Woolshed School was based in the former mining region in the North-East of Victoria. The school closed in 1922 following the decline of residents due to the depletion of gold ore, leading miners to seek residence elsewhere. Woolshed was initially built to house the miners and their families, ultimately containing 29 storekeepers and 14 hotels at its peak in 1857. This photograph allows us to identify the families and individuals living in Woolshed in the 1900s. Since many of the families left the town following the decrease in mining opportunity, this photograph represents a percentage of the population associated with the gold rush who settled in Woolshed to find their fortune. We can derive from this photograph and its associated history the quality of life of the families and children of the miners while also being able to study the impacts of the gold rush in the area.Rectangular black and white photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: 3308/ Woolshed School 190burke street museum, woolshed, woolshed school, beechworth, 1900s beechworth

Woolshed is a small area about five kilometres north west of Beechworth, and almost about 225km north east of Melbourne. When gold was discovered at the nearby Spring Creek in February 1852, Woolshed was one of three settlements set up to house miners and their families. At its peak in 1857, Woolshed was also populated by 29 storekeepers and 14 hotels, as well as the Woolshed State School, which stood near where this photograph was taken. The school often played host to public meetings, as well as a public dance in 1897. The school was subject to some controversy in 1874 when one parent complained about the head of the school in the local newspaper, the Owens and Murray Advertiser, and at least three letters to the editor were exchanged between the two. According to the parent, C. O'Donoghue was not providing enough amusement for the children and was disrespectful to parents and staff. When the State Governor, Sir Reginald Talbot, visited Beechworth in 1906, the school organised a celebratory welcome. The Woolshed State School was ultimately closed in 1922 as miners had exhausted the Spring Creek gold supply and were moving elsewhere. This photograph, taken in about 2000, shows the trees that grew on or near the site of the original school. The Woolshed State School Honour Roll, with a list of the men from the school who served in the First World War, also still exists. It is stored in the Beechworth RSL as of 2015.This photograph is significant for its connection to an important site in Beechworth's gold mining history. Woolshed served a significant community of miners, with a population of at least 138 according to the 1911 census, with families that needed the school site to ensure their children's education. The image is also useful for prompting discussion about how Beechworth has changed over time, with the photograph taken 78 years after the school closed down.A colour rectangular photograph printed on glossy photographic paper.Woolshed State. / School site / 2000 / - remnant trees / / cobeechworth, burke museum, school, education, trees, nature, state school, woolshed, gold mining, teachers, over time, owens and murray advertiser, public meetings, public dance, c. o'donoghue, spring creek, state governor, sir reginald talbot, miners, honour roll, world war 1

This is a very nice foolscap-size map, probably prepared by a Mines Department or other Government surveyor with the intention of assisting to attract mining capital to the goldfield. The red sketched-in deep lead positions are inaccurate. The pencil notation upper left reads "Lowther's Lease 6415". Lowther was a Tarnagulla mining promoter of the time. The Tarnagulla Racecourse location is marked as is the Woolshed Reef State School.

A fold out map and touring guide of Marysville and the surrounding district published in 2002 by Murrindindi Regional Tourism Association Inc.A fold out map and touring guide of Marysville and the surrounding district published in 2002 by Murrindindi Regional Tourism Association Inc.marysville, victoria, australia, map and touring guide, mystic mountains tourism, the beeches rainforest walk, lake mountain, cambarville, cathedral range state park, the cumberland, abbey green b&b cottages, anastasia fairytale cottage, ashlar cottage b&b, somerled mountain retreat, baree mudbrick cottages, blackwood cottages, camellia cottage, cathedral view b&b, cottage riverside, crossways country inn, dalrymples guest cottages, esa country ministries, hillcrest, keppels hotel motel, kerami house, lomatia lodge, lyell guest cottages, marylands country house, marysville caravan park, marysville holiday cottages, maryton park, melina cottage, moondai farm b&b, mountain lodge marysville, mount cathedral lodge, mystic mountains holiday cottages, nanda binya lodge, rendezvous on murchison, scenic b&b, the hermitage, tower motel, waratah house, willowbank at taggerty, woodlands of narbethong, keppels, lake mountain resort cafe, lanterns at willowbank, mantirri blueberry farm, marysville country bakery, the old woolshed cafe, clearstream olives, uncle fred & aunty val's old style lolly shop, acheron valley alpacas country store & gallery, bruno's art and sculpture garden, country touch, things of sand & stone, willowbank gallery, marysville auto & hardware, marysville newsagency & general store, marysville visitor information centre, narbethong visitor information centre, gallipoli park, keppels lookout, lady talbot drive, steavenson falls, steavenson river, taggerty river, acheron river, black spur trail riding centre, buxton trout farm, lake mountain resort ski hire, lake mountain ski school, marysville district country club, marysville ski centre, narbethong ski hire, rubicon horse riding, country touch tours, murrindindi regional tourism association inc

A fold out map and touring guide of Marysville and the surrounding district published in 2002 by Murrindindi Regional Tourism Association Inc.A fold out map and touring guide of Marysville and the surrounding district published in 2002 by Murrindindi Regional Tourism Association Inc.marysville, victoria, australia, map and touring guide, mystic mountains tourism, the beeches rainforest walk, lake mountain, cambarville, cathedral range state park, the cumberland, abbey green b&b cottages, anastasia fairytale cottage, ashlar cottage b&b, somerled mountain retreat, baree mudbrick cottages, blackwood cottages, camellia cottage, cathedral view b&b, cottage riverside, crossways country inn, dalrymples guest cottages, esa country ministries, hillcrest, keppels hotel motel, kerami house, lomatia lodge, lyell guest cottages, marylands country house, marysville caravan park, marysville holiday cottages, maryton park, melina cottage, moondai farm b&b, mountain lodge marysville, mount cathedral lodge, mystic mountains holiday cottages, nanda binya lodge, rendezvous on murchison, scenic b&b, the hermitage, tower motel, waratah house, willowbank at taggerty, woodlands of narbethong, keppels, lake mountain resort cafe, lanterns at willowbank, mantirri blueberry farm, marysville country bakery, the old woolshed cafe, clearstream olives, uncle fred & aunty val's old style lolly shop, acheron valley alpacas country store & gallery, bruno's art and sculpture garden, country touch, things of sand & stone, willowbank gallery, marysville auto & hardware, marysville newsagency & general store, marysville visitor information centre, narbethong visitor information centre, gallipoli park, keppels lookout, lady talbot drive, steavenson falls, steavenson river, taggerty river, acheron river, black spur trail riding centre, buxton trout farm, lake mountain resort ski hire, lake mountain ski school, marysville district country club, marysville ski centre, narbethong ski hire, rubicon horse riding, country touch tours, murrindindi regional tourism association inc

This photograph is a copy displayed in the Australian Dictionary of Biography. The original photograph is in the La Trobe Collection in the State Library of Victoria. William Henry Gaunt (1830-1905), judge, was born on 27 July 1830 at Leek, Staffordshire, England, son of John Gaunt, banker, and his wife Mary, née Bakewell. Educated at Leek Grammar School and Whitchurch, Salop, he migrated to Melbourne, and entered the Victorian public service and was rapidly promoted. By March 1854 he was chief clerk at Beechworth, the administrative centre of the Ovens goldfield. In July 1855 the resident warden commended Gaunt as 'a highly valuable public servant' with an intimate knowledge of the district and the 'temper and disposition of the miners'. Appointed sub-warden in the Beechworth district in January 1856 and a Chinese protector in August, he was given control of the extensive Woolshed district. When European miners attacked a party of Chinese at the Buckland River diggings in May 1857 Gaunt was sent to restore order. One of his proclamations, issued in Chinese characters, concluded 'W. H. Gaunt, your protector—tremble and obey!' In June he was appointed a police magistrate and next month was sent to take charge at the Buckland where the Chinese had been expelled from the diggings; the police force assisting him was led by Robert O'Hara Burke. In January 1858 Gaunt was appointed a warden, in November was transferred to Chiltern, north of Beechworth, and in August 1859 was made a commissioner of crown lands. In February 1860 Gaunt was appointed a coroner of Victoria, acting at Indigo, near Chiltern. In April 1865 he was transferred to Beechworth, became visiting justice of the gaol and later moved to Sandhurst. In January 1869 he was appointed returning officer for the mining district of Ballarat and visiting justice of the gaol. He was associated with this area for the rest of his life and won high repute for his integrity. In 1874 he chaired the inaugural meeting of the first Australian competitive swimming club. For years he studied law and was called to the Bar in December 1873. He was one of the many public servants dismissed by Graham Berry on 9 January 1878 (Black Wednesday). After petitioning the Queen in vain over his dismissal he began practice in Ballarat as a barrister. He soon became a leading authority on mining laws; one of the cases in which he was involved was the lengthy inquest on the bodies of the twenty-two miners drowned in the New Australasian mine disaster at Creswick in 1882. He was appointed a temporary judge of the Insolvency Court in 1889 and a County Court judge in 1891. In 1900 he was chairman of the royal commission which considered Metropolitan Board of Works matters, and in 1902 was president of the inquiry into the unification of municipalities in Victoria. In 1860 Gaunt married Elizabeth Mary, the youngest daughter of Frederick Palmer; they had nine children. Of the surviving five sons and two daughters, Ernest Frederick Augustus and Guy Reginald Archer both became admirals and were knighted; Cecil Robert became a lieutenant-colonel, Clive Herbert a government advocate in Rangoon and Mary (Mrs H. L. Miller) one of the first women students to enrol at the University of Melbourne (1881), although she did not complete her degree; she became a successful novelist. Gaunt died on 5 October 1905. An anonymous colleague said: 'I don't think he was ever excelled as a police magistrate, and during the many years he was on the County Court bench he earned the highest regard. His capacities were as unquestioned as his integrity, and more could not be said of any judge'. Select Bibliography Votes and Proceedings (Legislative Assembly, Victoria), 1878, 3, (58) Government Gazette (Victoria), 22 Feb, 15 Aug 1856, 30 June 1857, 5 Jan 1858, 16 Aug 1859, 3 Feb 1860, 7 Mar, 11 Oct 1862, 28 Mar, 4 Apr 1865, 17 May 1867, 9 June 1868, 22, 29 Jan 1869 Ovens and Murray Advertiser, 21 May 1857, 11 Mar 1865 Colonial Secretary's in-letters, goldfields, 25 Mar 1854, 21 July, 18 Nov 1855, 22 Aug 1857 (Public Record Office Victoria) scrapbook and newsclippings (privately held). Related Entries in NCB Sitesview family tree Gaunt, Mary Eliza (daughter)go to ADB entryPhotograph of Judge W. H. Gaunt standing beside chair holding top hat and cane, under glass, in cream frame with cream matte.Printed name underneath: JUDGE W. H. GAUNT

The children were on a school camp at Beechworth. During their time at the camp they visited various places of interest as well as engaged in various activities. One of the activities was hiking to the Woolshed Falls and looking at the terrain. Bulla and MIckleham Primary School combined and attended the camp.A non- digital coloured photograph of ten children with an adult standing on a rocky outcrop above a waterfall in bushland.school camps, beechworth, bulla primary school, mickleham primary school