Cassilis Township - Cassilis Road, Cassilis, Victoria - Australian Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The sign reads:

"Cassilis took its name from the small town of Cassilis in Ayrshire, Scotland. Originally a part of Ensay Station, this corner was taken up in 1861 by Kennedy who came from Ayreshire (sic) in Scotland, and who was a direct descendant of the Earls of Cassilis. The word describes a castle or fortress and calseal, castly's, casheal, or cassillis are derivations. Robbie Burns poem "Halloween" includes: "Upon that night when fairies light, on Cassilis Dounans (Downs) dance". Cassilis was declared a town in 1889 but had existed for some time prior to that date. Prospecting for gold in Cassilis, and Long Gully generally first occurred in 1852.

"Cassilis has been described as a "shanty town typical of its time". The Mount Markey Hotel, however, was described in newspapers as having exceptionally elegant features. The Weekly Times newspaper of 1897 reported that "the hotel had the appearance of a township inn but that the interior was a surprise to any visitor. The rooms are sumptuously furnished, and the dining table was set out in a manner which could be found in no other hotel in Victoria, in a town the size of Cassilis. There were chairs for 35, with an excellent service. A separate dining room with a lower tariff, was available for those who preferred it. The hotel contained 16 rooms, including a billiard room, and sitting rooms, with the whole being a credit to the proprietor." Alongside the hotel was Dunins Coffee Place also known as Cassilis Coffee Palace. A liquor license was obtained and it became the Cassilis Wine Palace and later again the Cassilis Hotel. By this time, the Mt Markey Hotel building no longer existed. The Mt Markey Hotel had taken its name from James Markey who had developed and mined a number of Gold reefs in the hills behind and above the hotels. The Cassilis Hotel finally closed in the 1950's.

"The police station at Cassilis controlled the Swifts Creek, Tongio West and Brookville areas. Cr H. Lowe represented Cassilis on the Shire Council for some years.

"Cassilis cemetery recorded its first burial in 1870, the last in 1926. Both the first and last were babies, and child deaths predominate the cemetery register, reflecting the harsh conditions and remoteness of the area. This was the cemetery for all of Long Gully. Although Swifts Creek had land set aside it was never used. Burials were at Cassilis, Ensay or Omeo. Cassilis cemetery is still an open cemetery but closed for burials. Around 200 souls rest here.

"Cassilis and Tongio West adjoined, with long standing arguments about where each began and ended. The Cassilis school (S.S. 3021) was begun in the Mechanic Halls at Cassilis in 1890 but when a school was built in 1903 it was placed on a site just out of Cassilis in Tongio West (S.S. 3419). Long and bitter were the arguments leading up to the decision but both communities became very proud of their school over time. In 1908, around the area's peak, school attendance averaged 147 students, with the school achieving high numbers of scholarships for a number of years from 1909. The school closed in 1948, and the teacher's residence was moved to Swifts Creek. That house was moved back to Tongio West in the 1970's where it still stands.

"Populations varied with the fortunes of the mining companies which were the sole reason for the settlement's existence. Taking the peak times and considering Cassilis and Tongio West together, a figure of around 1200 is generally agreed on.

"There were a plethora of sporting clubs, recreational groups and social gatherings. Cassilis had its own cricket club and football team. The town had a band and, along with a rifle range, the Cassilis Ladies Rifle Club. Sports days were regularly held along with dances and other social events. Most believed the gold and prosperity would last forever ----"

Visited: 1410, Monday, 16 May, 2016 - on my way to find a geocache.

Age/Event Date: 1852, 1861, 1892, 1939 Type of Historic Marker: Plaque only Type of Historic Marker if other: Angled, with photos Related Website: Not listed Historic Resources.: Not listed

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