Inglewood, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Inglewood is a town in Victoria, Australia
, located on the Calder Highway
, in the Shire of Loddon. At the 2006 census
, Inglewood had a population of 834. The town celebrated its 150th birthday with festivities over the last weekend in October, 2009.
of the 1850s and 60's.
Gold was first discovered in 1859 by Alexander, Joseph and Thomas Thompson and Joseph Hanny, and upon notification of the discovery some 16,000 diggers flocked to the area. By January 1860 a new field a few miles south of the original was opened up by Potter, Irvine and McKean, and dubbed New Inglewood. This is the site of the present township.
By mid 1860 the population on the field was estimated to be greater than 40,000, ranking among the biggest rushes in Victoria’s history.
The population soon dwindled as the easily won alluvial deposits became exhausted, but as early as 1859, quartz reefs had been discovered, which resulted in the permanent settlement of a few thousand miners and businessmen.
The initial returns from the quartz reefs were quite remarkable. From the Columbian, 22 tons of stone crushed gave a return of over 2300 ounces of gold, one of the richest patches of gold recorded in the colony of Victoria. Numerous other reefs including the Maxwell’s, Jersey, March and Morning Star gained renown for their rich yields. In November, 1860, there were 4,500 men employed in quartz mining, more than any other field at that time.
In 1861, the town was proclaimed a municipality, and in 1863 the Borough of Inglewood was established. Self-government continued for 100 years until the Borough was annexed to the Shire of Korong.
In December, 1862, one of the most destructive fires recorded in the colony to that time occurred in the town’s main thoroughfare. A greater portion of the commercial precinct was burned to the ground, with damages estimated at over £100,000. The ultimate result of the fire was a transition from bark and canvass establishments to more substantial brick and iron structures, many of which remain today.
Around the turn of the century after gold production began to diminish, and a new form of employment was sought. The Eucalyptus Oil
industry took hold when it was discovered that the leaves of the Blue Mallee, which grows abundantly around Inglewood but in few other places, produced the best quality eucalyptus oil in the world. In the early 20th century Inglewood became the centre for eucalyptus oil production in Victoria. The Valvoline Oil Co of the USA even had a distillery close to the town. The Inglewood district still produces the greater portion of Victoria’s eucalyptus oil.
Post Offices opened at Inglewood on 12 March 1860 and at New Inglewood soon after on 15 May 1860. Inglewood Post Office was renamed Old Inglewood around 1865 and closed in 1882. New Inglewood Post Office was then renamed Inglewood around 1870.
From 6 December 1861 until 1 February 1961, Inglewood was managed by a borough council.
, with its hospital, chemist, community bank and various retail outlets providing crucial services for the surrounding agricultural district.
Inglewood is one of the best examples of a Victorian Gold Rush town, with its 19th Century architecture attracting many visitors. The main street, Brooke St, is remarkable for its narrowness and concentration of double storey buildings. No less than 7 hotel buildings (2 still operating) and 4 bank buildings grace Brooke St. Inglewood is also notable for the collection of public and religious buildings located away from the main thoroughfare, unusual for a town of its size. The Town Hall is impressive with its tower and chiming clock.
People still converge on the surrounding bushland in search of gold. Since the million dollar ‘Hand of Faith
' nugget was discovered 11km west at Kingower in 1980, gold detectors have brought fresh discoveries of the precious metal left behind by the early prospectors. Inglewood forms part of the famous ‘Golden Triangle’ which encompasses some of the richest alluvial goldfields in the world, including Kingower
, Rheola, Dunolly, Tarnagulla and Moliagul, where the biggest gold nugget ever unearthed, the ‘Welcome Stranger
’ was discovered.
Quartz mining is also still present, with GBM Gold operating the Maxwell's Mine to the north of the township.
The Eucalyptus Distillery Museum has recently been opened on the site of the historic Jones Eucy Distillery at the northern entrance to the town, providing a fantastic insight into the history of the Eucalyptus Oil industry.
Inglewood is the gateway to Kooyoora State Park
. Located a short distance west of the town, the park is a popular camping and recreation location, and home to Melville’s Caves, where the bushranger Captain Melville
is rumoured to have based himself during the 1850s.
The town is central to the Bridgewater On Loddon and Kingower wine district, producing high quality red and white wines.
The town has an Australian Rules football team, the 'Blues', competing in the Loddon Valley Football League
. The Inglewood Football Club
was formed around 1873 and was a foundation member of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877.
Golfers play at the course of the Inglewood Golf Club on the Calder Highway.
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...
, located on the Calder Highway
Calder Highway
Calder Highway is a Highway linking Ravenswood South in Victoria, to Mildura. North of the Victoria/New South Wales border, the highway continues north to Broken Hill, Tibooburra and the New South Wales/Queensland border as the Silver City Highway, under the standard national route shield as far...
, in the Shire of Loddon. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Inglewood had a population of 834. The town celebrated its 150th birthday with festivities over the last weekend in October, 2009.
History
Inglewood was an important gold mining centre during the Victorian Gold RushVictorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
of the 1850s and 60's.
Gold was first discovered in 1859 by Alexander, Joseph and Thomas Thompson and Joseph Hanny, and upon notification of the discovery some 16,000 diggers flocked to the area. By January 1860 a new field a few miles south of the original was opened up by Potter, Irvine and McKean, and dubbed New Inglewood. This is the site of the present township.
By mid 1860 the population on the field was estimated to be greater than 40,000, ranking among the biggest rushes in Victoria’s history.
The population soon dwindled as the easily won alluvial deposits became exhausted, but as early as 1859, quartz reefs had been discovered, which resulted in the permanent settlement of a few thousand miners and businessmen.
The initial returns from the quartz reefs were quite remarkable. From the Columbian, 22 tons of stone crushed gave a return of over 2300 ounces of gold, one of the richest patches of gold recorded in the colony of Victoria. Numerous other reefs including the Maxwell’s, Jersey, March and Morning Star gained renown for their rich yields. In November, 1860, there were 4,500 men employed in quartz mining, more than any other field at that time.
In 1861, the town was proclaimed a municipality, and in 1863 the Borough of Inglewood was established. Self-government continued for 100 years until the Borough was annexed to the Shire of Korong.
In December, 1862, one of the most destructive fires recorded in the colony to that time occurred in the town’s main thoroughfare. A greater portion of the commercial precinct was burned to the ground, with damages estimated at over £100,000. The ultimate result of the fire was a transition from bark and canvass establishments to more substantial brick and iron structures, many of which remain today.
Around the turn of the century after gold production began to diminish, and a new form of employment was sought. The Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from the leaf of Eucalyptus, a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae native to Australia and cultivated worldwide. Eucalyptus oil has a history of wide application, as a pharmaceutical, antiseptic, repellent, flavouring, fragrance and industrial uses...
industry took hold when it was discovered that the leaves of the Blue Mallee, which grows abundantly around Inglewood but in few other places, produced the best quality eucalyptus oil in the world. In the early 20th century Inglewood became the centre for eucalyptus oil production in Victoria. The Valvoline Oil Co of the USA even had a distillery close to the town. The Inglewood district still produces the greater portion of Victoria’s eucalyptus oil.
Post Offices opened at Inglewood on 12 March 1860 and at New Inglewood soon after on 15 May 1860. Inglewood Post Office was renamed Old Inglewood around 1865 and closed in 1882. New Inglewood Post Office was then renamed Inglewood around 1870.
From 6 December 1861 until 1 February 1961, Inglewood was managed by a borough council.
The Town today
Today, Inglewood is the main service town for the Loddon ShireLoddon Shire
The Shire of Loddon is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the north-western part of the state. It includes the towns of Inglewood, Boort, Pyramid Hill and Wedderburn. It has an area of 6,701 square kilometres. In 2006 it had a population of 7,836...
, with its hospital, chemist, community bank and various retail outlets providing crucial services for the surrounding agricultural district.
Inglewood is one of the best examples of a Victorian Gold Rush town, with its 19th Century architecture attracting many visitors. The main street, Brooke St, is remarkable for its narrowness and concentration of double storey buildings. No less than 7 hotel buildings (2 still operating) and 4 bank buildings grace Brooke St. Inglewood is also notable for the collection of public and religious buildings located away from the main thoroughfare, unusual for a town of its size. The Town Hall is impressive with its tower and chiming clock.
People still converge on the surrounding bushland in search of gold. Since the million dollar ‘Hand of Faith
Hand of Faith
The Hand of Faith is a nugget of fine-quality gold that was found by Kevin Hillier using a metal detector near Kingower, Victoria, Australia on 26 September 1980. Weighing 875 troy ounces , the gold nugget was only 12 inches below the surface, resting in a vertical position...
' nugget was discovered 11km west at Kingower in 1980, gold detectors have brought fresh discoveries of the precious metal left behind by the early prospectors. Inglewood forms part of the famous ‘Golden Triangle’ which encompasses some of the richest alluvial goldfields in the world, including Kingower
Kingower, Victoria
Kingower is a small town in Victoria, Australia, located on Inglewood-Rheola Road, in the Shire of Loddon. The town was once very populated during the times of the Victorian Gold Rush.- History :...
, Rheola, Dunolly, Tarnagulla and Moliagul, where the biggest gold nugget ever unearthed, the ‘Welcome Stranger
Welcome Stranger
The "Welcome Stranger" is the name given to the largest alluvial gold nugget ever found, which had a calculated refined weight of 2,283 oz 6 dwts 9 gr...
’ was discovered.
Quartz mining is also still present, with GBM Gold operating the Maxwell's Mine to the north of the township.
The Eucalyptus Distillery Museum has recently been opened on the site of the historic Jones Eucy Distillery at the northern entrance to the town, providing a fantastic insight into the history of the Eucalyptus Oil industry.
Inglewood is the gateway to Kooyoora State Park
Kooyoora State Park
Kooyoora State Park is a state park in Victoria, Australia located northwest of Melbourne, and 12km west of Inglewood. It is a 11,350 hectare reserve comprising box-ironbark forest and rocky granite outcrops, including the Melville Caves....
. Located a short distance west of the town, the park is a popular camping and recreation location, and home to Melville’s Caves, where the bushranger Captain Melville
Frank McCallum
Francis McNeish McNeil McCallum was a notorious bushranger during the early part of the Victorian Gold Rush in Australia....
is rumoured to have based himself during the 1850s.
The town is central to the Bridgewater On Loddon and Kingower wine district, producing high quality red and white wines.
The town has an Australian Rules football team, the 'Blues', competing in the Loddon Valley Football League
Loddon Valley Football League
The Loddon Valley Football League is based in Central Victoria.-History:The Loddon Valley Football League was formed in 1903 and is one of the oldest country leagues to have survived without a name change or amalgamation.-Current:...
. The Inglewood Football Club
Inglewood Football Club
Inglewood Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Inglewood, Victoria. The club is currently affiliated with the Loddon Valley Football League.- History :...
was formed around 1873 and was a foundation member of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877.
Golfers play at the course of the Inglewood Golf Club on the Calder Highway.
Notable people
- Sir Reginald AnsettReg AnsettSir Reginald Myles "Reg" Ansett KBE was an Australian businessman and aviator; best known for founding Ansett Transport Industries Limited, which owned one of Australia's two leading domestic airlines between 1957 and 2001...
, businessman and founder of Ansett Airlines, was born in Inglewood in 1909. - Lawyer and politician Maurice Blackburn was born in Inglewood in 1880.
- The runner Jack DonaldsonJack Donaldson (athlete)John Donaldson, Jnr, , better known as Jack, was a professional sprinter in the early part of the 1900s. He held various world sprinting records ranging from 100 yards to 400 yards, some of which stood for many years.-Early life:...
who held every professional sprint world record in the early part of the 1900s grew up in Inglewood. - E. G. Carji Greeves, first winner of the Brownlow Medal, was Inglewood Football Club’s first paid coach in 1931
- Frances Emma Hines was a Boer WarBoer WarThe Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
nurse, and the first Australian woman to die on active service. - Sir Julius VogelJulius VogelSir Julius Vogel, KCMG was the eighth Premier of New Zealand. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works...
began the Inglewood Advertiser newspaper in 1860 and later became Prime Minister of New Zealand. - Major General Edwin Tivey was born in Inglewood in 1866.