Wednesday, Sep 03, 2003 at 16:22
Woods Point is 55 km from Jamieson, where the
Goulburn River
swings back in from the east, the road passes through a valley where you will find
Woods Point which was, for many years, the main settlement of the Upper
Goulburn River Valley.
Gold was first discovered there in 1861. The town began to develop shortly thereafter around a store set up by a man named Wood. By 1865, when Wood's Point was declared a borough, there were 2000 people living in three suburbs and working in 50 large mines and hundreds of small claims. There were 30 hotels, dozens of grog shanties, a brewery,
police station, lock-up, hospital, six banks, a
post office, churches, private schools, a newspaper, two factories, numerous stores and business premises and even a town crier. Inevitably the gold began to run out and the town declined. The last remaining
mine had virtually ceased operations by 1927.
Much of the village was burned down in the 1939 bushfires (as recorded on a memorial beside Morning Star Creek). Today there are about 30 residents, a fine country pub (rebuilt after the fires), an antique petrol station, a
general store, picnicking-camping areas and the
Woods Point Museum which contains items pertaining to the town's history as a goldmining settlement (open in holiday periods pending staff). Bushwalking tracks, taking in local goldmining relics, are currently being constructed and guiding pamphlets printed, and the Little
Comet Mine is also being reopened for tourist inspection (enquire about both at the
general store). The 200-km McMillans Track can also be started (or completed) here. 2 km from town, beside the
Goulburn River, is
Comet Flat Reserve where there is bushcamping (4WD access).
Try these links. I haven't been there since I was little.
http://
home.vicnet.net.au/~jdhs/8woodspoint.htm
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/woodspoint.html
and here are some photo's
http://www.abcmaps.com.au/RetailerPages/Woods%20Point.htm
http://people.smartchat.net.au/~far2happy/Photo%20Gallery/003%2015%20Feb%2002%20-%2027%20Feb%2002/pages/Vic%20High%20Country%20-%20Woods%20Point%20Garage_jpg.htm
and the camping ground is here
http://www.park.contact.com.au/parkstown.asp?state=vic&town=Woods%20Point"Live today as if there may be no tomorrow"
Wombat
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