PIONEER WALLS In The MID VALLEY
AREA of GIPPSLAND
Blue Rock Lake Pioneer Wall
Tangil Gold Fields
Tangil
was a gold mining settlement about
three miles due north of the present township of Willow Grove. In the year 1848 F. Brodribb, W. Pearson and H.
Reoch were granted leases of two
cattle runs, one of which, Tanjil Hills,
gave the town its name. Tangil is an
aboriginal name meaning “the place of
snow or frost”.
Gold
was first discovered in this area in 1858.
This area is now being covered by the waters of Blue Rock Lake. Gold was first discovered by Hugh Massey Stewart, but first
officially reported at Alberton by Edward
William Gladman. Most gold was
alluvial, but some nuggets were found in the surrounding gullies and hills –
the largest being 37 ounces. Other
recorded nuggets were from Blue Rock, 12 ounces; Californian Gully, 17 ounces;
Klondike, 14 ounces.
The
reefs and leads in the hills were rick in gold, the Empire Reef yielding five
and a half ounces to the ton. Other
reefs were Gumsucker, Golden Crown, New Year, Moonlight, Blue Rock, Cement
Hill. The last machinery was moved from
Blue Rock to Tasmania in 1910.
Tangil
township was founded in 1867 and soon there were houses, two stores, two
hotels, a post office, a school, a police station and a recreation reserve to
service the needs of the miners and their families.
One
facility which has been impossible to locate is the Tangil Cemetery, supposedly
containing about 30 graves, though there is only positive evidence that 6
children and 3 adults were buried there.
Other lone graves are known to be scattered throughout the area.
Tangil
and other residents were serviced by vehicles travelling on a track through
Shady Creek to Walhalla bringing goods from Melbourne. Other dray and bush tracks criss crossed the
district bringing goods from Port Albert and other places.
After
the mining boom, farming was the main occupation, and the name Tangil had now become Tanjil.
Further
evidence of progress is now seen with the waters of Blue Rock Lake covering a
place where many years ago people once worked and lived.
Blue Rock Lake Pioneer Wall
This
plaque is to commemorate the pioneers of old Tanjil and surrounding districts,
who cleared the forests on these hills and opened up the area for mining and
farming in the latter part of the eighteen hundreds, and whose efforts to
survive, through many hardships, will not be forgotten.
In recognition and appreciation of GEORGE & ISABELLA BELL and family
settled in the Tanjil Valley 1879
In
recognition of CHARLES & MARGARET
BLOYE arrived at Russells Creek 1879.
Settled at Hill End mid 1880’s.
In recognition of the contribution made by the BURGESS & MOORE families in
pioneering the Tanjil Valley.
In
recognition of EDWARD & JANE CRONIN and
family selected property known as “Bon Hill” at Fumina South approximately
1885.
In
recognition of DAVID & HARRIET ESPIE
arrived at Russells Creek early
1860’s settled at Hill End 1880.
True
pioneers PATRICK, LIZ. FARRELL selected
1885 “Killarney” Blue Rock. Remembered
by all descendants
In
recognition of ERNST WILHELM &
AUGUSTE HULDA FECHNER who settled
in Willow Grove 1878.
In
appreciation of the contribution of JESSE
& ESTHER HASTHORPE Arrived at
Russells Creek 1860’s. Later selected
land at Tanjil South
In
recognition and appreciation of PETER
& MARY HUNTER and family who
selected land on the Tanjil River 1879.
In recognition of THOMAS
& MARGARET BAIRD IRVINE and family who settled in Willow Grove 1865
In
recognition of the achievements of FARQUHAR
& ELLEN LAMONT and HECTOR &
MARY LAMONT who settled in the Hill End area during the 1880’s.
In
recognition of the services of ANDREW
& RACHAEL LECKEY and family settled in the area 1870’s.
In
recognition of MR JOHN GEORGE LUDWIG
and family who settled in the Willow Grove district in 1880 and opened the
first Post Office.
In
recognition and appreciation of JOHN
& FRANCES MacPHERSON who
selected land on the Latrobe River 1886.
In
recognition and appreciation of the achievements of THOMAS & ANN NEEDHAM and family who settled in Willow Grove
1872.
In
recognition of JOHN PAUL &
family arrived at Russells Creek early 1860’s.
In
recognition of HENRY & JESSIE
CAMPBELL ROBINSON and family who settled in Willow Grove 1884.
In
recognition and appreciation of the achievements of HENRY GEORGE and VICTORIA
MARGARET STAFF who settled on land at Westbury 1875.
To
commemorate the achievements of WILLIAM
JEFFREY & VIOLET McNEIL TURNBULL
and family whose association with the Tanjil Valley dates back to 1867
In
recognition of the achievements of JOSEPH
SAMUEL & CLARA VARNEY and family who settled at Russells Creek 1862.
In
recognition of CORA E. VARNEY and
family. Early settlers of the Tanjil
Valley.
To
commemorate the achievements of CHARLES
JAMES & ESTHER WALKER and
family settled on the Latrobe River 1870.
To
commemorate the achievements of THOMAS
WEBB & family who selected land at Hill End 1883.
In
recognition of the pioneering family of WILLIAM
HAMILTON WHITTAKERS of “Tanjil
Hills Station” 1884.
In
recognition of CHARLES HENRY &
ELIZABETH WILLIAMS and family settled at Tanjil 1875.
In
recognition of JOHN & ANN WILSON
and family settled in Tanjil East (Becks Bridge Road) 1879.
The above has been transcribed from plaques on the
Pioneer Wall at Blue Rock Lake by Sandra Dumble
