Steiglitz - A Mining Ghost Town
Posted by: 
ThePacman
S 37° 52.560 E 144° 10.670
55H E 251779 N 5804187
Steiglitz was an 1850s gold mining town. When the gold ran out, the town "disappeared".
Waymark Code: WMNXXA
Location: Victoria, Australia
Date Posted: 05/21/2015
Views: 8
Steiglitz, situated in the Brisbane Ranges between Geelong and Ballarat, flourished when gold was discovered here in the 1850s. By the 1860s there were over 1500 residents in the town which by then boasted four hotels, five schools, several churches, a newspaper, a variety of shops, a courthouse and a post office.
The gold supply dried up in the 1870s, and the town went into decline.
The courthouse closed in 1899.
The last gold mine in the town closed in 1941.
The last businessman, blacksmith James Sugg, left in 1944.
By 1951 firewood and grazing were the only industries left.
The last school closed in 1958.
The post office, which had been operating since 1856, finally closed in 1966 when the town's population had dwindled to 13.
The Steiglitz Historic Park, covering an area of 469 hectares, was proclaimed in 1979 to preserve the area that was once a vibrant town. Steiglitz is now a deserted ghost town with only the historic courthouse and a few other remnants still standing as a reminder of the gold mining era.
Reason for Abandonment: Economic
Date Abandoned: 12/01/1966
Related Web Page: [Web Link]
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