Jamieson, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Jamieson is a small town in Victoria, Australia
. It is located at the junction of the Goulburn River
and Jamieson River
, 199 kilometres (124 mi) 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. At the time of the 2006 census
, Jamieson had a population of 259.
The area was first settled in 1860 and by 1861 there were approximately 300 people working the goldfields. The Post Office opened on 18 January 1858.
The town site was surveyed in 1862, and a borough council was established in 1864. By 1865 the town had a Catholic chapel, an Anglican church, a school, a court house and police station, two banks, two insurance offices, five hotels and several stores. Jamieson reached its peak in the 1870s, but a sharp decline soon followed. Most mining operations had ceased by the beginning of the First World War, and Black Friday
bushfires destroyed many mine workings in 1939.
By the 1990s, the town had become a popular tourist destination, boosted by Lake Eildon
(situated adjacent to the Jamieson township and formed by the damming of the Goulburn River
) reaching 100% capacity in 1996. However the tourism industry suffered in the early 2000s following a drought which affected Lake Eildon. The drought has proven to be long term and in March 2007, the capacity of the lake reached a historic low of 7.9%.
Today, Jamieson has a permanent population of around 250. It is a popular destination for four wheel drive
enthusiasts, fishers, and amateur gold diggers. It is close to Lake Eildon
and the Mount Buller snowfields. The town has two hotels, a caravan park, and several bed and breakfast
establishments.
and Mansfield-Woods Point Roads) of the town were burnt in the blaze.
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 the Goulburn River
Goulburn River (Victoria)
The Goulburn River is a major inland river in Victoria, Australia.The headwaters of the Goulburn River rise in the western end of the Victoria Alps, near Mount Buller. The Eildon Dam creates Lake Eildon, a major storage of water for irrigation...
and Jamieson River
Jamieson River
The Jamieson River is a inland river in Victoria, Australia. The river rises in Alpine National Park and flows into the Goulburn River at the town of Jamieson. Its tributaries are Jamieson River north branch and Jamieson River south branch....
, 199 kilometres (124 mi) 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. At the time of 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,...
, Jamieson had a population of 259.
The area was first settled in 1860 and by 1861 there were approximately 300 people working the goldfields. The Post Office opened on 18 January 1858.
The town site was surveyed in 1862, and a borough council was established in 1864. By 1865 the town had a Catholic chapel, an Anglican church, a school, a court house and police station, two banks, two insurance offices, five hotels and several stores. Jamieson reached its peak in the 1870s, but a sharp decline soon followed. Most mining operations had ceased by the beginning of the First World War, and Black Friday
Black Friday (1939)
The Black Friday fires of 13 January 1939, in Victoria, Australia, were considered one of the worst natural bushfires in the world, and certainly the single worst in Australian history as a measure of land affected...
bushfires destroyed many mine workings in 1939.
By the 1990s, the town had become a popular tourist destination, boosted by Lake Eildon
Lake Eildon
Lake Eildon is the impoundment created by Eildon Weir on the Goulburn River in southern Victoria, Australia. At 3,334,158 megalitres when full, it contains six times as much water as Sydney Harbour and is the second largest water storage in Victoria after Dartmouth Dam...
(situated adjacent to the Jamieson township and formed by the damming of the Goulburn River
Goulburn River (Victoria)
The Goulburn River is a major inland river in Victoria, Australia.The headwaters of the Goulburn River rise in the western end of the Victoria Alps, near Mount Buller. The Eildon Dam creates Lake Eildon, a major storage of water for irrigation...
) reaching 100% capacity in 1996. However the tourism industry suffered in the early 2000s following a drought which affected Lake Eildon. The drought has proven to be long term and in March 2007, the capacity of the lake reached a historic low of 7.9%.
Today, Jamieson has a permanent population of around 250. It is a popular destination for four wheel drive
Four Wheel Drive
The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive or just FWD, was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, as the Badger Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich.-History:...
enthusiasts, fishers, and amateur gold diggers. It is close to Lake Eildon
Lake Eildon
Lake Eildon is the impoundment created by Eildon Weir on the Goulburn River in southern Victoria, Australia. At 3,334,158 megalitres when full, it contains six times as much water as Sydney Harbour and is the second largest water storage in Victoria after Dartmouth Dam...
and the Mount Buller snowfields. The town has two hotels, a caravan park, and several bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
establishments.
2006-07 Victorian Bushfires
In December 2006, Victoria's North-East was affected by many bushfires that would threaten to all merge into less, but bigger firefronts. Jamieson was one town at the centre of attention during these times, used as a major post for firefighters and media (Free-to-Air, Pay TV and newspaper journalists were based in the town). Luckily for Jamieson, fire breaks helped the Mount Terrible fire stay away from the town centre. It was also helped by a late Southerly Change that brought rain. However a short distance, both East and South East (Jamieson-LicolaLicola, Victoria
Licola is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on Licola Road, in the Shire of Wellington, 254 kilometres east of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Licola and the surrounding area had a population of 21....
and Mansfield-Woods Point Roads) of the town were burnt in the blaze.