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Directions to your fourth story point: Follow the narrow road to the right of the Bowls Club, Napier Street. It is a shortcut to Creek Street. Turn left and follow Creek Street until you reach the Avoca River Lions Park. It's time to meet the first peoples of the region. Pause the video and then play when you reach the Lions Park.
The Dja Dja Wurrung were the first peoples in the region. Their traditional lands generally covered the watersheds of the Loddon and Avoca Rivers. We can imagine a peaceful life sustained by the resources of the Avoca River. Take a moment to imagine the many indigenous gatherings that took place in this idyllic setting. The information posts along the upcoming River Nature Trail give a detailed picture of the river's bounty.
Early encounters with white people were both positive and negative. Evidence suggests that smallpox swept through their communities, reducing the population from over 1,000 to under 300 prior to the gold rush era.
The Avoca River starts near Mount Lonarch and flows north for 270 kilometers into Lake Bael Bael. The river is less than two meters deep along its entire length. The river was used for bathing, washing, drinking, and also for stock watering. In the 1860s, a section of the river was set aside for bathing to reduce the decline of water quality. A bathhouse provided hot baths at a cost of three pence.