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Gold was found in Stringers Creek in 1863. By 1866 numerous mines within the valley were opened. The Long Tunnel Company became the greatest single producer of gold in Victoria. It closed in 1913. Walhalla once supported 15 hotels, 40 shops, two breweries, four churches, a school, jail and its own newspaper. Timber getters denuded the hillsides in supplying mining companies with 34 000 tons of timber a year.
The narrow-guage railway arrived from Moe in 1910, just in time to see the town die. The two major mines closed in 1911 and 1913 and the trains which were to have brought prosperity were used to cart away Walhalla's buildings. By 1920 there were only 250 people left. The railway closed in 1944 but is being rebuilt as a tourist railway.
The permanent population of Walhalla today is fewer than 20, although there are many more temporary residents and visitors on holidays and weekends.
Heading north in the main street from the southern entrance to the town, the first point of interest is the cemetery, reached by a lane on the right. Many headstones testify to the hardships that the pioneers faced. The cemetery is so steep it is claimed the dead were buried …
Another famous mine is the Long Tunnel. Once the richest mine in Victoria, it began working in 1863 and yielded almost 30 tonnes to the value of some $425 million. Its inclined shaft descended to 1120 metres.
At a horseshoe bend around a small creek, railway tracks emerge from the Long Tunnel Extended Mine (1865-1911). The tunnel leads 300 metres into the hillside before opening on to a cavern-like chamber built to house the mine machinery that could not be accommodated on the surface. Long Tunnel Extended Mine …
The Walhalla Tramway Bridge (also known as the ‘Old Steel Bridge’ or ‘Poverty Point Bridge’) is now fully restored and is open for visitors to enjoy the great walks from either Walhalla or Thomson River stations.
The rotunda, built in 1896, has been restored and repainted in its original colours. Opposite the rotunda a lane branches off the main street leading to Windsor House which was built as an accommodation house in 1890.
08 May 2013
Parks Victoria is thanking its many volunteer groups across the state during National Volunteer Week, 13-19 May. Around 200 volunteer and Friends groups donate their time and energy to Victorian parks, reserves, and marine sanctuaries throughout the year. Last year they contributed over 20,000 days of unpaid work. The figure for this …