Eldorado

Overview

Located on the banks of the Reedy Creek, Eldorado sits at the entrance to the beautiful Woolshed Valley, once heavily populated by gold prospectors. Nestled in a basin, surrounded by rugged hills, Eldorado optimises the raw beauty of the North East.

Eldorado is home to supposedly the second largest gold dredge in the Southern Hemisphere, extracting 2.3 million grants of gold during its 18 years of operations.  Many prospectors visit El Dorado, still in search of gold and other gemstones for which the area is well known.  A rustic village retaining the charm and character of the golden era.

History

The township of Eldorado was given its name after a property in the area, as an expression of confidence by the owner in the area's gold prospects.

Gold was discovered in the district in 1854 and over the next twelve months thousands of miners arrived hoping to find their fortune. The town soon moved into deep mining with shafts being sunk to depths of 100 metres and by 1860 tin was being mined as well. By the 1870s there were around 4000 people living in the town many of whom were Cornish miners who had come across from the copper mines of South Australia.

In 1936 Cocks Eldorado Dredge  was commissioned and was reputedly the second largest in the Southern Hemisphere. You can still visit the massive hulk of the Dredge where it sits in its watery grave.

Although many of the miners' houses built during the gold boom no longer exist, the charm and character of Eldorado still remain. St Jude's Anglican Church and the old school (now the museum) are worth a visit to step back in time.

Places of interest

Accommodation

To book accommodation please contact the friendly staff at the Wangaratta Visitor Information Centre:

Telephone toll free: 1800 801 065
Telephone: 03 5721 5711
Facsimile: 03 5721 9867
Email: tourism@wangaratta.vic.gov.au
Website: http://www.visiteldorado.com.au

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