Moliagul
Moliagul is a small township in Victoria, Australia, 202 km northwest of Melbourne and 60 km west of Bendigo. The town's name is believed to be a derivation of the aboriginal word "moliagulk", meaning "wooded hill". The area is notable for the discovery of a number of gold nuggets. These finds include the world's largest, the Welcome Stranger, which was discovered in 1869 by John Deason and Richard Oates.
From what was once a thriving goldfields town, Moliagul today is a virtual ghost town and consists of a number of scattered houses. In 1855 it is estimated there were 16,000 people living in the immediate area during the peak of the Victorian gold rush period. Moliagul Post Office opened on 15 November 1858 and closed in 1971.
The town is composed of scattered rural dwellings and small farms, a hotel (now closed), museum, the old school (now a hall) and former church. There are a number of historical sites including a stone monument to the Reverend John Flynn, founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, who was born in Moliagul in 1880.
The nearby Moliagul Cemetery contains the headstones of many families, such as the Deason's, which date back to the gold rush times. Within a few kilometers of the town can be found various gold mining areas including the site of the Welcome Stranger.
Mount Moliagul itself is visible from the town.
In late 1852, gold was discovered in Queen's Gully and the settlement of Moliagul sprang up almost immediately. By January of the next year, a store, a butcher's shop and a blacksmith's forge had opened but almost immediately the new settlement was abandoned as people departed for the Sandy Creek gold rush. In July 1855, gold was found at Little Hill and a second gold rush occurred in the Moliagul area. In 1856 the Mount Moliagul Hotel opened for business.
From what was once a thriving goldfields town, Moliagul today is a virtual ghost town and consists of a number of scattered houses. In 1855 it is estimated there were 16,000 people living in the immediate area during the peak of the Victorian gold rush period. Moliagul Post Office opened on 15 November 1858 and closed in 1971.
The town is composed of scattered rural dwellings and small farms, a hotel (now closed), museum, the old school (now a hall) and former church. There are a number of historical sites including a stone monument to the Reverend John Flynn, founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, who was born in Moliagul in 1880.
The nearby Moliagul Cemetery contains the headstones of many families, such as the Deason's, which date back to the gold rush times. Within a few kilometers of the town can be found various gold mining areas including the site of the Welcome Stranger.
Mount Moliagul itself is visible from the town.
In late 1852, gold was discovered in Queen's Gully and the settlement of Moliagul sprang up almost immediately. By January of the next year, a store, a butcher's shop and a blacksmith's forge had opened but almost immediately the new settlement was abandoned as people departed for the Sandy Creek gold rush. In July 1855, gold was found at Little Hill and a second gold rush occurred in the Moliagul area. In 1856 the Mount Moliagul Hotel opened for business.
Map - Moliagul
Map
Country - Australia
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The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south east Asia approximately 65,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Arriving by sea, they settled the continent and had formed approximately 250 distinct language groups by the time of European settlement, maintaining some of the longest known continuing artistic and religious traditions in the world. Australia's written history commenced with the European maritime exploration of Australia. The Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon was the first known European to reach Australia, in 1606. In 1770, the British explorer James Cook mapped and claimed the east coast of Australia for Great Britain, and the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Sydney in 1788 to establish the penal colony of New South Wales. The European population grew in subsequent decades, and by the end of the 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and an additional five self-governing British colonies established. Democratic parliaments were gradually established through the 19th century, culminating with a vote for the federation of the six colonies and foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and wealthy market economy.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
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AUD | Australian dollar | $ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
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EN | English language |