Historical information
Pastoral runs in the Stawell area were selected in the 1840s, but it was the gold found by a shepherd in the district in May 1853 that provided the real reason for the foundation of a township. By August 1854, 5,000 people were seeking their fortune at the Pleasant Creek goldfield. By 1857 the fabulously rich deep alluvial leads to Commercial Street and Deep Lead had been discovered and rushes of eager gold seekers brought 20,000 people to the fields.
Physical description
Black and white photograph of the central Victorian town of Stawell (formerly known as Pleasant Creek).
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