Historical information

Harvey Town was once a large mining area with its own shops, churches and hotels.

The four remaining stone cottages were built by the Harvey Family between the 1850s and the 1870s. They were obviously the most substantial buildings in the area at the time. Three of the cottages have been classified as a group by the National Trust and the citation describes them as follows: A group of three simple sandstone cottages built by the Harvey Family of Cornish stonemasons in about 1875. The cottages are all of a very simple design with small windows and no ornamentation. They are in good condition and inhabited at the present time.

Harvey Town was established nearly 100 years ago near Eaglehawk, a thriving goldfield with a population of 20,000. A man named Harvey built several stone houses in the area, which led to the formation of a small community including a church, hotel, general store, and blacksmith's shop. The area became known as Harvey Town, but like many gold rush towns, it quickly faded away.

Today, only the stone houses built by Harvey remain, standing as solid as when they were first constructed.Current RemnantsFour cottages still exist, some surrounded by stone fences, and a few are still inhabited.

The presence of peppercorn trees marks where houses once stood, indicating there were once dozens of homes.Mining. During the depression, people searched for gold along Caldwell's road, often finding small amounts.

Several mines operated in the area, including the Consolation mine, which was notably rich.Old-timers believe there is still gold in the area, but high labor costs prevent further mining. The Eaglehawk goldfields were founded in 1852, and the municipality was proclaimed in 1862.

Physical description

Numerous photo copies of stone cottages with notes on the location and history.

This item contains the following documents:

3084.50a Black and White Photo of stone cottages in Harvey Town

3084.50b Miner's Cotage in Harvey Town Photocopy

3084.50c Miner's Cottage in Harvey Town Photocopy

3084.50d Stone Brick Residence in Harvey Town

3084.50e Stone Brick Residence in Harvey Town Photocopy

3084.50f Stone Brick Residence in Harvey Town Photocopy

3084.50g Bendigo Advertiser Newspaper Article outlining the history of Harvey Town in Eaglehawk 11th June 1958

3084.50h Notes on the history of Harvey Town in Eaglehawk source unknown

3084.50i Harvey Town Eaglehawk, notes on the precint and history with some photos