Long before gold was discovered at Deep Lead in July 1857, the whole of the surrounding country was occupied by sheep runs. The only important thoroughfare was the "Four Posts Road", a mere bush track formed by bullock wagons. At that time this was the only means of transport for heavy merchandise, being the main route through to Glenorchy, Horsham and then on to Adelaide. This track is almost over grown by bush now, but you can still distinguish remnants of the course within the Ironbark Forest .
During 1856, a small rush took place at "Forty Foot Hill", near where Commercial Street was later established. While work was going on here a rich discovery was made at Deep Lead, a short distance from where the North and South Wales mining Company Crushing Plant was later established. Shareholders of the plant were David Beynon, J. Prydderch, J. Lloyd, and Nichollas.
As the trend of the run of gold was followed it developed into one of the richest leads of alluvial ever found in Victoria. When news of the discovery of gold got abroad, diggers poured in until it was estimated that there were 30,000 men camped and working on a very limited area of ground. Very soon all the diggers from "Forty Foot Hill" came to the new scene of the excitement, and as word of the richness of the ground got about, diggers and storekeepers came pouring in from all parts. An irregular line of stores and tents were formed near the site of the new discovery and was known as Oxford Street.
Where the present dwellings now stand, was a thick covering of tall scrub, so dense that it was difficult for the diggers to find their own boundary pegs. Oxford Street soon proved inadequate for the trade requirements of the community, and a new street was formed known as High Street. This was quickly occupied, and was soon over a mile in length.
Rich deposits of gold were found, and from the London Claim, four men obtained nearly 200 pounds weight of gold. The cost of crushing at the time was £6 per ton, plus cartage. Some of the prospectors had to wait months to get their ore crushed. It is fair to say that during no other rush in the colony, was there such a large proportion of men who obtained payable gold as on the Deep Lead diggings.
The Rev W. Mathew of the Presbyterian Church, learned the Chinese language, and conducted Sunday school classes at Deep Lead for the Chinese. It is believed that half the population of Deep Lead at the time of the rush were of Chinese descent.
Deep Lead is not a pretentious place nowdays, but in the years 1857 and 1858, it was one of the busiest places in the country districts of the Colony. As the rush of diggers increased at Deep Lead, Cobb & Co's coaches began to run daily, bring gold buyers by the numbers, to purchase the plentiful amounts of gold offering for sale. A Police Camp was established in High Street, to watch the rowdy sections which had arrived with the rush.
Besides stores of every description there were Billiard Saloons, Bowling Alleys, Dancing Saloons and other tradesmen shops by the dozens. A Court of Petty Sessions was soon found necessary and the first Court of Justice was opened, followed shortly afterwards by a County Court and a Court of Mines, over which Judge Clarke presided. The Petty Sessions Court was held at a large hotel called the "Great Eastern, and the other two courts in a hotel called the "Metropolitan. The first Clerk of Courts was Mr. John McClure, who died during his tenure of office. Mr McClure was one of the first buried in the Deep Lead Cemetery.
When surface gold was first discovered on the site of Oxford Street, miners traced it to the east, through dry and comparatively shallow ground in an easterly direction, southward of High Street. It ran for a distance of over two miles, skirting g Welshman's Flat and over a range near the selection of Mr. T. McNulty. If a plan of the course of the gold deposit was put on paper, it would look like an irregularly shaped and elongated horseshoe.High Street and Broadway occupying a long line in the centre, and running from west to east.
The following are some of the names of the diggings found in the Deep Lead region:- Band of Hope, A. 1., Hand of Hope Ophir, Junction, The Welshmans, Stringy Bark Bob's Patch, One Hole Lead, Walkers, Welshman's Flat Lead, The Shallow, Tucker Hill, Cardiff Hill, (Claims of 40 feet, sq., yielding 40 pound weight of Gold ) Camp Hill, Blue Flag, The Deep Lead Proper, The Four Posts, The Canadian, The Arcadia, McAllister's Lead, Yellow Patch, Keheller's Patch, The White Patch, Cornish Patch, Rowley's Patch, (the extreme north west point of Deep Lead) The Welcome, Cut Throat, Doctors Hill, Nuggety Hill, Maiden Gully, and others.
Three of the biggest crushing batteries at that time were the North and South Wales Crushing Co., Treageas and Allen, Luhning and Co, The North and South Wales Crushing Co., was the last to operate at Deep Lead.
The "Germania" group of reefs that were situated further into the untested country than the "Bonnie Dundee", mine was also of much importance to gold in the region. The mining pioneers best known m connection with the Germania reefs were brothers Thomas and Robert Magee of the Deep Lead. Mr. Thomas Magee and his brother always expressed the greatest confidence in the locality and a few months before the death of Mr. Robert Magee a local company was again formed, to mine the reef. An emissary was sent to Europe to try to get an English Company to contribute, but the efforts that were made were not successful.
In 1858 a tragedy occurred at Deep Lead. A man who was mostly known by no other name than "Cockney Tom" was found dead in his tent with his throat cut. Suspicion fell upon a Chinaman named Su Kee who disappeared at the same time and never was captured. It was found afterwards that he had been hiding down the workings of the "Four Posts" diggings. Mr. Matthew Nealy and other Deep Lead residents tried to solve the crime but it was never punished. In the same neighborhood, about thirteen years later, the headless trunk of a murdered man was found. This caused a sensation throughout the colony, and the head or skull has never been found to this day.
The people of Deep Lead during the big rush in 1857 and 1858, were very badly off for water. A chain of water holes called "The Chinamans" near the Doctor's Hill, which were supposedly fed by springs, and in previous seasons it have never been dry. As the water was used for puddling purposes,The hole began to get filled with sludge, creating a great danger of a severe water famine. Fortunately the warden applied necessary action in time to reserve the deepest of these natural reservoirs for domestic purposes. This enabled water carters to supply the wants of distant diggers. Some were too poor to purchase water from the carters, and had to either camp near the source of supply and walk miles to and from their works, or carry the water & distances of two to four miles or in some cases move their diggings.
The best yeilds from the Deep Lead workings gradually declined, causing much business depression. Some who had not been fortunate either in their business or mining pursuits, searched for more reliable directions of industry. They naturally turned to the cultivation of the land. There was still a large population who required a supply of vegetables, and there was a good opening for market gardeners. Amongst those who were the first to adopt this way of making a living were Messrs. G. F. Scoullar, M. Brinkman and another, who had previously been in business in High Street. The hotel that they had previously owned had been completely destroyed by fire, compelling them to strike out in some new occupation. Not fearing molestation, they took up a small piece of ground fronting Lake Lonsdale, near Mr. J. Robbie Jr's. residence known as Wayville Park. They began fencing the ground to make a garden, but they were not left in peace long. The Crown Ranger soon appeared on the scene, and the partners were summoned before the police court in High Street., The dire offense was proven against them and they were heavily fined. Except for the prompt assistance of friends they would have been jailed, but the necessary amount of money was raised to pay the fine and they were liberated. Messrs Houston and Wood, the newly elected members, were not likely to allow this class of persecution to continue. One of the first efforts made by Mr. Woods was to get the main source of annoyance removed by doing away with the detested Crown Lands Commissioner, and greatly curtailing the power of the equally detested Crown Rangers. The Government of the day began to understand that public opinion expressed at the ballot - box had grown too strong to be ignored. It came about that those who had occupied small patches of land were put up for sale and they were greedily acquired. There was no defined system of settlement for some years afterwards, and lots were surveyed and sold where unauthorised selection had taken place. The frontages around Lake Lonsdale were in great demand and many residents made homes for themselves in this locality Messrs. R. Elliott, T. Healey and J. Carton near Deep Lead, Mr. Carton and Mr. G. Graharn, at Lake Lonsdale, and besides a considerable number of others at the Deep Lead township including M. Nealy, Sweetman's, Drummond and many others.
Through the encroachment of the landowners on the Mining Reserves action was taken by the mining authorities to stop alienation of mining land near the goldfields.
About this time land was being thrown open in the Wimmera district, the squatters leases having expired. A great rush from Deep Lead took place to select land in the Wimmera. Some of those who left Deep Lead and successfully pioneered the Wimmera are:- the Florences, Williams, Walkers, Storers, Dawsons, Chaddertons, Shipsides, Warricks, Andersons, Prydderchs, Dicksons, Robins, Jordans, Sweetmans and many others.
From then on the population of Deep Lead began to steadily decline. The younger generation of people migrating to various parts of Victoria. Many of them held important public positions during the early part of twentieth century.
ln 1936 it was decided to erect a monument in honor of the pioneers of Deep Lead. Funds were raised by appealing to descendents of pioneers, who liberally responded from various parts of Australia, and with a subsidy from the Goverment and the Shire of Stawell sufficient funds were raised to erect a suitable Memorial. The foundation of the Memorial; was built with local stone, and the bronze sculpture work was successfully carried out by Mr. Stanley. J. Hammond, the Melbourne Sculptor. The Memorial was erected by Mr. G. Robson of Stawell, and Mr. G.W.C. Venables, the Shire Engineer gave valuable assistance. The unveiling of the Memorial was held on Saturday the 8th. day of May 1937, at 3 p.m. by the Hon. Alex. McDonald M.L.A., of Ararat. A large number of former residents returned for the occasion, and there was a great reunion of old friends.
Since the early 1980, familys have moved back into the area at an increasing rate. These blockies had moved into the area for peace and guiet.
In 1987 following a public meeting the Deep Lead Progress Association was formed. One of its long lasting issue was the restoration and preservation of the school, for community use. This has remained the major project of the group.
On 30th and the 31st of October 1993 the group conducted a Back -to - Deep Lead with about 500 past and present residents attending.
A book Deep Lead and Back, written by Carmel and Cliff Loats was launched on that weekend. The book contained a lot of photos and information about Deep Lead mine fields, Cemetery, Hospital, Railway Station, and the School 721.
At Easter 1995 the Progress Association held its first Art Show, the money raise from the art show has allowed us to get the power on. This is the first time that the building has had power. Painting of the roof is another project that has been finished. And we have been able to put up a new 10.000 gallon water tank. We are now aiming to get a shed built on the site so that when we had funcions in the hall we have some where to store our equipment.
In 1996 a Art Group was formed at Deep Lead, this group is still operating in the School every Monday at 10. a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to any one who would like to come.
Deep Lead is an growing community again in the year 2004