WARRANDYTE, VIC. — Gold was discovered in Australia as early as the 1830s, but discoveries were kept secret, for fear of sparking off unrest among the convicts.
However, as more people left the Australian colonies to join the gold rush in California, it became apparent that the outward tide of manpower would need to be stemmed. The government began to seek experts who could locate gold in the Australian countryside.
Gold was first officially discovered in Australia in 1851, not far from Bathurst, New South Wales, by Edward Hargraves. Less than three months later, on 9 August 1851, Victoria had its first gold strike at Sovereign Hill near Ballarat, and the real gold rush began when gold was discovered at Mt Alexander, 60km northeast of Ballarat, and close to the town of Bendigo.
However, the first payable gold in Victoria was actually found at Clunes and Warrandyte.
James Esmond was a prospector who had come from the Californian goldfields, just like Edward Hargraves. He made what is believed to be the first gold discovery at Clunes on 11 June 1851. However, at almost the same time, gold was also discovered at Anderson’s Creek, near Warrandyte, by Melbourne publican Louis Michel. Both Clunes and Warrandyte claim to be the first town in Victoria where gold was found.
