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"A Living History"
Creswick History
Creswick was first established as a pastoral run in 1842, by brothers Henry, Charles and John Creswick. Originally known as Cresswick's Creek, the Creswick brothers only stayed in the area for three years, then J.W.T. Clarke was the legal occupier until 1852 when the area reverted to the Crown. Early in 1852 gold was discovered on Cresswick's Creek and the influx of miners from all walks of life began. Along with these men came about 700 Chinese, this number quickly swelled to over 4,000 in a matter of years.
Shortly after the township was laid out in 1854, religious and civic institutions were opened: Anglican and Catholic churches (1857), a Wesleyan church (1861) and a court house (1859). Many of these began in tents, with substantial structures taking shape from about 1861.
Upwards of 25,000 miners were estimated to be in the Creswick area at peak mining times. The census for 1861, however, recorded a population of 4,714, which was to be the highest census figure ever. The easy alluvial gold was quickly won, and deep lead mining became the main form of mining after the mid 1860s, particularly to the north of Creswick. Notable mines were the Madame Berry and the New Australasian.
Creswick also had a Grammar School (1869-1915) which was attended by some of the Lindsay family. In 1864 Dr. Robert Lindsay set up his practice in Creswick and in 1866 moved to a house at the corner of Raglan and Cambridge Streets. His son Norman, author and painter, depicted aspects of Creswick in three of his novels, Saturdee, Red Heap and Halfway to Anywhere. Another son, Percy, painted numerous scenes of Creswick, of which over twenty are in the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery Collection. One Percy Lindsay painting depicts Chinatown, Creswick, a reminder of the Chinese gold miners done around 1894.
Creswick was the birthplace of other notable Australians: John Curtin (1885), Labor Prime Minister of Australia, 1941-45; Sir Alexander Peacock (1861), Victorian Premier, 1901-02, 1914-17 and 1924; and Thomas Laby (1880) physicist. Curtin is remembered by a plaque and gardens near the war memorial and Peacock by a cairn in Cambridge Street.
Notable residents of Creswick included : W.G. Spence (1846) who lived here during the time of the Eureka rebellion, was a Sunday School superintendent of the Creswick Presbyterian Church, secretary of the Creswick Miners' Union and went on to found the Creswick Miners' Union in 1878, this body expanded into the Amalgamated Miners' Association, later he founded the Amalgamated Shearers' Union, which evolved into the Australian Workers' Union, he left the Labour Party in dramatic terms when he and other members of the House of Representatives left the Party on the conscription issue during the 1914-18 war. Lady Millie Peacock, wife of Sir Alexander, was the first female Member o Parliament in VIctoria to run for and acquire the seat of Allandale after the death of her husband in 1933. Lady Millie retired from politics in 1935.
1882 saw the worst mining disaster occur at the New Australasian No. 2 Gold Mine. At 5.30 a.m on Decemeber 12th, the facemen broke through to old workings of the Australasia No. 1 and flooded the No. 2 mine. 27 men were trapped underground for nearly 3 days. Five men were found alive and the other 22 were buried in the largest funeral the town had ever seen.
North and east of Creswick there are volcanic hills with rich chocolate soil that was first used for growing wheat and oats. As grain growing moved northwards in Victoria, sheep and cattle grazing took over. Potato growing continued in fertile pockets.
South of the township the hillier country was used for timber harvesting. Although the forests had been despoiled for mine timber and firewood, plantings by Government foresters began in the 1880s. The most famous of these was John La Gerche who implemented plantings to reclaim the heavily mined area. In 1909 a Forestry School was opened in Dr. Tremearne's old residence this later incorporated Crewick's first hospital building and its grounds which adjoined Tremearne House. Between 1910 and 1980 the school trained 500 foresters, one of its first students being Reginald Lindsay, brother of the famous artists, who was sadly killed in WWI. The site is surrounded by landscaped gardens and extensive pine plantations beyond. The forestry school influenced the laying out and planting of parks and street trees which give Creswick a high level of landscape quality. The Brackenbury tourist road passes through the grounds of the forestry school.
Calambeen Park in Cushing Street, was once the site of the Chinese camp (much in decline when painted by Percy Lindsay in 1894), at the turn of the century (1900) it was sluice mined. When mining had finished the three local schools joined together to make the area suitable for swimming (1910) . Many children learned to swim here and to open the swimming hole a major diving competition was held. Over the years Miss Creswick was crowned here every summer. Although many changes have taken place over 150 years the area is still visited by hundreds of people every year to enjoy the serene walk around the lake or to swim in the cool spring water. The Caravan Park now adjoins this lovely area.
Many of Creswick's early buildings still stand majestically where they were built over 100 years ago. Among them the old Gold Bullion room (1859), the School of Mines and Technology (1892) , the Town Hall (1876), Creswick Primary School (1874), the original Hospital (1863) and the Railway Station (1874). Most of the main street on the west side was built during 1860 after a major fire destroyed nearly the entire shopping strip. The original Australasian Bank (1854) now houses G. Gay and Co. Real Estate.
Creswick's Golf Course has had a major remake and now includes a fine Novotel Hotel, other sporting venues include a state of the art Tennis court, which is situated on the site of the original Botanical Gardens, Lawn Bowls club which was formed in 1875, Football, Cricket, Netball, Soccer and other sports will soon be housed at the Doug Lindsay Recreation Reserve at the top of Victoria Street.
Creswick also boasts many fine walking tracks, driving tours, lakes, and historic buildings, to find out more visit the Creswick Interpretative Centre in Albert Street, and visit the Creswick Museum for some fine art and culture, the Creswick Cemetery to pay your respects to the fine people who made this wonderful town what it is today.
