Goldfields Getaway

8 March, 2022

Timor historical tour

Goldfields Historical & Arts Soc (Dunolly Museum) runs regular tours in the goldfields of sites not included on the standard tourist route. They have been kind enough to share a recent tour and map, for tourists to take a self-guided trip down...

Goldfields Historical & Arts Soc (Dunolly Museum) runs regular tours in the goldfields of sites not included on the standard tourist route. They have been kind enough to share a recent tour and map, for tourists to take a self-guided trip down memory lane. With thanks to John Tully.

This is the story of five settlements, all different, all next to each other; Chinamans Flat, Central Chinamans, Bowenvale, Timor & Coxtown.

Starting from Maryborough travel towards Timor. Turn left into Andersons Rd. After 500m stop at the house on the left.

Watson’s Folly

Alexander Watson built a two-storey store and hotel here about 1871. It was too far from the main road to get much business and became known a ‘Watson’s Folly’. The building is still here but the top storey has been removed.

U turn and stop at the slight bend in the road.

Chinamans Flat

On the east side of the diggings was the stie of Chinamans Flat township in 1856. It was intended to be a grand town with streets named Regent, The Strand, The Quadrant, Picadilly & Pall Mall. It even had its own newspaper. The population of 30,000 did not last and when the main road was moved to its present location the town died. The 14-year-old singer, actress and dancer Miss Julia Matthews performed at the Theatre Royal in Piccadilly. Three years later she was renowned as the love interest of Robert O’Hara Bourke when he left on the Burke & Wills Expedition.

Continue back to the bitumen and turn left. Stop just before the Alma Bowenvale Rd.

Central Chinamans

There is an historic water pipe stand here dating from 1879. This area was known as Central Chinamans and once boasted four hotels, These were the Ballarat, Company, Harry’s and Ellan Vannin. Ellan Vannin is the Manx name for the Isle of Man.

To the west of here was the imposing Lauderdale, residence of William & Elizabeth Lauder. They were friends of Adam Lindsay Gordon who used to stay here.

Continue 200m and stop opposite Reservoir Rd Bowenvale

From here to Bet Bet Creek Rd is officially Bowenvale. It was named after George Bowen the governor of Victoria 1873-1879. This area was mainly established as residences for the miners working in the deep lead mines in the 1870-1900 period. The area around Reservoir Rd was the rougher, red light district of Bowenvale. Phillip Treffene was born in a hotel here in 1873. He became one of Western Australia’s worst murderers.

Continue 1 km to the Timor Store.

Timor

Timor is the Aboriginal name for the creek here. The Timor Store was built in 1871 and was originally the Timor Hotel. The store closed in 1997. Next to here is the wooden lock up moved here when the Timor Police Station was closed.

Turn into Bet Bet Creek Rd and stop at the school. The Timor School has been here since 1873. Follow the signs to the Grand Duke Mine Grand Duke Mine

This mine started as the Duke & Timor Mine changed its name to Duke Mine then finally Grand Duke. From 1873 to 1896 this company produced 216,000 oz of gold. The pump arch from 1873 supported a heavy Cornish beam pump that was raising 10,000,000 litres of water per day. 12 men were killed at this mine in seven different accidents.

Return to the Timor Rd and turn right. Stop 200 m over the bridge.

Coxtown

North of the Bet Bet Creek was known as Coxtown after Cox Butcher who built the Bridge Hotel here in 1856. It closed in 1916. The hotel was on the small rise on your left. The Duke mine tunnelled under here. A cave in that killed two miners also took out one wall of the hotel. There is a large depression making the site of the collapse.

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