YOUR OFFICIAL INVITATION TO EXPLORE EXCITEMENT IN THE LODDON
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Discover the greatest Easter tradition in the Loddon Shirethe Rheola Charity Carnival
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Tracks and Treksexplore trails to suit all ages and abilities
Easter Monday 21 April 2025
Vintage Tractor Demonstration • Wimmera Axeman’s Wood Chop (Registered) from 10am Victoria Yard Utility Farm Dog Trials from 8am • Live Music Bealiba Pony Club Gymkhana & Showjumping • Footraces (Unregistered) with Prize Money from 12noon Small Stationery Engines & Display • Historical Vehicle Display and Show ‘n’ Shine
Bookmaker in attendance • Bazaar • Rheola CFA Junior Drills Exhibition
NOVELTY EVENTS
Miss Carnival Girl (multiple sections)
Lucky Envelopes • Spinning Wheel • Novelty Rides for the Kids Children’s Playground & Attractions • Bowling at the wicket & much more
FULL CATERING
Luncheon • Barbeques • Pie Stall • Coffee Vans • Takeaway Sandwiches & Cakes Hot Dogs • Fairy Floss & Popcorn • Ice Cream & Soft Drinks • Bar & much more
ADMISSION • ADULTS $10 • CHILDREN 14 & UNDER FREE CASH ON THE DAY • NO DOGS ALLOWED
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY FOR RHEOLA CHARITY CARNIVAL INC.
All entries will close ONE HOUR before the event is timed to start. The Official Entry Forms are available from the Secretary, Deb Hancock, Rheola, Wood chop and Footrace Entries are to be accompanied by LAST THREE PERFORMANCES. Protests in all events must be lodged within TEN MINUTES of the event. All protests to be accompanied by $20.00- to be kept by the Committee if protest is deemed to be frivolous. All trophies and Prize money to be collected from the Secretary’s Office, on the day of the Sports. Competitors enter at own risk.
FOR PROGRAM AND FURTHER DETAILS
CONTACT DEB HANCOCK 0467 612 537 – 70 HANCOCKS LANE, MURPHYS CREEK VIC 3551
In aid of the Inglewood and Dunolly Hospitals and the Rheola Public Hall and Rheola Pioneers’ Park
Crisp, clear mornings followed by warm, sunny days. Autumn is often the best of times in the Loddon Valley, with the countryside emerging from a blistering summer with a bright new face. On still mornings, wraiths of mist settle across the waters of the Loddon River and places such as Little Lake Boort, Lake Leaghur and the Laanecoorie Reservoir, as well as at the skirts of the area’s granite hills.
The night skies are bright with stars - head to the top of Mt Terrick Terrick near Mitiamo after dark for one of Victoria’s best celestial displays, or take in the view from Mt Kooyoora, just above the caves which 19th-century bushranger Captain Melville used as a hideout and a van-tage point for spotting coaches to rob - while the absence of artificial light amplifies the twin-kling glory of it all.
Autumn is celebration time in the Loddon region, with everything from salt-of-the-earth country carnivals and international waterski events on the river at Bridgewater to thrilling vintage car sprints around the blink-andyou’ll-miss-it township of Laanecoorie to keep locals and visitors alike entertained.
More than anything, autumn invites you to get out of the car and explore, whether it be on fasci-nating town
walks or hikes through some of the Loddon’s glorious bushland. Keep an eye out for autumn-flowering orchids and the area’s rich wildlife, including kangaroos, wallabies, platypus, and a magnificent array of native birds, many of them highlighted in Wedderburn’s famous wall murals.
It’s also a time to enjoy the best food the Loddon Valley has to offer, found in small town cafes and bakeriesperhaps try a vanilla slice taste-off between the finest our various towns have to offer - as well as historic country pubs overflowing with convivial atmospheres and warm wel-comes. Our wineries are always a pleasure to visit, places where you can talk to and learn from the winemakers as you sip their produce, and take home a delicious memento of your Loddon experience.
Website
Inglewood’s main street is famed not only for its authentic gold era streetscape but also for its antiques and collectables shops.
Among the thousands of items lining the shelves, spread on the floor or squirreled away in corners are objects of desire that puzzle as much as they appeal.
At Inglewood Emporium, owner Denise Gartside showed the Loddon Way one of the unusual treasures she has picked up along the way.
It’s a large green metal bin with a removable circular lid and finely decorated with scrolls and pinstriping. This particular item came from South Australia, dates from the early 1900s, and has a tangential link with her shop’s original purpose as a provisions merchant.
“It sold picks and shovels and supplies to farmers and townspeople,” Denise said.
“And this is a big storage bin for grain.
“There would have been a row of them each with a different grain, or mixed like this one, and the shopkeeper would have measured out the amount the customer wanted, weighed it on a set of scales and put it in a paper bag.”
The bin looks like a giant version of the tins of tea, coffee, sugar and other consumables that sat on shelves in every Australian kitchen in years past.
Just imagine what intriguing gems you can discover in the cornucopia of shops along Inglewood’s Brooke St.
In 1871, at the tail end of the great Victorian gold rush, the little Loddon region township of Rheola - then known as Berlin - held an Easter charity carnival. It was a typical affair for the time, with sporting events such as a running and tug-of-war, stalls selling local products, diversions for young children, and games of luck and chance for adults enjoying a break from their daily toil.
Berlin - it became Rheola in 1876, named after a town in Wales - was a prosperous area for gold nuggets and the lucky few who discovered them. The Welcome Stranger, the largest nugget ever discovered, was unearthed nearby at Moliagul, while closer to home nuggets such as The Needful,
Kum Tow, Viscount Canterbury, Precious, Viscountess Canterbury, and the Crescent were discovered.
Two of those, including the Precious nugget, which was Victoria’s fourth largest nugget at 1717 ounces, were found on John Catto’s land. The Catto family was a driving force in the establishment of the Easter Charity Carnival, and even today the Catto name lives on in the district, and is still intimately connected with the event.
This Easter Monday, April 21, will see the 152nd staging of the charity carnival - only COVID has broken the string of successful events - with funds raised going to the Inglewood and Dunolly hospitals, as well as for the upkeep of the Rheola Public Hall and Pioneers’ Park. In many ways, the carnival has changed little since that first Easter Monday.
Rheola itself has changed a great deal. The booming population of the gold era drifted away, and at the last census just 56 people were living there, but when that first carnival was held the population was 1714. Now, the public hall marks the entrance to the carnival site, and has become the blessedly cool spot for lunch on the day, with wholesome country fare prepared by willing localscook on the menu.
And the carnival has changed, too, but it remains a celebration of tradition and
family entertainment. The Rheola gift is still run over 120 flat-out metres, and kids can still enjoy being carted around the site on a ‘train’ tractor whose carriages are made up of gaudily painted halved 44-gallon drums, and launch themselves onto the play equipment before stopping for an ice-cream or a swollen beehive of fairy floss.
Here, there are classic cars and motorcycles on display; there, a roaring vintage tractor pull raising dust. The local pony club showcases the talents of its young members; pre-teens and teenagers dress in their country best to vie for the Miss Rheola Carnival Girl prize, as well as tiny tot and junior pageants.
The real country flavour, however, is really on show at the farm dog trials - ‘Muster Dogs’ without all the glamouras well as at the woodchopping, where some of Victoria’s best axemen (and woman) take on mighty logs with axes, saws and plenty of sweat. You can even buy the wood at the end of the event, so bring your trailer.
The Rheola Charity Carnival on Easter Monday is the Loddon’s big-ticket item for autumn, but there are other seasonal events to savour in the region, ranging from a five-day international waterskiing event to musical performances at historic Inglewood Town Hall, vintage car sprints along a quarter-mile town course at Eddington and a national orienteering championship.
Waterskiing challenge at Bridgewater-on-Loddon Bridgewater is one of Victoria’s most significant venues for top-class waterskiing events. The Loddon here is broad and beautiful, its banks lined with huge eucalypts. It’s a perfect setting for international events, and autumn sees the four-day Aussie/Kiwi Challenge bring more than 50 of Australasia’s finest waterskiers to the river.
Australia and New Zealand will each provide 26 skiers to take part in slalom, tricks and jumps events for the Oceania Junior Championships. The event will follow the famous Moomba Masters on the Yarra on Labour Day weekend and promises to showcase high-quality skiing from under-14s through to under21s. Events begin on Thursday, March 13.
A spin-off of the iconic Port Fairy Folk Festival, this event brings international and Australia artists to perform at Inglewood Town Hall. The renovated hall, which dates to 1883, is a classic of its kind - a place of historic charm and brilliant acoustics. In recent years it has hosted operettas and a spectacular staging of Handel’s ‘Messiah’, but this performance will be smaller-scale and intimate.
Headlining the show will be UK-born but Canada-based folk singer Lucy Farrell along with Hat Fitz and Cara, who will be supported by local act The Ruminators. A range of country style delicacies will be available, including an appearance by the popular Little Sangria food truck, and Black Wallaby Wines will provide a bar service throughout the evening. Tickets are $25 for the March 22 event.
The usually quiet streets of Eddington will echo to the sounds of roaring engines on March 29 when the Vintage Drivers Club’s members gather for the annual sports car sprints. One by one, the cars - some of them more than 100 years oldtackle a classic quarter-mile stretch of Playfair Street, racing against the clock to take home the trophy.
Cars range from vintage cars and historic sports and racing vehicles through to touring cars built between 1973 and 1978. There are also vintage motorcycles talking part along the 400-metre closed track. The road itself has enough bumps and dips to keep the drivers focused.
If you happen to be around the back blocks of the delightful little village of Tarnagulla - one of the Loddon’s true hidden gems - or at Inglewood, with its many antiques and collectables stores, around the middle of May, you might come across energetic souls poring over maps before sprinting off into the distance.
It’s likely they will be participants in the Australian National ThreeDay Orienteering Carnival, which will bring enthusiasts from all over Australia to the Loddon region. Those two towns, along with Mount Egbert Reserve - better known locally as The Granites - will be the focus of the Easter long weekend of races.
Many orienteers know the region well, with Mt Kooyoora, the home of the famed Melville Caves, having been the venue for the world championships in 1985 as well as the orienteering event in the World Masters Games based in Bendigo in 2002. The elite entrants this year will have to negotiate almost 29 kilometres of varied terrain over the three days.
Australia’s biggest hot road show will zoom into Inglewood at Easter.
Organisers on Monday locked in plans for more than 100 hot rods to zip up the Calder Highway on Easter Monday.
Jadis Rod and Custom Club’s Ron Hayes said hot rods from across Australia would be on display in Bendigo for 26th Australian Street Rod Federation Nationals.
“It’s the first time the national show has been in Bendigo since 2017 - we had a record of more than 1200 entries then and pretty close to that again,” he said.
“While many head home on the Sunday, quite a few use the show for an extended holiday and we chose Inglewood for the Easter Monday cruise because of its history and proximity to Bendigo.”
Mr Hayes said more than 100 hot rod owners had already registered for the Inglewood cruise.
“We were looking at an old gold mining town with shops and cafes ... Inglewood has been the choice,” he said.
The Bendigo-based Jadis club was formed in 1974 to Jadis to promote the hot rodding hobby and lifestyle.
UPCOMING EVENTS
MARCH 2024
Boort Pacing and Trotting Cups
2 March, Boort
Minelab Wedderburn
Detector Jamboree
7-9 March, Wedderburn
Flavours of Loddon Bridgewater
9 March, Bridgewater
Aussie/Kiwi Challenge – Oceania Junior Championship
Australian National Orienteering Carnival 18 – 21 April, various locations
Rheola Charity Carnival 21 April, Rheola
2024
Wedderburn Annual Swap Meet & Market 17 May, Wedderburn
As the leaves turn golden and the air grows crisp, discover the magic of autumn in the Loddon Valley. From vibrant cultural events and breathtaking views in State Parks to uncovering hidden treasures. Whether it’s a vintage gem or a glass of delicious local wine – every moment promises an adventure to savour.
AUTUMN MUST DO’S
Scenic vistas: Soak in the stunning landscapes of northern Loddon at Mount Hope, Terrick Terrick National Park, or Pyramid Hill.
Must see events: Get involved in Loddon’s many culturally enriching events such as the Wedderburn Detector Jamboree, Flavours of Loddon Bridgewater, Festival of Small Halls and Rheola Charity Carnival.
Treasure hunting: Browse Inglewood’s vintage and collectables precinct to uncover a unique find.
Outdoor adventures: Canoe across Little Lake Boort or cycle the picturesque loop trail surrounding the lake.
Wine tasting: Sample local wines at Water Wheel Vineyard, Both Banks Vineyard, Old Kingower Vineyard, Black Wallaby Wines, and Connor Park Winery.
Golden discoveries: Try your luck at gold prospecting in Wedderburn or Inglewood with a guided tour from the Gold Nugget Hunter.
Cultural connections: Join a Djaara cultural tour at Kooyoora State Park or explore local heritage at the Wedderburn Coach House Gallery and Inglewood Eucalyptus Distillery.
Riverside picnic: Unwind by the Loddon River in Bridgewater with a picnic from the award-winning Bridgewater Bakehouse.
The friendly Loddon Visitor Information Centre sta and volunteers are there to assist and make your visit and general travels in the Loddon region more memorable.
The centre provides quality information and brochures on accommodation, attractions, tours, events and activities throughout the Loddon Valley and surrounding region.
Drop in to see the friendly team 7 days a week.
Shane Walker has been picking up gold nuggets around Inglewood since he was a child.
the soil ... you are really going over ground that has been worked before but there’s gold there,” he said.
Jackie said: “Finding a small nugget changes your life. Every nugget is like children - individual and beautiful.
Use the 2025 Loddon Valley O cial Visitor Guide to help you plan your next visit to and within the Loddon Valley.
The guide is your perfect travel companion and showcases leading tourism businesses, popular tours & trails and must visit experiences and attractions across the Loddon Valley.
Pick up a copy from the Loddon Visitor Centre in Wedderburn or at other leading tourism venues and Visitor Centres across the region.
Loddon Visitor Information Centre 03 5494 3489
24 Wilson Street, Wedderburn Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm
Sunday and Public holidays, 10am – 2pm
Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday visitloddonvalley.com.au
Grandmother Eva Hodgins taught him that there was gold on the ground after rain and would later teach him how to pan for the precious mineral.
He found his first nugget at the Morning Star dam as a student in Grade Six at Inglewood Primary School.
Today Shane is leading visitors to the region on gold detecting tours.
And helping him is wife Jackie who wears an engagement ring made from Shane’s first Morning Star find.
“The tourist market is improving after COVID,” Shane said. “The people we take out are being introduced to prospecting and detecting ... they are people in awe of the bush.”
The size of their groups is never more than four and many quickly become hooked on gold.
“I was brought up prospecting for gold and it has become second nature. You learn about the gold,
“It’s not all luck. There’s also a lot of knowledge needed and how you read the ground.
“And the bush is a great life,” she said. Shane said tourists joining his gold detecting tours were in awe of the bush.
“They are outdoor people and we help them fine tune their detectors and to know what they should be looking for,” he said. “They are easy to teach and eager to learn.”
Shane said one prospector had found three nuggets in one day.
“I drew a line on the ground indicating where I thought there might be gold,” he said. “He was shaking with joy when he did.”
And the bonus of the tours, the learners get to keep what they find.
“To
be a true Australian, it is important to learn about the First Australians.”
— Paul Haw
The Yung Balug Aboriginal Artefacts museum began with one man’s keen interest for local Aboriginal history and the environment. Paul Haw is the founder of the museum and loves to passionately share the collection of Aboriginal artefacts and his vast knowledge of local Aboriginal history and the local environment. The museum began with Paul’s small collection of locally-found Aboriginal grinding stones and axes mainly donated by local farmers that he would show to anyone who visited. As his collection grew, he realised that there was a huge need for education in Aboriginal History. The history is very rich and interesting, yet many do not know anything about the way the past owners of the land used to live. Paul knew that if he didn’t share the knowledge he has gathered over the years, much of the history of the local Aborigines would be lost.
Paul’s dream was to set up a museum to house the collection in the township of Boort. Many setbacks have meant that the museum in town may be many years off, so in the meantime he launched the “Yung Balug Aboriginal Artefacts Museum” from a renovated shed on his own property. Paul fondly refers to the museum “The Temporary Keeping Place” because he is keeping this collection ready for when a museum can be eventually set up in town.
Paul Haw was born in 1946 and grew up on the family farm fronting the Loddon River at Yando. He spent many hours with his brothers trapping and ferreting rabbits out of cooking mounds on its banks. He often wondered what had become of the local Aborigines. History
taught at school at the time was basic and Paul formed the opinion that the local Aborigines were extinct. During those years various church members from Boort would visit the Balranald Aboriginal Mission where Paul first met with Aboriginal people in their simple corrugated dwellings - a tin hall and church. The Boort Community delivered food and clothing to the mission and a group often sang songs together at a time when Aborigines were restricted in their activities.
Later Paul served as a National Serviceman in Vietnam with the artillery where he almost lost his life in a mine incident which killed two others and wounded five. This event and other factors influenced his thinking towards the environment and fostered his philosophy of treating all people as equals. Paul took out a Trust For Nature Covenant on his property to protect the environment and Aboriginal sites and was the first in Victoria erect a sign on his front gate recognising the past and ongoing ownership by the Dja Dja Wurrung.
After meeting Gary Murray, a direct descendant of the Boort clan, Paul was inspired to learn more about their culture and country. He spent many weekends studying the landscape and utilising his innate ability to read nature holding the belief that all Australians should learn this important part of their history.
As a result of Paul's passion many farmers when retiring were inspired to leave their collections with Paul, now the collections are stored in the “Keeping Place” for everyone to appreciate.
On a gentle rise in the road between Tarnagulla and Dunolly sits a sign noting the place as Murderers Hill. The story of how it came to have that name is as fascinating as it is tangled.
By KEN ARNOLD
Robert Campbell Dunlop, born in June 1823 in Scotland, had arrived in the colony of Victoria prior to the gold rush. He married Mary Guthrie in Sydney in 1852, and they had a daughter, Mary Sophia, and possibly another child before they moved to Burnt Creek, now Dunolly.
However, the family was living near Thomson’s store at Long Gully, Jones’s Creek, when Dunlop was murdered around the end of October 1857, aged 35. At that time his wife was pregnant and she was left destitute. She married William Callister around 1879.
Hugh McLean, born Scotland about 1817, was found with a hole in his calico cap matching the hole in his head which had probably been made by a pick when he was also murdered about the same time. Both men were buried at Dunolly.
It seems Dunlop and McLean had found good gold which they took to sell at Chinaman’s Flat, between Timor and Maryborough, in October 1857, so as not to create any suspicion at Jones’s Creek.
At a shop in Dunolly it seems that Job Neil and William Brown noticed they were carrying a lot of money. The two men met up with Richard Dunbeer and his partner Mary Ann Dodd, convincing them to take part in robbing McLean and Dunlop.
Dodd remained by a large tree on the Dunolly to Sandy Creek, now the Tarnagulla road, where she acted as the lookout. As Dunlop struggled with Dunbeer, Neil struck him with a pick prior to McLean being murdered. The bodies were carried to a water hole.
On Sunday November 29, 1857, William Henry Dean saw a partially covered foot protruding from beneath a possum
skin rug. Dean returned to Dunolly where he spoke to police officer John McCormack. The area quickly became known as Murderers Hill.
An inquest was told the victims had died by being struck on the back of the head by a sharp object, such as a pick, and they had been in the water hole for some weeks. Although it was thought that one man could not have committed the murders alone Dean was still arrested but was soon released because of insufficient evidence.
He – described as a black man – was again arrested when blood was found on his pick handle, and he spent some weeks in jail before remembering that he had taken the pick into the butcher’s shop in Dunolly.
The story was corroborated by the butcher, and he was again released.
After the offer of a one-hundredpound reward and free pardon for an accomplice, Samuel Dryden, Robert Jones, John Anderson and Thomas Dearling were arrested in Tarnagulla and taken to Carisbrook charged with the murders. However, the police were unable to produce any real evidence against them and they were soon released, to the cheers of their friends, and much criticism of Her Majesty’s Police Force.
On February 18, 1859, Dunbeer gave himself up and implicated Neil, Brown and Dodd. Dodd also made a statement implicating Neil, however in August 1859 they were charged with perjury as it seems that Dunbeer had implicated Neil as an act of revenge. Dodd, who had been his girl, had left him because of their violent rows saying she was going to her sister in Sydney, but instead had moved in with Neil.
The police believed Dunbeer so they arrested Dodd at Dunolly, but Brown eluded capture. In a backflip,
Dunbeer denied he had confessed and implicated the others. There was confusion, the judges were incensed, and much conflicting evidence was presented at trial.
Dodd’s account was very descriptive and put the blame on Neil and Brown, with her statements matching what the police already knew.
Neil denied he was in the area at the time of the murders and said Dodd, whom he called “Polly”, and her sister Mrs Unwin, who was the keeper of a shanty on Sporting Flat, just to the north Dunolly, had admitted that their original evidence was false.
Thomas Unwin went to pieces in the witness box in having to deny his original evidence that supported his wife and “Polly”. By that time Elizabeth Bowen, a sister-in-law to Unwin, was implicated in the trial. During the confused and contradictory evidence, mention was made that the murdered men were ambushed not far from Boan’s shanty, later to become the White Swan hotel at Jones’s Creek.
Unwin, his wife Clara and her sister were all charged with perjury but acquitted in August 1859. Neil was acquitted and released from jail in July 1859. As Dodd was being released from the Castlemaine jail, she unfortunately encountered Dunbeer, who asked permission to speak to her and her two children.
Although handcuffed Dunbeer lurched forward and bit off part of Dodd’s nose. He was charged and was sentenced to three years’ hard labour; his plea of insanity having failed. Nothing further is known about Dunbeer, who died at Tylden in 1903, or Dodd, who died in 1906/7.
The large gum tree under which Mary Ann Dodd sat on the day of the murders was felled in September 1860 to make for the telegraph from Dunolly to Jones’s Creek. Maybe it was revenge for its participation in the horrible deed.
There are more than a dozen designated walking trails in the Loddon region, just ideal for the clear sunny days of autumn. From gentle strolls through some of the area’s towns and villages to all-day hikes through its varied terrain, there is a walk to suit all ages and abilities.
Here is a selection of trails:
Beginning from the bridge outside the historic Art Deco Bridgewater Hotel, this easy walk first heads north past the town’s swimming hole and picnic area to a short circuit around the island formed by the old flour mill race and the Loddon River. There are tumbling rapids, beautiful stands of River Red Gum trees, basalt rocks and billabongs.
To the south of the bridge, the river widens. It is here that you can see Bridgewater’s world-class waterskiing facility, one of only five slalom and jumps courses in Australia that meet international standards. You can also explore the sites of the old brewery and a flour mill that was burnt down in 1905 and never rebuilt.
This is one of the region’s most fascinating tracks, a loop around the lake taking you past ancient scarred trees and middens of the Dja Dja Warrung people and offering the
chance to view an extraordinary range of local bird and animal life. Keep an eye out for black swans, fairy martins, dusky moorhens, turtles, water rats - and cock an ear to the croaking of the six species of frogs that live here.
The lake is popular with fishers, canoeists and stand-up paddle boarders, and Myrong Beach is a fantastic spot for a cooling dip on a warm day. The trail suits both walkers and cyclists, and at 3.7 kilometres is an experience to be enjoyed by all ages. After the walk, perhaps call in to the Yung Balun Museum, which is a rich testament to the area’s indigenous inhabitants.
Named in 1836 by the noted explorer Major Thomas Mitchell, Pyramid Hill is a distinctive local landmark rising almost 200 metres above the surrounding plains. Walk around the base of the mountain on a loop trail of 1.8 kilometres. There is also a 600-metre return trail the climbs to a vantage point
in the saddle with a fine view of the town, hills and farmland.
The plains grassland habitat is especially favoured by birds of prey, including the majestic wedge-tailed eagle, which uses the thermal updraft created by the hill to search for prey below. Black wallabies abound, and you may also see brolgas nesting as well as reptiles that enjoy the rocky scrubland. If you’re particularly keen, and have a good level of fitness, you can scramble over the rocks to the summit of the hill from the saddle trail, but it is rough and requires care.
Cemeteries are fascinating places to explore, especially in places as historic as Tarnagulla, which thrived during the gold rush as miners thronged to the region in search of their fortunes. This easy track winds through grassy woodland and sandstone ridge shrubland where wildflowers and trees including wattles, bluebells, native peas,
cranberry heath and everlastings abound in season.
Native birds including pretty pardelotes, honeyeaters and blue wrens can be seen, along with kangaroos and wallabies. The cemetery itself hints at the terrible struggles of the mid-19th century, with gravestones commemorating the deaths of many small children as well as adults. One family lost four children aged from 11 days of age to four years and 10 months. One poor soul lived just two hours, according to his 1861 headstone. Others more fortunate lived beyond 100 years. There are a large number of Chinese graves too, understandable when you realise thousands of Chinese people moved to the area in the gold rush - most returned to China, but some ended their days thousands of miles from home.
Blue Mallee Trail Wedderburn Walkers and cyclists treasure this 8-kilometre trail for its variety of landscapes, from scarified old gold diggings in the alluvial sites along the creeks to the oil-rich Blue Mallee eucalyptus scrub. The Blue Mallee has the highest oil content of the more than 1000 species of eucalyptus in Australia, which helped spur local businesses extracting the oil in places including Wedderburn and nearby Inglewood, where you can still see stills in action.
The tree flowers in autumn and becomes an important habitat for honeyeaters and other birds, as well as insects. Pause at the old Eucy distillery and see the remains of the original boiler and the piles of mulch around the site. The railway cutting is a natural geology lesson, with successive layers of sediment deposits indicating the changes over millions of years. Intriguingly, the deposits prove the area was once under quite deep water.
Storm Lane
Inglewood
1 x 50kW Fast Charger
Plug type: 1 x CHAdeMO and 1 x CCS2/SAE
Cnr Burke St & Wimmera Hwy
Newbridge
1 x 50kW Fast Charger
Plug type: 1 x CHAdeMO and 1 x CCS2/SAE
Jacka Park/Chapel St
Wedderburn
1 x 50kW Fast Charger
Plug type: 1 x CHAdeMO and 1 x CCS2/SAE
The Loddon Valley is home to some award winning-wineries and a brewery, so why not enjoy a local drop whilst travelling throughout the region? You could also pair your meal at a pub or eatery with a drop of the regions braoder range of wine or beer.
Cellar Doors to visit
Water Wheel Vineyard
Open Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm, and closed Sunday Lyndhurst Street, Bridgewater on Loddon • 03 5437 3060
Recreational reserve
Malone St
Please note there are strict rules regarding what you can and can’t dump at these points.
Permitted:
• Grey water
• Black water
• Chemical water treatment - used to prevent odours and aid breakdown of the waste
Not permitted:
• Disposable nappies
• Sanitary items
• Disposable wipes!
Boort Lakes Caravan Park end of the Boat Ramp Access Rd
Godfrey St
Pyramid Hill Caravan Park
Victoria St
Wedderburn Caravan Park
Hospital St
Both Banks Vineyard
Call to make an appointment
1164 Inglewood-Rheola Road, Kingower • 0429 330 456
Old Kingower Vineyard
Call ahead or visit in if the gate is open 14 Kingower-Brenanah Road, Kingower • 0419 524 991
Connor Park Winery
Open Monday – Friday 10am-5pm and Weekends 11am-5pm – call before visiting 59 Connors Road, Leichardt • 0408 375 202
Black Wallaby Wines
Call to make an appointment 38 Avondale Lane, Bridgewater North • 0448 917 105
Scan for more information on wineries and breweries to visit or where to try or buy.
