Dunolly is a town in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seyche ...

, Australia, located on the Dunolly - Maryborough Road, in the

Shire of Central Goldfields Central Goldfields Shire is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central part of the state. It covers an area of and, in June 2018 had a population of 13,209. It includes the towns of Bealiba, Carisbrook, Dunolly, ...

. At the 2016 census, Dunolly had a population of 893, down from 969 in 2006.

History

The town began during the

Victorian Gold Rush The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony, and an influx of population growth and financial capita ...

. It is located on the traditional lands of the

Dja Dja Wurrung Dja Dja Wurrung (Pronounced Ja-Ja-war-rung), also known as the Djaara or Jajowrong people and Loddon River tribe, are an Aboriginal Australian people who are the Traditional owners of lands including the watersheds of the Loddon and Avoca rive ...

people, who called the area ''Lea Kuribur''. One of the first accounts of the Dunolly Gold Rush was recorded by the Bendigo Advertiser on 3 July 1857 that estimated the population at 12,000. Confirmation of a rush followed on 10 July. The exact date that Dunolly was founded is unknown. The location of the township itself moved four times before the 1856 rush, further adding to the confusion of its early history. The modern town is the 5th location, and was founded in July 1856 with the previous resettlements driven by further discoveries of gold leads. Technically, even at this time Dunolly was not a town. It was held as a Municipality from 1858 to 1863, and wasn't officially declared a borough until 1 October 1863. Goldborough Post Office opened on 1 March 1856 and was renamed Dunolly in 1859. One of the largest natural gold nuggets ever found, the legendary "

Welcome Stranger The Welcome Stranger is the biggest alluvial gold nugget that has ever been found, which had a calculated refined weight of .Potter, Terry F. (1999) ''The Welcome Stranger: a definitive account of the worlds largest alluvial gold nugget''. ...

", was discovered in nearby

Moliagul Moliagul is a small township in Victoria, Australia, northwest of Melbourne and west of Bendigo. The town's name is believed to be a derivation of the aboriginal word "moliagulk", meaning "wooded hill". The area is notable for the discovery of ...

township. Rail came to Dunolly with the opening of the

Mildura railway line The Mildura railway line is a heavy rail line in northwestern Victoria, Australia. The line runs from Yelta station to Ballarat station via the settlements of Mildura, Ouyen and Maryborough in an approximate south-southeasterly direction. ...

in 1875. Another branch line that connected to Inglewood in 1888. The Dunolly Magistrates' Court closed on 1 August 1981.

Attractions

Centred on the main street, Broadway, Dunolly features a rural transaction centre, SES, CFA, a pre-school and a primary school, and many businesses. Dunolly is known for its amazing bakery, providing the best sweets in the district. Dunolly hosts a monthly market for vendors from all over Victoria and other states. Although Dunolly is located on a major rail line, no passenger services are available, but regular bus services offer travel to and from Dunolly. There is a local museum on Broadway which has a large collection of historic photographs, goldfields implements, replicas of gold nuggets, ladies fashions, needlework, and guns. It also offers a family research facility and regular history tours. Dunolly has become a favorite location for gold

fossicking In Australia, New Zealand and Cornwall, fossicking is prospecting, especially when carried out as a recreational activity. This can be for gold, precious stones, fossils, etc. by sifting through a prospective area. In Australian English and New ...

using metal detectors. In 2016–2017, gold nuggets of and were found near Dunolly. The nuggets have been valued at around $300,000. The town's

Australian Rules Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

football team, the Dunolly Eagles, competes in the

Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League The Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League is an Australian rules football league based in central Victoria. This is a minor league with clubs coming from towns near the regional centres of Maryborough, and Castlemaine. His ...

. Star recruits,

Shannon Motlop Shannon Motlop (born 18 August 1978) is an indigenous Larrakia Australian rules footballer. Primarily playing as a midfielder or small forward, he represented both the Kangaroos and Melbourne in the Australian Football League. He currently p ...

and Robbie Ahmat, have played on the team.

Gallery

File:Dunnoly New Birthday Mine.jpg, Dunnoly New Birthday Mine, Goldsborough, Lode at the 500 ft level File:Dunolly Court House.JPG, Dunolly Court House File:Dunolly post office.jpg, The central Post Office

References

External links

Dunolly, Victoria
Official website
Dunolly Historic Precinct
{{authority control Mining towns in Victoria (Australia) Towns in Victoria (Australia)