Chewton Domain Society and Parks Victoria invite the community to a double celebration to mark the 20th birthday of Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park and to commemorate the Diggers’ 1851 Monster Meeting this Sunday December 11.
The event will be held on the Monster Meeting site in Golden Point Road, Chewton with Parks Victoria Rangers leading the kids in gold panning activities from 1.30pm as part of the Junior Rangers program, followed by the official proceedings at 3pm.
The event will mark 20 years since the park was granted national heritage status and remember the 15,000 gold diggers who held their Monster Meeting there on the banks of Forest Creek in 1851.
Chewton Domain Society member Patricia Healy said the park was granted national heritage status because it is the only place where we can still see the landscape of the great gold rush that began there in 1851 and started the transformation of Australia from an agricultural economy to a modern nation.
“The Diggers’ 1851 Monster Meeting played a crucial role in that transformation. When the gold diggers met at Forest Creek to defy the quasi-military government of Governor La Trobe, they ignited a social and political protest movement that spread across the goldfields and kick-started the march to the Eureka Stockade and finally to parliamentary democracy in Victoria,” she said.
“In the park we can still walk through the landscape of that Diggers’ Meeting and see the impact left by the thousands from all over the world who tramped to Mount Alexander to pan and dig on the richest shallow alluvial gold field ever discovered. They are still here in spirit,” Pat said.
The December 11 celebration will begin with a Welcome to Country from the traditional owners the Dja Dja Wurrung.
Participants will then hear Gus Read Hill again declare the Diggers’ words of defiance and listen to the Castlemaine Brasslemaine Brass Band play their music.
Maree Edwards will tell the Diggers’ story and from Parks Victoria and Mount Alexander Shire Council we will hear the story of the park and its part in our local community.
Parks Victoria representatives will also share details about their project to improve signage and trails throughout the park and they will lead participants on a guided walk of the nearby creek.
And what is a birthday without a cake? The members of the Chewton Phoenix CWA are making a glitzy gold themed 20th birthday cake and will present it to the Park Rangers with the music of Happy Birthday from Brasslemaine Brass Band.
There will be marquees with displays on site and a port-a-loo will be available but in true diggers’ style it’s BYO water, hat and chair (or sit on the grass).