Avoca and District Historical Society
The Avoca and District Historical Society is dedicated to preserving, collecting and researching the history of Avoca, Victoria, and the surrounding district
For many years the website of the Avoca and District Historical Society was hosted by the State Library of Victoria through Vicnet. The service was discontinued earlier this month.
Our new website address is https://avocahistory.net.au/
The old website was archived by the Wayback machine and can be viewed through https://web.archive.org/web/20250709151050/http://home.vicnet.net.au/~adhs/
It is with great pleasure that I present my report for 2024-25. I begin by acknowledging the passing of long-time member Edna Jarvis during the year. Edna was a great supporter of the society and had a vast knowledge of historical activities in the district. She was an active committee member for many years and as Jill mentioned she helped with the painting of the front fence when it was installed many years ago.
The future of the society continues to be of great concern to the aging committee. This year we welcomed back Graeme Mills (past President) and new member Ron Tame to the committee. This band of history buffs continue to maintain and manage the vast collection at the Court House and this year have spent many hours sorting through new donated resource material as well as culling items. The volunteers not only file and record the items that are presented or donated to the society, but they also make themselves available to assist researchers in their quest for family history or local information. We are regularly told by researchers that our collection and knowledge is awesome but without more volunteers all this may disappear! We are desperately in need of new office bearers and volunteers to open the Court House twice a month to manage the collection and assist with research.
It may be necessary to reduce the opening days to one day a month and by appointment, however the current volunteers enjoy their days at the Court House and are keen to assist researchers.
Maintenance of the Court House buildings and infrastructure continue to be an issue. We investigated options for replacing the decking between to 2 buildings however the quote was extensive and could not be met from grant options, so has been shelved for the time being. We also investigated options to replace the weather-beaten front fence…a work in progress. The ramp railing also needs another coat of paint!
I have also reported damage to the Court House brick work to DEECA and they have suggested we have an engineer’s /builder’s report conducted to assess any structural damage, however it is their historic building and I feel it is their responsibility. I also reported the spread of 3 Corner Jack weed in the grass area which has previously been kept under control by one of our volunteers, but it is now spreading out of control….to be investigated! Looks like we’ll have to see to the weeds! Mowing will also need to be addressed!
The sales of ‘Pubs of Avoca’ written by member Phil Waring have been positive – $35 a copy . ..and I know Phil is still researching pubs in the district so I’m sure he will have a new book for sale soon.
During the year, Landsborough Historical Society launched the “Pyrenees Rail Heritage Trail”. The society researched the lost stations of the Pyrenees and had signs installed at each of the 7 station sites. Unfortunately, Avoca and Homebush were not included so this is something we are addressing with Avoca Community Arts & Gardens, especially with 150th anniversary of the Maryborough-Avoca Railway Line due to be celebrated in October 2026.
During the year we were also notified that there had been damage to the front door of Daly’s Cottage (white ant infestation meant the door had fallen in). The committee had also discussed our management position and whether we would be able to continue this in the future. In the meantime, owners of Daly’s Cottage, Taltarni, had been sold with the new owners offering it to the Pyrenees Shire Council as they no longer required it. Communication with PSC confirmed this offer and the Council is in the process of having the title transferred to the Shire. We are still waiting to hear from Council re management into the future.
The memorial wall at the Avoca Cemetery continues to provide an opportunity for family members to acknowledge their descendants who were buried in unmarked graves. Families can contact the committee to arrange the editing and printing of plaques to be attached to the wall.
Finally, I would like to thank the current committee for their dedication and expertise, and our members for their continued financial support of the historical society. The editing and printing of our newsletter continues to be a challenge. We depend on items being sent to us for inclusion in the publication and without support from our members it may become the ‘Pilgrim/Robinson Pioneers’ rather than the ‘Pyrenees Pioneers’. Thanks go to Suzanne for her account of her tour of the Sandakan Death March in Borneo as part of the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2 in our last edition. (Part 2 continues in this edition Page 5 –7)
We would love to hear from you if you have a family story or historical event to share with our members… Let’s hope we can find a way forward to continue the preservation of our district’s history so we can offer our services to our members and researchers near and far.
Marg Pilgrim, President 2025
First published in the Pyrenees Pioneers December 2025
Several of the great great grandfathers of my husband Greg Young were gold diggers. One, John Plowright (1831 – 1910), followed the rushes in Victoria with only small success and settled at Homebush, a few miles from Avoca. Frederick James Cross, Greg’s great grandfather, also settled at Homebush and took up mining. Frederick married Greg’s great grandmother Ann Plowright.
Some years later James Cross, son of Frederick and Ann, and John Plowright’s grandson and Greg’s great uncle, seems to have had some luck. He and his mates found what appeared to be a promising reef and dug out a small amount of gold, not enough to make them rich but enough to keep them looking for more:
On 20 July 1908 the Melbourne Argus reported:
PROSPECTORS' DISCOVERY.
NEW REEF AT HOMEBUSH
MARYBOROUGH,Sunday - Very rich gold bearing stone has been struck at Lower Homebush The prospectors are Messrs Gus and John Nicholls, James Cross, and F. M. Nicholls. They originally commenced operations on an abandoned reef, about a hundred feet to the east of the present find, but on Thursday, while awaiting the return of one of the party, they determined to try an outcrop, which had previously been located. This outcrop had been exposed by the removal of the surface for road making purposes and it did not take long to uncover the cup of a reef, 7ft wide. Both walls were laid bare and at a depth of 10ft on breaking into the western or hanging, wall of the lode some splendid gold bearing stone was broken The party state that on Thursday afternoon specimens to the the value of £40 were obtained. Friday was devoted to properly exposing the cap, and on Saturday morning another lot of specimens were obtained probably equal in value to the first lot Although too soon to express any opinion on the find the chances are good. Up to the present the gold has all been found on the hanging-wall, associated with ironstone and a little iron pyrites. The reef runs north and south with a slight westerly underlie and has good walls. The land is on the northern slope of what is known as View Hill, Homebush, and within half a mile of the famous Homebush lead.
The claim of Messrs. Wilson and Shields [Sheill], from which rich returns have been won for some time past, is a mile further north, on the same line. The gold in the specimen is of a heavy - solid character, one piece of golden stone, barely 2in. square, weighing over 12 oz., and is estimated to contain quite 5oz. of gold,
The find has caused much excitement, and the claim had a great many visitors yesterday and today.
Greg’s great uncle James John Cross (1887 – 1963) was one of the miners. About the time of the discovery John and Gus Nicholls and Jim Cross were photographed on some gold diggings.
Less than a month later the Ballarat Star continued reporting the good news
THE HOMEBUSH RUSH.
A GOOD YIELD. MARYBOROUGH, Sunday.
At the Homebush Rush, Nicholls, Cross, and Nicholas crushed 15 tons at the Government battery, Avoca, for 30 oz. The reef is 7 feet wide. A rich specimen obtained on Thursday was not in the crushing. Webb’s Reward is down 53 feet. They will shortly open out for a continuation of the lode being worked by Nicholls and party.
A year later the Melbourne Age indicated prospecting was still successful but the reef was still elusive and it seems Jim Cross was possibly no longer working with the Nicholls brothers.
MINING AT MARYBOROUGH
MARYBOROUGH.— Some excitement has been caused at Homebush by the discovery, by Messrs. Nicholls Bros, and Stratman of some rich specimens on the surface. They are loaming the surface, in the hope of finding a reef which is believed to be close at hand.
The Ballarat Star of Monday 6 September 1909 was optimistic about the gold discoveries at Homebush.
MARYBOROUGH.
Satisfaction has been caused locally by the news that the Working Miners' claim at Homebush has again been floated into a good solid company. It is freely admitted that the Homebush lead is one of the best in the State, and it is a matter for regret that it should have been allowed to remain idle for such a long time. The returns obtained from the Working Miners’ claim some years ago were excellent, but the mine was difficult to work in those days and was abandoned. The township of Homebush then sunk into obscurity until Messrs Wilson, and Shiells located a rich reef. Gradually, but surely, the mining industry began to stir, until other reefs were opened up. Then the attention of mining men was naturally turned to Homebush, and as a result it has been decided to resume operations in the alluvial ground. The revival has been steadily approaching, and has been predicted on several occasions by “The Star.” That our anticipations were correct is borne out by the interest that is now being centred on this field, which a few years ago was practically dormant.
Daly and party, who discovered a reef at Homebush a few days ago, are putting through a crushing at the Avoca Government battery.
Yet another reef has been located at Homebush by Messrs Squires and Trounsen. They have obtained some good prospects, and are taking out a crushing.
Developmental work is being carried out by Messrs Nicholls Bros, and Stratman, at the Dreadnought claim, Homebush.
At the Lord Nolan claim, situated at Mosquito, a quantity of stone has been taken out and will shortly be tested. The claim is surrounded with reefs, which proved very profitable some years ago. A well-defined lode exists in the Lord Nolan, and it is improving with depth.
On the whole the mining industry in the district is looking much brighter than it has for some time. When the now alluvial claims are opened up, renewed prosperity is in store for Maryborough.
Another of Greg’s great great grandfathers was George Young who was a miner at Lamplough on the other side of Avoca. The grandson of George Young, Cecil Young—Greg’s grandfather—grew up in Homebush. Greg inherited a small collection of picture postcards from Cecil, among them one of addressed to Miss Eva Hogan (1889-1913). It shows a group of miners and a dog at a puddling machine.
I think the writer of the card was Eva’s sister Mary (Hogan) Nicholls (1884 – 1984) who had married Gus Nicholls (Augustus Walsh Pugh Nicholls (1885 – 1969)) in 1905. Charlie might have been Gus’s brother, Charles Edward Nicholls (1876 – 1930).
I think the card shows members of the Nicholls family but don’t know who was who. It seems likely that the dog at least is the dog in the earlier picture. Perhaps Gus Nicholls is holding the horse and Jack Nicholls is standing in the trough holding the shovel.
Puddling machines were developed on the Victorian goldfields in the early 1850s. A circular trough in the ground, lined with wood or bark, was filled with clay and water. A horse circled the trough and dragged a harrow through the clay mixture, breaking up the lumps and turning it into a runny sludge. The gold released from the clay would sink to the bottom, and the watery clay would be drained off from the top. The residue at the bottom of the trough would then be cleaned up with a pan or cradle to collect the gold.
In 1910 Jim Cross married Eva Hogan. They had two children. In 1913 Eva died of septic poisoning. Jim moved from Homebush to Wonthaggi in Gippsland where he worked at the State Coal Mine.
The Homebush mines did not yield gold in the quantities hoped for, and the miners and their families moved away. A derelict schoolhouse stands by itself in an empty paddock; nothing else remains.
Post by Anne Young
Wikitree:
This morning I received the sad news that Denis died peacefully in Canberra this morning.
Denis established the Society’s web page and was webmaster of the Society’s website for about 18 years.
His local history interest was in Lamplough, a few kilometres from Avoca and about which he had written a short history of its gold rush in 1859 for the Victorian Historical Journal. His great-grandfather and his siblings had been born in Lamplough.
In 1998 Denis Strangman published an index of names associated with the Lamplough Rush. He also made available an article on the rush to Lamplough that he first published in 1987.
Denis wrote in 2021:
“Despite our political differences Melbourne Greens Councillor Helen Harris OAM was the person who got me involved in the Society when I was working at Old Parliament House in Canberra. The Parliamentary Library was digitising its collection and they were throwing out the old Library cards. Helen had a loyal band of people in Avoca transcribing historical names to cards (now numbering about 80,000) so I would collect the discarded cards and transfer them to Helen.”
Denis was a Life Member of the Society.
The card index and Denis’s online index of Lamplough names (and his article) are invaluable contributions to the history of the Avoca district.
I recently came across an excellent post about the Wise family of Avoca. The author, Virginia Rundle, used the resources of the Avoca and District Historical Society to put together the Wise Family History. She mentions the online the Lamplough Name Index and the Avoca and Districts Historical Society Library, Maps and Files (ADHS), thanking their volunteer researchers including the late Tony O’Shea.
William McOboy Wise’s huge profile in the Lamplough Name Index was a testament to his active and outstanding involvement in his local community. William McOboy Wise’s obituary recorded that over 500 people gathered to mourn him at his funeral, after he received fatal head injuries, when thrown from his horse on 22 July 1873, at Coffey’s Hotel near Avoca.
Entry for William Macaboy Wise in the Lamplough Name Index:
WILLIAM MACOBOY WISE: W.M. WISE: WISE’S PADDOCK: Miner Avoca 1856 (ER). Manager of John O’Halloran’s timber yard on site of Old Tattersall’s, or Theatre Royal. Went to Woodstock Station as supervisor, leased Lamplough run. (Sutherland, P 226.) Tulla Co. Clare. Arrived Melbourne early 1852. Married his cousin, Ellen Murray. (Leask’s. P 638.) Land lease. (VGG 1848 p 310.) Manager of Clough & Co before the rush. Moved to Avoca. Auctioneer and general agent. (HH letter). Of Lamplough, Avoca. Appointed returning officer for electoral district of Avoca. (CSO 22/10/1855. VGG No 106, 24/10/1855, Vol III, p 2712. Repeated with correction spelling, No 112, 9/11/1855.) Two horses stolen from Lamplough Station (VPG 29/11/1855.) Advert. W.M. Wise. general Auctioneer land and Stock Commission Agent. Sale Yard: Lexton Hotel, Burn Bank and Avoca Hotel, Avoca. (MADA 22/6/1858.) Auction notice. Avoca. (MADA 27/6/1859.) Auctioneer, Lamplough. Missing horse notice. (VGG No 23 p 356, 21/2/1860). Mr Wise scrutineer for Mr Vogel. (MADA. 7/8/1861). Gold struck at Wise’s paddock yesterday morning (22/1?) (BA 26/1/1860.) About a mile and a half on the Avoca side of the business centre. Half still crown land. (Arg. Correspondent. 30/1/1860.) Centre of attraction. (BA 2/2/1860.) Partly Government and partly private land. (Arg. via BA 2/2/1860.) “A revival has taken place beyond Wise’s paddock, and in the direction of the Avoca. ” (MADA 6/2/1860. ) Diggers took possession of a fine garden in the middle of it. (MAA 7/2/1860.) Wise’s garden rushed. Frightened out of his wits. (BS 7/2/1860. MH 9/2/1860. See also his obituary AM 25/7/1873 for description of garden.) “Continual fluctuations of the pursued course …” (MADA 10/2/1860.) 13 or 20 holes are in active operation. (MADA 15/2/1860.) “Has received instructions from the proprietors, Messrs J.H. Clough and Co., Wool~brokers, Melbourne, to sell …” (MADA 17/2/1860.) One of the stewards, Avoca Annual races. (MADA 6/4/1860). Prospecting claim on Lamplough Flat near Wise’s Paddock. (MADA 24/10/1860). Auctioneers licence. Avoca. (VGG No 12, p 153, 25/1/1861.) James Bodell stayed with him for three months in 1863. House on 300 acres of land about 2 miles from Avoca. (Bodell. P 124.) Death 22/7/1873. Died at Coffey’s Hotel, Moonambel Rd. Compression of the brain. Fell from horse. Age 58 years. Born Cork 1815. Emigrated 1851. President of Avoca Turf Club. Master of Avoca Hounds. 500 at funeral. Buried at Avoca Cemetery. (AM 22, 25/7/1873.) Place of abode Lamplough. House and land 1856 (ER). Wife Ellen Francis Matilda died 1/6 age 36 years at Lamplough (Argus 7/6/1855). Racing at Avoca. Wise’s horses (BL via MAM 20/4/1857). To auction on 20/8/1864 full share in one and all crushing machine (AM?).
The Wise Family feature prominently in a 1931 History of Avoca published in the Melbourne Weekly Times. (HISTORY OF AVOCA (1931, April 4). Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 – 1954), p. 11. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223332072)
The society has several photos of the Wise family in its collection:
The Courthouse email address has been changed to adhsemail@gmail.com.
We are now opening on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm for research, unless otherwise arranged by members or by appointment.
On 20 May 2021 at 2pm at the Moonambel Historical Police Precinct the Moonambel Arts & History Group is hosting an opening of ‘The Children in the Lock-Up’ installation featuring the work of Tom Ripon.
On 29th January 1896 ten year old Octive Edith Dean, eight year old Alice Louisa Dean and one year old Constance Palmerston spent the night in the Moonambel Lock-Up.
The charge was: ‘Found wandering and not having any settled place of abode.’
They were committed for trial at the Ballarat Supreme Court and on 4th February were committed to the Department for Neglected Children.
MAHG decided a few years ago to refurbish the rather dilapidated figures in the lockup, but it took us a while to work out just what we wanted!
Finally we decided on wire figures and engaged renowned wire sculptor Tom Ripon from Clunes to do the work.
If you would like to attend the opening, RSVPs are requested by the Moonambel Arts & History Group by 14 May [Contact details at http://www.mahg.org.au/contacts.html ].
Death of Anthony (Tony) O’Shea. An Internet message from fellow local historian and researcher Anne Young alerted me to the fact that Tony O’Shea died last weekend.
Tony had been President of the Avoca and District Historical Society for 16 years, a Director of the local Co-Operative for 22 years and a Director of Co-operatives Victoria for 18 years.
His funeral at St Kevin’s Catholic Church, Avoca, had been scheduled for last Thursday.
I had got to know Tony while being webmaster of the Society’s website for about 18 years and later while sorting my political collection for transfer to the National Library I transferred my local history collection to Tony and the Society.
In 2019 Tony married Dorothy from the Society and the couple devoted much time to answering queries and maintaining a presence for the Society in the former Court House building.
Despite our political differences Melbourne Greens Councillor Helen Harris OAM was the person who got me involved in the Society when I was working at Old Parliament House in Canberra. The Parliamentary Library was digitising its collection and they were throwing out the old Library cards. Helen had a loyal band of people in Avoca transcribing historical names to cards (now numbering about 80,000) so I would collect the discarded cards and transfer them to Helen.
My local history interest was in Lamplough, a few kilometres from Avoca and about which I had written a short history of its gold rush in 1859 for the Victorian Historical Journal. My great-grandfather and his siblings had been born in Lamplough.
Tony and I met up a couple of times, particularly during one of the anniversaries of the Society and he was President when I was named as a Life Member of the Society.
Tony had a deep involvement with the Co-operatives movement and he will be sorely missed from the Historical Society and the Co-operatives movement.
RIP.
I am very sad to advise that the President of the Society, Tony O’Shea died recently. His funeral will be held Friday 26 March 2021.
From https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/tributes/notice/funeral-notices/anthony-francis-oshea/5670361/
Date of Funeral: 26/03/2021
O’SHEA, Anthony Francis
A Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of the late Mr Anthony “Tony” O’SHEA will be held at St Kevin’s Catholic Church Barnett Street Avoca on FRIDAY 26th March 2021 at 11 AM
The cortege will then proceed to the Avoca General Cemetery Sunraysia Highway, Avoca
Society members will have received a notice of meeting for the 2019 AGM. Please add 4 November 2019, 3 pm to your diaries. The meeting is at the old Avoca courthouse, 85 High Street.
Can you help – perhaps you would be interested in nominating for the committee?
