,353, but had fallen to around 1,300 by 1901. Of Chewton’s mines, the Madame Garfield mine had a long lease of life, opening in 1866 and working through until 1911.
Multimedia Content
Chewton Town Hall, 25 April 1968, by John T. Collins, 1907-2001 (photographer), courtesy of State Library of Victoria.
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Water Wheel Battery at Chewton, Forest Creek, 25 April 1968, by John T. Collins, 1907-2001 (photographer), courtesy of State Library of Victoria.
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Wattle Gully Mine, Fryerstown Road, Chewton, 8 December 1968, by John T. Collins, 1907-2001 (photographer), courtesy of State Library of Victoria.
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Chewton, VIC
- References
- Bannear, David, Heritage Victoria, Historic gold mining information, Department of Sustainability and Environment. Details
- Bradfield, R., Castlemaine: a golden harvest, Lowden Publishing Co, Kilmore, 1972. Details
- Watson, A.B., The lost & almost forgotten towns of colonial Victoria, A.B. Watson, 2003. Details
