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Imagine a well-kept secret location and a solitary miner in the bushland at the foothills of the Pyrenees Ranges. A solitary existence and the need for music exposed his lucky strike. The sounds of a fiddle started a new rush, and many were Chinese. From alluvial mining to the Union Jack Company mine, Percydale reveals the courage and hardship endured to unearth the riches below. Your curiosity will be rewarded. It is incredible the extent that humans will go to in the pursuit of riches.
Our story trail will take you into the foothills of the Pyrenees, where pioneers and prospectors endured isolation, danger, and most often disappointment. It is difficult to imagine that a vibrant township sprang up from the ruins of the Pyrenees Ranges to serve the needs of so many who came in search of a lucky strike.
Expect to go where so many struggled, often in vain. Would you have endured? In 1851, gold was found at nearby Clunes, 40 kilometers from the present-day Avoca, setting off a gold rush to the region. In 1853, gold was found at Four Mile Flat near Avoca, followed by the main lead at Avoca. The Welcome Stranger Nugget was discovered buried just below the surface in nearby Dunolly in 1869, starting a new wave of gold frenzy. Reef and alluvial mining were the predominant methods used to extract gold. After the 1890s, more industrialized methods were employed.
Caution and Danger: Low clearance vehicles should not go past Story Point 5. The tracks from Story Point 5 to 8 are rough, narrow, and best suited to all-wheel drive or 4x4 drive.
Anxious drivers should not go past Story Point 5. Walking is advised. See below. Do not undertake tracks past Story Point 5 if there has been a recent heavy rain. Walking from Story Point 5 to 8 involves a 3-kilometre return walk, a steep incline to the top of the Union Jack mine, good supportive shoes should be worn, take water if it's warm. Children should be supervised at all times and pets must be on a leash. There are mine shafts and this is a dangerous area.
The Union Jack mine story starts at Avoca and takes you to Percydale in the foothills of the Pyrenees State Forest. It will take you about 3 hours. The weather will be mild. The distance will be 36 kilometers or so return, and there are some steep and rough sections if you are walking.
Story points include the Avoca Cemetery, Daly's Cottage, Slate Dairy, Old Township site, Decision Time, Fiddler's Creek, Union Jack mine, Cyanide Baths, The Bail Up, and return to Avoca. Story trails are best experienced using mobile devices with headsets. They are free to download and share. Mobile phone users should enable auto-rotate to allow landscape viewing.
How to use story trails: We will guide you to each story point along the trail. When you hear the fiddle, pause the video and then play when you arrive at the next story point.