Chewton - Exploring Post Office Hill
Post Office Hill is a remnant gold-rush landscape. Old Post Office Hill Reserve comprises 22.6 hectares of public land managed on behalf of the community by Post Office Hill Action Group (POHAG). To stop and study where you walk, the life of the focused diggers can easily be imagined. Evolution continues as the modern world now surrounds the site.
Post Office Hill was named after the original post office which was built on a spur of a hill which ran down into Forest Creek. It was the Argus office (a Melbourne newspaper) to which the proprietor brought the paper from Kyneton by pack-horse. As a service to the diggers, and for a fee, the proprietor would then backload any mail to Kyneton. Due to the amount of mail, poor sorting and storage and a lack of staff it took a long time to process some of the mail.
The post office was closed when a government service was introduced and thousands of items were found to never have been delivered. In the dead of night hundreds of bundles of mail had been dropped into unused mine shafts. Often, the mail would have been 'sorted' to find any money or valuables which may have been included.
Post Office Hill, once clothed in natural vegetation, was practically denuded during the 1852 goldrush. Thousands of enthusiastic souls from all over the world flocked to the Forest Creek Diggings to make their fortune. Some were lucky but many were not!
Panning, cradling, sluicing and paddocking were methods used when water was available. In the dry, the diggers had the choice of trying dry panning, carting water to the claim, or carrying the dirt in buckets to a place where there was water. In the frenetic rush to stake a claim and dig, the fine gold was left behind when diggers moved on to a new 'rush' site. This resulted in a later wave of more intensive working of the claims to win the gold as well as the sinking of shafts to access the gold-bearing quartz reefs deep below the surface. The Post Office Hill mine operated for several years under a number of managers and owners but was not a highly profitable venture overall. The engine foundations of the mine are still present.
Post Office Hill Action Group (POHAG) is concentrating on preserving the cultural and historical features of the area, complementing the natural regeneration of indigenous plants through weed control and removal, improving the habitat for fauna by installing nesting boxes and shelter plantings, as well as improving access for the general public. POHAG meets on the second Sunday of the month, usually followed by a walk - and visitors are welcome.
Post Office Hill Map
Look for these posts:
1. Chewton Railway Station
East of Fyers Road, north of railway track
2. New Francis Ormond Mine
East of Church Street
3. Former Chewton tennis courts
West of Chewton Primary School, south of Hunter Street
4. Rock wells and stone arch
South of Chewton Primary School, along Golden Gully
5. Dogleg Reef
Cnr Railway Street and Mitchell Street (north of Mitchell Street)
6. Reef exposures where Post Office Hill Action Group first met
Cnr Railway Street and Mitchell Street (south of Mitchell Street)
7. Post Office Hill Mine foundations
Old Post Office Hill, Railway Street (50m east of road)
This brochure was produced by Post Office Hill Action Group with financial assistance from 'Communities for Nature'.
Review:
A bit like a gold mining inspired scavenger hunt. Each of the sites are marked by a pole marker. There isn't a huge amount of interesting relics to find.
Photos:
Location
47 Fryers Road, Chewton 3451 Map
Web Links
→ Post Office Hill Reserve - POHAG Chewton on Facebook
→ Post Office Hill Reserve Map (PDF)
