Mount Egerton, Victoria
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Mount Egerton Victoria |
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Mount Egerton General Store
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 Mount Egerton
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| Coordinates | 37°37′S 144°06′E / 37.617°S 144.100°ECoordinates: 37°37′S 144°06′E / 37.617°S 144.100°E | ||||||||||||
| Population | 548 (2011 census) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3352 | ||||||||||||
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Moorabool | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Buninyong | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Ballarat | ||||||||||||
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Mount Egerton is a historic gold mining town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the mountain by the same name in the Shire of Moorabool local government area, 97 kilometres (60 mi) north west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2011 census, Mount Egerton had a population of 548.
It was named after settler George Egerton
The town's main street is Main Road which consists of the historic gold mine and battery, general store (now closed), and hall. The town also contains a primary school and recreational reserve.
George Egerton held approximately 35,000 acres of land in 1838 which to outsiders was known simply as "Egerton's run".
The discovery of gold in 1853 by Alexander Russell and George Grell saw a gold rush in 1854 as placer mining took place along All Nations Gully and West Gully. A rich reef was found at the hill crest in 1856 and an underground mine was established. The Post Office opened on 1 February 1856 The town population swelled to 600, several companies had established mines including the Black Horse and the town was home to banks and several hotels.
The main mine was sold to Thomas and Smerville Learmonth in 1863 and became known as "Learmonth's Claim".
St Francis Xavier was built in 1868 by settler Thomas Thyne. Mt Egerton Primary School began taking enrolments on November 6, 1877.
Although sustained mining occurred through the 19th Century, a decline in gold output caused a general decline in the town and it gradually decreased in size while many of the district's buildings and homes were abandoned until mining operations finally ceased in 1910 having produced a total gold output valued at around 2 million pounds.
The post office closed in 1993. In 1996 the general store was redeveloped into a fish and chips shop, liquor store and laundromat in 1996, with the old bank being removed to make way. The shop closed in May 2010, and the premises are now used as a private residence.
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