The Ovens River - Bright, Victoria - Australian Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

This sign is titled, "The Ovens River", and reads:

"The Ovens River rises on the northern slopes of Mt Hotham in the Alpine National Park and flows north-west for two hundred kilometres to join the Murray River at Lake Mulwala. Here, in its higher reaches, it is surrounded largely by mountains and forests, the valley opening out into pastoral land beyond Myrtleford.

EARLY SETTLEMENT
"The first European explorers to venture south from the colony of New South Wales were Hume and Hovell, who first sighted the Ovens River in 1824 and named it in honour of Major John Ovens, soldier and explorer. Their reports of rich grazing lands led an influx of squatters from the 1830's. Grazing runs were established around Myrtleford, Porepunkah ("Port Punkah") and Wandiligong.

THE VALLEY TODAY
"Grazing of sheep and cattle were prominent throughout the gold mining era, and continue today. Industries which have developed include pine forestry, with its associated milling, and production of nuts, tobacco, hops and apples. Grape growing has become a major activity in recent years, supplying an increasing number of wineries. The valley is also the hub of a year-round tourist industry, being particularly famous for its autumn colours, and for its proximity to the Victorian snowfields.
[Detail of the many attractions can be found at the Visitor Information Centre]

GOLD GOLD GOLD
"The discovery of gold in the 1850's, first in Beechworth, then in the Buckland Valley, attracted miners by the thousand from other Australian fields, including many Chinese. They worked the alluvial deposits along the Buckland and Ovens Rivers and Morses Creek, often enduring appalling living conditions.

"Quartz reef mining in the hills around Wandiligong, Harrietville and Myrtleford gradually replaced alluvial mining, providing the towns with some economic stability. Up to 25 mines once operated around Morses Creek. In the early 1900's, giant dredges were used to retrieve gold from deep leads inaccessible to the early miners. Up to 50 of these monsters plied the valley floors along the Ovens and it tributaries."

[Further information on gold mining is available from the Bright Historical Museum in Station Street.]
* Signs erected by the Riversides Walks Committee of the Bright & District Chamber of Commerce, with funding provided the Alpine Shire through the State Government's Bushfire Recovery Fund.*
Illustrations on this series of signs courtesy of Barbara Ridley, Alex Kennedy, Ian Cheyne, Bright & District Historical Society, "Bright Gold" by B. Lloyd & K. Nunn.

Visited: 1508, Tuesday, 17 May, 2016

Age/Event Date: 1824, 1850's Type of Historic Marker: Plaque only Type of Historic Marker if other: Angled sign, with photos Historic Resources.: Bright Historical Museum in Station Street Related Website: Not listed

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