TWENTY TONS OF BLACKWOOD GOLD

摘要

If you stand in the main street of the sleepy hamlet of Blackwood, about an hour's drive north-west of Melbourne, you could be forgiven for thinking that not much ever went on here. Nestled by the Lerderderg River in a valley bordered by Green Hill, Blue Mountain and Red Hill, the Blackwood area proved to be arguably one of the richest alluvial goldfields in the world and was, in its heyday, awash with colour and movement. From this one relatively small area around twenty tons of gold was extracted! When gold was actually discovered in the area is a matter of conjecture. The Victorian government's Historic Mining Assessment Project states that gold was found here as early as 1851 but attributes the discovery that started the Blackwood rush to a man named Edward Hill at a spot called Red Hill, in June 1855. But there is a further report that claims the precious metal was unearthed by two drovers or teamsters crossing a creek just near a spot that was to become known as Golden Point. Along the road to Golden Point there is a plaque officially commemorating this event so one must assume that this is the official take on the matter. As for the creek the drovers crossed, it is currently as dry as a bone.