Goughs Bay History Walk

The Goughs Bay History Walk, which has ten boards located around the Lake Eildon foreshore in Goughs Bay, each of which depicts various aspects of the history of the Goughs Bay area.

The walk was developed by the Goughs Bay Area Progress Association.

The boards are:

The Township of Darlingford 1860 - 1924
Location: Goughs Bay Exercise and Rest Station, 42 Bayside Boulevard, Goughs Bay

The Township of Darlingford was developed near the junction of the Big and Goulburn Rivers.

It was well positioned to supply goods to the gold mining areas. Darlingford had seven hotels, fire policemen, a log gaol, shops, school and post office.

Tim Kelly of Darlingford started selling butter from a young age and with John Dunn, was able to build stores to supply goods to the miners in the Upper Goulburn Valley.

Kelly and Dunn had fifty packhorses and employed many 'packers" for delivery.

Kelly became the major landowner and represented Darlingford as an Alexandra Councillor. He was largely credited with the building of Fry's Bridge.

Lake Eildon - Beneath the Bays
Location: Goughs Bay Playground, 43 Bayside Boulevard, Goughs Bay

Lake Eildon was created by building a weir at the junction of the Delatite & Goulburn Rivers.

The lake was built to provide irrigation for the rich food bowl of the Goulburn Valley.

The town of Eildon was built to house the people who worked on the dam and their families.

Construction of the first storage, Sugarloaf Reservoir took place between 1915 and 1929.

In 1951 work began to enlarge the storage and was completed in 1955.

It was expected to take five years to fill. But in fact filled in eighteen months, in a very wet period.

Below the waters of Lake Eildon. were once thriving farming and town communities, on the beautiful, fertile valleys of the Delatite & Goulburn Rivers.

Boat Club
Location: Goughs Bay Playground, 43 Bayside Boulevard, Goughs Bay

River Communities
Location: Goughs Bay Playground, 43 Bayside Boulevard, Goughs Bay