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Gold DiscoveryPrint Page Print this page

04-March-2014
04-March-2014

Photographs supplied by Chris McLaughlin

The obelisk with a lamp commemorates the discovery of gold near this site.

Rutherglen is in the Wahgunyah pastoral run taken up by John Foord in 1841. In 1860 the Wahgunyah Rush township grew among a gold field discovered about ten kilometres to the south-east. A hotel proprietor, John Wallace, brought a hotel building to the goldfield and the growing township was named after his Scottish birthplace, Rutherglen.

Within a year it was estimated that the population of the Rutherglen gold diggings was upwards of 10,000. A school was opened opposite Wallace`s Star Hotel in October, 1860, along with Catholic, Presbyterian and Congregational churches. By 1862 the easily won gold was petering out and by 1864 there were fewer than 800 miners.

A cairn presented by Cr. R. Ready to Rutherglen citizens to commemorate the discovery of gold in Rutherglen during September, 1860, was unveiled by Cr. W. H. Chambers, president of the shire, on September 28. The site of the cairn is as near as possible to where Messrs. Harry Mitchell, John Mitchell, Thomas Keane and James Keane found gold 70 years ago and received the Government reward of £1000 for the discovery of new goldfields. Dr. Harris, M.L.C., delivered an address. In a cavity was placed a bottle containing a copy of the records of mining in the Rutherglen district and the names of the present shire councillors.
Weekly Times (Melbourne), 4 October 1930.
Albury Banner & Wodonga Express (Vic), 3 october 1930. 
 

Location

Address:Murray Valley Highway & Drummond Street, Rutherglen, 3685
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -36.052256
Long: 146.455232
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Technology
Sub-Theme:Industry
Actual Event Start Date:
Approx. Event Start Date:September-1860
Actual Event End Date:
Approx. Event End Date:September-1860
Designer:
Artist:
Monument Manufacturer:
Link:

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Sunday 28th September, 1930
Approx. Monument Dedication Date:
Front Inscription

Rutherglen Goldfield discovered near this cairn

September 1860

Left Side Inscription
Back Inscription
Right Side Inscription
Inscription in Proximity
Source: MA,VMR,RHSV
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au