ELDORADO'S |
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ANCIENT RUINS
The ruins of Kelvin Hall, Farmers Road just over creek on left hand side.
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ANTIQUES
There are many antiques on display at the excellently well preserved museum.
BBQ LOCATIONS
The BBQ locations are at Gun House Park, at the Sports Centre, Centenial Park, and at Kangaroo Crossing.
BICYCLE TOUR
Distance Approximately 10 Kms.
Commencing at the Post Office, travel north along Mackay Street past the caravan park on your right, and proceed to the McEvoy Monument, and the Swing Bridge. Retrace our way back towards the town, turning at your first left, which will take you behind the Caravan Park and back to Main Street near the Sludge Dam Lake. Turning left into Main Street, pedal out of town past the Top Cut Lake, and after 2 kilometres on a gravel road you will get to Kangaroo Crossing. This is where the Reedy Creek crosses the Woolshed Road, so pedal carefully so as not to get too wet. On your left is a Picnic Spot, and if you continue approximately 300 metres up the road, there is a dirt road to your right which will take you to the Gold Dredge Dam, a Dam built in approximately 1936, but never used. Note how the Dam has a Zig Zag Shape.
( Continuing on Woolshed Road would get you to Woolshed Falls, some 20 kilometres further along, and from there it is approximately 4 kilometres to Beechworth. )
Head back to Eldorado, again passing the Top Cut and Sludge Dam Lakes, and continue down Main Street past the Old Bakery, The Town Hall and the Uniting Church. Vier right into McGregor St., to the Sporting Complex. This is another good resting spot. Passing the Sporting complex, turn right into Main Street again and head out of town, south, to the Byawartha Road. Turn right into Byawartha Rd and turn right again into the Gold Dredge road.
Having completed your walking or ?? bicycle tour of the Gold Dredge walk, retrace your steps back to Byawartha Road, turning left into this and heading back to Eldorado. Turn left into Main St and right into Moll St. At the T intesection turn left into Mackay St and travel north past Cemetery Road, past the Anglican Church, and back to the Town Centre.
BICYCLE RAIL TRAIL
In the year 2000 the Rail Trail from Bright in the High Country to Wahgunyah, (Corowa), on the Murray River is scheduled to be completed.
The trail follows the old railway line from Bright, Myrtleford, Everton, Tarrawingee, Londrigan, Bowser, (Wangaratta), Springhurst, Lilyput, Rutherglen and Wahgunyah.
Eldorado is just a short pedal from either Tarrawingee Station or Londrigan Station.
BIRDWATCHING
Eldorado is an excellent place to bird watch, with many clubs staying over weekends to record their sightings.
Here are a few of the birds on their lists. Babbler, grey crowned, Babbler, white browed, Bee Eater, rainbow, Blackbird, Boobook Southern, Bronzwing Common, Chough white winged, Cockatoo, Gang Gang, Sulphur Crested and Yellow Tailed Black, Coot Eurasian, Corella little, Cormant great, Cormorant little black,Cormorant little pied, Cuckoo fan tailed, Cuckoo Horsefield's Bronze, Cuckoo palid, Cuckoo shrike black faced, Currawong pied, Darter, Dollar Bird, Dove peaceful, Duck Maned, Duck Musk, Duck Pacific Black, Eagle Little, Eagle Wedge Tailed, Egret Great, Fairy Wren Superb, Falcon Brown, Falcon Peregrine, Fantail Grey, Finch diamond fire tail, Finch red brown fire tail, Finch zebra, Flycatcher restless, Friarbird little, Friarbird noisy, Frogmouth Tawny, Galah, Gerygone Western,Gerygone white throated, Goldfinch European, Goshawk Brown, Grassbird little, Grebe Australasian.
BUSHRANGERS
The two best known bushrangers were Joe Byrne and Arron Sherrit, being part of the Kelly Gang. Joe Byrne grew up in ElDorado and the Woolshed, and his family are still around the district. Along the Woolshed Road there is a Valley named Byrne Valley, where Joe Byrne lived.
Aaron Sherrit is known as the man Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly shot for being a police informer.
Antonio Wicks was forced by Dan Kelly to go to Arron Sherrits hut the night before the Kelly gang were to derail the train at Glenrowan, and they forced Antonio to call out to Arron. Even though there were three policemen waiting with Arron inside his hut, on hearing the unmistakeable voice of the Italian, Arron opened the door only to be shot dead by both Dan and Joe.
Dan and Joe fired more shots into the hut, but kept them high so as not to injure the police. They then left, with the Kelly plan being that these police would race back to Beechworth, a distance of about 7 miles, and raise the alarm. But the Kelly plan misfired as the police were so scared that they hid under the bed for nearly one whole day, before returning to Beechworth. The fact that the police hid under the bed for so long threw out the rough plans laid out by the Kelly gang and symphathisers, who were waiting to ambush the police reinforcements at Glenrowan.
When the police reinforcements did not arrive, most of the Kelly symphathisers went home, which left a very small gang to face the police reinforcements when they finally arrived.
Arron Sherrits hut site is on the right hand side of Woolshed Road, approximately 1 kilometre from the ford crossing the road at Woolshed near the old school site.
A third Bushranger was named Buttrey. A few kilometres towards Eldorado from Sherrits hut is a large rock or boulder on the side of the road. Buttrey hid behind the boulder on his horse and sprang out as the stage came, robbing the inhabitants of a large amount of gold.
Unfortunately for Buttrey he was caught shortly after, but he had hidden his gold in a hollow log. It has never been recovered. The large rock is now known as Buttrey's Rock.
BURNE, JOE
Joe Byrne was a member of the Kelly gang. He is now burried in the Benalla Cemetery.
CAMPING
There are many ideal camping sites along the Reid or Reedy creek, as in the 1850's there were over 9000 people along this section of road from Woolshed Falls to ElDorado.
CANOEING
The three lakes in ElDorado are excellent locations for a peaceful and relaxing day paddling on the water.
CAVES
KELLY CAVES
POLICE CAVES
There are two famous caves, the Kelly Gang Caves which can be seen from Woolshed Road at Sebastopol, and the caves the police used to spy on the inhabitants in their attempt to catch the Kellys in the 1980's.
You will need a guide to take you to the caves. Inquiries welcomed at ElDorado.
CEMETERY
The Eldorado cemetery is well worth a visit for the more historical tourists.
CHARCOAL PITS
The Museum Committee have the details of local charcoal pits that are currently on private property not far from the Town.
During the war years of 1939 to 1945 petrol was extremely scarce. The charcoal product became a substitute for petrol. People used charcoal for their gas producers, which fuelled their cars or trucks. The Committee believe that the machine was fitted to the front of the engine, on the side mudguard or on the back. It was about the size of a 44 gallon drum with an airtight lid. The charcoal when burnt, gave off a gas that was capable of running an engine.
The charcoal pits were dug into the ground, measuring 12 feet long by 6 feet wide and approximately 6 feet deep. The hole was lined with granite boulders. At one side there was a 2 foot opening to allow the air to circulate through the piled wood.
The pits were stacked with logs cut to the correct lenght, set alight and the pit was closed or sealed with sheets of iron to slow the burning by cutting down the amount of oxygen to the fire. The slow burning created chunks of charcoal which when cooled, was removed by shovel and crushed.
The site now has many beautiful views, but the surrounds are sadly lacking of trees.
For more information please contact the ElDorado Museum.
CREEK
REID'S CREEK
REED CREEK
REEDY CREEK
These are all the same creek, a creek which perhaps should be known as Reid's creek after David Reid, one of the great Pioneers of this area, but is officially known as Reedy Creek, a name probably given to it by David's Mother, Agnes.
The creek is over 50 kilometres in length, it is formed by many tributaries and two main branches. One rises at the head of the Wooragee valley, amist granite rock and breakdown of Devonian geology, with dating being established from a sample taken near Beechworth of 365 million years.
The other rises in the hills near Stanley, some 14 kilometres past Beechworth, in Ordovician country, more than 100 million years older and which contains marine shales, sandstone, grits, slatestones and a range of quartzy material so closely associated with the great mass of Gold shed in the breakdown of that region.
This branch flows to the granite Devonian contact at Beechworth, over the falls, then through the narrow gorge below the town, then along Woolshed Valley to ElDorado, joining the Ovens River below Wangaratta.
CRYSTALS
ElDorado is the one place in the whole of Australia where you will have a virtual guarantee to find gemstones and crystals along the whole expanse of Reedy Creek, the richest of all Australian Creeks.
You can still find Smoky Quartz, Agates, Amethysts, Topaz, Citrine, Rock Crystal, Motion, Jasper, Corundum, Lydionite, Quartzites, Saphires, Zircon, Rubies, Tourmaline, Garnets, Diamonds, Alluvial Gold and Petrified Wood.
See the ElDorado Post Office for more details and for samples.
DAM
In the early 1930's the Gold Dredge needed clean water for its sluicing, and so a dam was built at Kangaroo Crossing. The purpose was to raise the creek level, and run the water all the way back to ElDorado on raised water races.
Even though both the water races and the dam were completed, they were never used.
You can see the raised water races, made from soil or earth, approximately 50 metres above the creek where it crosses Woolshed Road.
A short walk from the crossing to the dam, you will note how the dam was built in a zig zag shape, to take in some of the natural granite already in the creek bed.
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DRIVE TOUR
Commencing at the Post Office head north past the caravan park on your right, and vier right along McEvoy Drive. Here you will see the McEvoy Monument, and further along the first swing bridge.
Turning back towards El Dorado, take the first turn left and you will pass the caravan park on your right, and further along is the Sludge Pit Lake. Turn left into Main Street and go past the magnificent Top Cut Lake. Continue on for a few hundred metres and you will see a property on your left full of old mining equipment. This local character is well into his 80's and is still mining for gold.
The road now turns into the forest, which is a great way to go home via Sebastopol, the Kelly Caves, Buttreys Rock, Arron Sherrits Hut, and Woolshed Falls.
Turn around and head towards El Dorado, passing on your left the Catholic church and the old school which is now the Museum. Continue down Main Street, and turn into McGregor Road to go to Centenial Park and the sports grounds. Continue on past the sports ground to main Street again, turning right and the right again into Byawartha Road. Turn right into the Gold Dredge park.
Return to the Main St, turn left and then right into Moll St. At the T intersection turn left into Mackay St, past cemetery road and the Anglican Church and back to town.
To return to Wodonga or Beechworth I would recommend travelling on the dirt road, Woolshed Road.
EAGLES
ElDorado is built at the end of Woolshed Valley, which has large hills on both sides. It is the perfect place for eagles, and the huge wedge tails can often be seen soaring above.
FAMOUS FEDERATION TREE
With the proclaiming of Federation in 1901 at Corowa, two trees were planted to commemorate the event. One was planted at Everton Station, ( about 4 km from Everton), and one at Tarrawingee Station, ( about a similar distance from Tarrawingee).
The Federation Tree below is the Tarrawingee Tree, which can be seen on the Eldorado Beechworth Road, just where the old railway line crossed the road. Locals say that they can tell when bad or wet weather is coming as the tree trunk, which is like a ghost gum, will turn pink.
FOSSICKING
Fossicking along the creek is a very popular and successful hobby.
ElDorado is the one place in the whole of Australia where you will have a virtual guarantee to find gemstones and crystals along the whole expanse of Reedy Creek, the richest of all Australian Creeks.
You can still find Smoky Quartz, Agates, Amethists, Topaz, Citrine, Rock Crystal, Motion, Jasper, Corundum, Lydionite, Quartzites, Saphires, Zircon, Rubies, Tourmaline, Garnets, Diamonds, Alluvial Gold and Petrified Wood.
See the ElDorado Post Office for more details and for samples.
GALLERIES
Pictures & Pots Gallery
Anne's Gallery
GHOST TOWNS
Woolshed
Sebastopol
Napoleons Flat
GOLD
For History of gold press here.
Gold Dredge
Cocks El Dorado Gold Dredge
GOLD PANNING
Gold panning is a popular sport along the entire length of Reedy Creek.
GOLD WALK
Mc Evoy Gold Mine
GEM STONES
El Dorado Gems & Junk
El Dorado Post Office
ElDorado is the one place in the whole of Australia where you will have a virtual guarantee to find gemstones and crystals along the whole expanse of Reedy Creek, the richest of all Australian Creeks.
You can still find Smoky Quartz, Agates, Amethysts, Topaz, Citrine, Rock Crystal, Motion, Jasper, Corundum, Lydionite, Quartzites, Saphires, Zircon, Rubies, Tourmaline, Garnets, Diamonds, Alluvial Gold and Petrified Wood.
See the ElDorado Post Office for more details and for samples.
HISTORIC BUILDINGS
Old Bakery
Uniting Church
St Judes Anglican Church
State School No 246
HISTORY
SEE UNDER SECTION HISTORY FOR THE INFORMATION BELOW
KELLY GANG
The Kelly gang were often in the Woolshed area, as one of the gang, Joe Byrne and his family lived in Byrne Gully at Sebastopol. From Sebastapol you can see the Kelly Cave where the gang often stayed. There were many Kelly simpathisers in the valley. Arron Sherrits hut remains is approximately one kilometre towards ElDorado from the Woolshed school site.
LAKES
TOP CUT (see photo under sights)
SLUDGE DAM (see photo under sights)
DREDGE LAKE (see photo under Gold)
LOOKOUTS
Monument Hill ( see photo under sights)
Kelly Caves
LAVENDER LADY
The Haven Farm, Woolshed Road
MONUMENT HILL
The hill directly behind the Post Office is monument hill, and from the top you receive an excellent view over El Dorado. There is a monument on top to Charles Bawdin, a farrier, who served in the Boer War in South Africa, the war years were from 1899 to 1902. The inscription sais A Faithful Soldier of the Queen.
Museum
El Dorado Museum
PRESS HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
McEVOY MONUMENT
Set up near Reedy Creek below the caravan park in memory of those that died in the mine diaster of 20th July 1895.
McEVOY MINE
The site of the Mc Evoy Mine near the Reedy Creek.
PARKS
Gun House Park
Centenial Park
PICNICS
Gunhouse Park
Centenial Park
Kangaroo Crossing
Top Cut Lake
PIONEERS
David Reid
Agnes Reid, David's Mother, burried at Wangaratta Cemetery 1860
John Cocks
William Baker
POTTERY
ElDorado Pottery
SIGHTSEEING
SEBASTAPOL
Old Gold mining town on Woolshed Road.
SWING BRIDGES
Two very quaint and pictuesque swing bridges crossing the Reedy Creek below the town.
SHERRITT, ARRON
Arron Sherrit lived at Woolshed just below the old school site. This is where he was shot by Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly the night before the daring ambush of the Police train at Glenrowan. The only remains of Sherrits hut are two shallow furrows. A guide from El Dorado may take you to the exact place.
TREES
Famous Federation Trees, at Tarrawingee station and Everton Station. See picture above.
Planted by E Gunn in 1878
South African Cape chestnut Tree in Gunhouse Park
WATERFALLS
McEVOY FALLS
BARRY'S FALLS
WOOLSHED FALLS
Two of the magnificent waterfalls near El Dorado, above the McEvoy Falls just after rain, and on the right, the spectacular Barry's Falls. |
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WOODEN ROCKING HORSES
WOOLSHED
The term that covers the Woolshed Valley. See History.
WALKS
GOLD DREDGE WALK
TOWN WALK
Commencing at the Post Office, one walk is to climb the relatively gentle hill right behind the Post Office to get to the top of Monument Hill. Definately take your camera.
As the town is fairly small, you can walk the town in a relatively short time. From the Post Office turn right into Main Street and walk doen past the Museum and the Catholic Church to the Slude Dam, only about half a kilometre. If you wish the Top Cut Dam is about the same distance further down the road.
Turn around and turn right into the road/ track next to the Sludge Dam, and follow the road to the end. Turn right and you will arrive at the first swing bride and the car bridge over Reedy Creek. Turn back and follow this street, McEvoy Drive, past the McEvoy Monument, and turn right into the first street. Continue on until you arrive at Main Street. On your left is the Old Bakery, and across the road is the Historic Town Hall and to the right is the Historic Uniting Church.
Turn left and head back to the Post Office or Tavern.
Maps of ElDorado are found at the Post Office.
SWING BRIDGES WALK
There are two beautiful old swing bridges crossing the Reedy Creek at El Dorado. These bridges are about 1 kilometre apart, so a walk crossing both will be approximately 3 kms if you commence from the Post Office, walk east along Main Street towards the Town Hall and the Uniting Church, turn right towards the El Dorado Pottery, and left at the end of the street near the pottery, and walk onto the park or common. From here you should be able to see the lower or downstream swing bridge.
Obtain a map at the Post Office and ask there for any more information.
YARNS
Camelot Yarns & Selections
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE PHONE
EL DORADO GENERAL STORE ON 0357 251 592