An article mounted on A4 papernon-fictionAn article to advertise Heritage Day 2025 at Schwerkolt Cottageheritage day 2025, schwerkolt cottage

1 poster A4 coloured 1 poster A5 colourednon-fictionA large and small poster advertising Heritage Day 2025heritage family day 2025, schwerkolt cottage

A4 4p Colourednon-fictionA pamphlet to advertise Heritage Week 2025 events 14 - 21st Septemberheritage week 2025, heritage family day 2025, strathdon orchard

Throughout the 1840s there had been rumours of gold found in the area, but the evidence was suppressed. The authorities sought to keep the region as a quiet pastoral district, and feared that a gold rush could spark chaos and lawlessness among the largely convict population. In January 1849, former convict Thomas Chapman found a 38 ounce gold nugget in Daisy Hill Creek (7 km from Talbot) while working as a shepherd. He sold it to Melbourne jeweller Charles Brentani in early 1849. This was the first confirmed finding of gold in Victoria and kicked off a minor rush to the region. By late February 1849 thirty to forty trespassers were reported to have gathered at Thomas's former hut seeking gold before being disbanded by a party of police sent from Melbourne. Meanwhile, Thomas fled to Sydney, fearing trouble after his unauthorised sale of the gold that, according to the law of the time, was illegal. The first major rush in the area around current day Talbot occurred in December 1852 when gold was found in Daisy Hill, near what is now Amherst Cemetery (2km west of Talbot). News quickly spread and within a few weeks hundreds of miners from the nearby Castlemaine goldfields had arrived to try their luck. The next major gold find was in 1854 at Kangaroo Flat along Back Creek (1km out of Talbot). By November 1855 it was reported around 6,000 miners had taken up residence in what became known as Back Creek. But, as the gold dwindled, so too did the population and by end-1857 only a few houses remained. In 1859, a group of miners from Norway and Sweden led by Carl Hallen decided to look in an area just outside of Back Creek, previously thought barren of gold as it was un-forested. Their gamble was rewarded, and as the news spread, miners once again flooded into the area. Within 4 months of the Hallan Party's first shaft being dug, there were 50,000 people in the Back Creek region. To cater for this influx, streets were improvised in the area of the diggings - starting with what became known as "Scandinavian Crescent" along the edge of the actual diggings themselves. It remains to this day and is now the main street of Talbot. (https://www.melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/talbot-heritage-walk accessed 19 July 2025)Colour photograph of shops on Scandinavian Cresent, the Main road of Talbot, Victoriatalbot, back creek, gold mining

Perched atop dramatic cliffs, the Cape Schanck Lighthouse has ensured the safe passage of ships since 1859. In 2025 it was still possible to climb the Lighthouse sandstone steps up to the still functioning lamp room for spectacular views over the Southern Peninsula and Bass Strait. Cape Schanck Lighthouse precinct includes the heritage listed lighthouse, museum and former lighthouse keeper's residence. The buildings were constructed from 1859 and are an excellent example of the architecture of the day.Colour photographs of Cape Schank and the Cape Schank Lighthouse.cape schank, cape schank lighthouse, sea