Chiltern, the town

...a place in the KellyGang story 

location

Areas

Beginnings

It is said that an overlander with a mob of cattle, Joseph Hawdon shot a 'black' dingo in the area in 1836. This gave the settlement the name of Black Dog Creek

The gold was discovered at Chiltern in1858 but the rush really got underway in 1859 with the discovery of the Indigo deep lead. (Argus22/8/60)
Chiltern was located on Wahgunyah cattle run

The name Chiltern was chosen after the Chiltern Hills of England when the town was surveyed in 1853.

The town was relocated when gold was found under the streets in 1858

Importance of Chiltern

Chiltern is an old gold mining town with a proud history and a great future as the centre of one of Victoria's finest wine growing areas. It also has many other attractions for the visitor. There has always been a strong rivalry between Chiltern and Beechworth.

What was Chiltern like in the late 1870s

In 1879 the yield of gold from the Chiltern Valley Gold Mines Company's claim for a week was 220oz

The yield of gold from the Chiltern Valley Gold Mines Company's claim for the week ending 28/6/1880 amounted to 172oz. (Approximately $AU500,000 )(Argus 28/6/80) see also figures in the local mines (Alexandra24/5/1872) (OMA18/1/79) (Argus9/4/79)
Dorma was a famous gold field in the Chiltern, Indigo area (Argus22/1/76)

Outbreak of pleuro pneumonia in the area (Argus1/12/79)

Facilities in Chiltern in the late 1870s

Population about 1500 in 1880

Golden Ball Hotel
Empire Hotel , Patrick Ryan (Argus5/11/72)
Lord Byron's Hotel
Star Hotel, (1859)- has adjoining theatre and billard hall

St Paul's Church of England (1870-5)
St Andrew's Presbyterian Church (1871-5)

Bank of New South Wales
.

Post Office (1863)

H Crawford had the contract to take mail between the post office and the railway station 4 times a day (1876)
And from Beechworth to Wahgunyah via Chiltern, Indigo, and Rutherglen
and from Chiltern to Howlong via Browns Plains
and from Chiltern to Doma Mungi via

Railway Station

Station building built by James Lever in 1876

Dow's Chemist (1868).

Chiltern Athenaeum (Argus23/8/73)

Chiltern Race Club (OMA20/2/1879)

Coaches
Royal Mail Coaches left Chiltern daily for many locations in the area including Beechworth, Corowa, Howlong,

Doctor
Charles William Rohner

Friendly Society
John Gough Tent No184 Victoria District Independent Order of Rechabites Independent Freindly Society

Funerals

Gold mines
Chiltern Valley Gold-mining Company 26-aug-11ky Reef
Indigo Grand Junction Company (Ballarat and Chiltern Gold-mining Company)
Lady Sutton Cold and Tin-mining Company
Lancashire Lead.
The Magenta quartz mine
North Eastern
Sons and Dorma Consols
Sons of Freedom
United Consols Quartz Claim

Newspapers
The first local newspaper was the Federal Standard

Pound keeper
John Strickland

Races
The annual race meeting held in 1867

Saw mill
Greens

Town hall
opened in 1867

Hotel on Chiltern Beechworth road
The Gap Hotel William Mitchell

Star Theatre
Peels Theatre Rooms

Mr Kilgour Shire President

1876 the border of the Shire of Chiltern was redrawn

'From junction of the Indigo Creek with a road forming the boundary of Gooramadda and Chiltern parishes; thence by the centre of that road bearing south eighty eighty degrees thirty-four minutes west about three miles and seventy chains to the north-east angle of Wahgunyah gold-common; thence south about twelve miles and fifty chains to a point west of Mount Pilot, thence by a line due east of Mount Pilot; thence by a direct line about eight and a half miles to the Indigo Creek and by the Indigo Creek to the place of commencement' Government Gazette Volume 7 18876

Police Station (1865)

Henry Handel Richardson lived at Lakeview, Chiltern from 1876-77.

Links to the KellyGang

The KellyGang often visited Chiltern

In April 1878 a warrant was issued at Chiltern against Dan Kelly and Jack Lloyd, on a charge of suspected cattle stealing. Sgt James Lynch, at Chiltern, considered that the men alleged to have been seen driving certain horses through the township answered the description of those men, and warrants for their arrest were issued accordingly. (RC 2nd report III)(RC12885) See also (BWC)
The charges were laid by Const Robinson (RC8814)

Insp Brook Smith travelled from Wangaratta to Chiltern and recalled to Wangaratta on 27/10/1878 (RC17463)

StringyBark Creek Murders
Sgt Lynch reported KellyGang in area (Argus31/11/78)

Military from the Garrison Artillery sent to Chiltern to protect banks in town after the Euroa robbery in late 1878. (RC App8)
Aaron Sherritt said that the KellyGang spent long periods in the hills between Chiltern and Sebastopol. (RC14460)
Two of the KellyGang were seen near Chiltern after the Jerilderie robbery (RC2035) see also (RC2614)
Old Mrs Sherritt that we she had heard that the KellyGang was supplied with provisions from a woman that lived near Chiltern that was an old sweetheart of Joe Byrne's (RC13210)

There was a report that the KellyGang were at Richardson's shanty, on the Chiltern and Wodonga road in mid August 1879. (RC14791)

There was a report that Joe Byrne was seen at Porcupine Creek. (RC813)

On the day of his death Aaron Sherritt came to the town pound to look for some of Mrs Barry's cattle (RC3804)

Members of the Chiltern community

What happened at Chiltern after the time of the KellyGang

The Chiltern Barnawatha show (Argus21/9/81)

 

 

 

 

What is happening at Chiltern today - a part of the Kelly Country and Ned Kelly's story

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26-aug-11

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