Chewton - Monster Meeting Walk
Monster Meeting Walk is a grade 3, 5.5km loop walk which takes about 2hours along well-marked gravel and earth track. There are gentle hills with some steep and uneven ground and some bush-walking experience is recommended. After rain it may involve a shallow water crossing at Forest Creek.
Starting from the Garfield Water Wheel Trailhead, this loop walk leads over Burns Hill down to the site of Monster Meeting, where 15,000 gold diggers met in December 1851 to protest an unfair increase in the mining licence fee. There are several well-preserved gold mining features to explore on Burns Hill, and great views over Chewton and Forest Creek from the lookout above the Monster Meeting Site.
Leaving the Trailhead, you follow the Goldfields Track east, as it climbs towards the top of Burns Hill, then turn south-east (right). At the steep Y junction, follow the track south (straight on). Later, you will return via the track to your left. Look for the signs with a (3).
Solid foundations from an unstable past
On either side of the track over Burns Hill, lines of rock protrude like the scales on a crocodile's back. These are outcrops of a sandstone reef. In places, they form the surface of the track.
480 million years ago, long before the dinosaurs, the land you are walking on was under a warm shallow sea, teeming with corals and early fishes. The earth's crust was unstable, with tectonic plates on the move. A plate in the east and one in the west, began pushing towards each other, squashing the seabed.
Over the next 40 million years, an area originally 1500 km wide was compressed to half its width, and the ocean drained away. The folded sand and mud layers were welded together as sandstone and mudstone, forming the solid foundations of what is now central Victoria. Erosion has added its own shape to this ancient seabed.
Looking out over layers of history
Descending from Burns Hill, you cross the Coliban Water Channel and pass old mine workings and cleared paddocks on your way to the lookout.
Below you to the south-east is the site of the Monster Meeting (can you see the Digger's Flag?), and to the south, the township of Chewton. On this side of the town, roughly south-west of the lookout, Shield's Tannery operated during the late 1800s. Due to a constant need for water, tanneries were always located on waterways, and usually close to towns.
Tanning is the process of turning animal hide (skin) into usable leather or parchment. Shield's was the first tannery in the colony to produce parchment, and locals believe that the pages of Australia's constitution may have been made here.
The production of leather was an important industry in the nineteenth century. Leather was needed for footwear, saddles, harnesses, straps, pulleys, and all kinds of other equipment.
Wattle bark contains elevated levels of tannin and is one of the world's best barks for tanning leather. The bark was stripped from wattle trees by axe, chiselling upwards from the base, then bundled up and held together by leather straps ready for transport.
The bark was dried, crushed in a bark mill, and mixed with water in tanning pits to produce tannin liquor. The hair was removed from animal hides (skins) with a lime solution, and the skins immersed in the tannin liquor until completely tanned. Finally, the hides were stretched, dried and compressed between massive brass rollers.
The demand for wattle bark was so great it had a huge impact on native forests. In 1878, the Wattle Bark Board of Inquiry found that years of indiscriminate and unregulated stripping had brought the genus Acacia (wattles) to the edge of extinction in many places. This was in addition to the extensive deforestation caused by gold mining and a growing population. The Wattle Bark Board responded by developing forest regulations to conserve and encourage the growth of wattle trees.
Today, synthetic fibres have reduced the demand for leather and tanning liquors to more sustainable levels, but wattle bark is still used by some tanneries in Victoria.
Take a moment to appreciate the views, and read the signs to gain an understanding of the importance of ceremony and quartz to Dja Dja Wurrung People, and imagine what Forest Creek was like before and during the goldrush.
Cornish creativity cuts costs of chimneys
Walking down towards Forest Creek you pass the remains of an early quartz crushing works probably operated by the Golden Point Quartz Mining Company. Not much remains of the crushing battery and steam boiler but look for the well-preserved stone chimney built against the hillside.
Bricks were expensive, so instead of building tall expensive chimneys, Cornish miners saved money by building stone chimney flues along the ground. Smoke would drift uphill inside the flue and emerge from a short upright chimney at the end. The chimney here was 30m long with a 1m high stone stack at the end.
A long history of tin and copper mining in Cornwall in south-west England, resulted in the development of all kinds of creative ways to reach, extract and process the ore. Adaptability was a key to success on the goldfields, and Cornish miners have played a leading role in Australian mining since the 1840s.
After gold was found at Specimen Gully in 1851, many of them abandoned the copper mines of South Australia to try their luck in Victoria. Much of the mining technology and language used on the goldfields (words like 'adit' and 'stope') originated in Cornwall.
Miners from America, Chile, China, New Zealand and many European countries also flocked to Victoria, bringing their language, technology, and culture with them. Tensions between miners from different countries were common, sometimes leading to bloody battles. The British used force to retain their control of law and administration, but Victoria was rapidly becoming multicultural.
After crossing Forest Creek, turn right at the junction with the (7) Forest Creek Trail to visit the Monster Meeting Site and experience a Dja Dja Wurrung Welcome to Country (500m return), or left to continue on the loop walk without visiting the site itself.
A cost too big for a licence to dig
Gold was found at Specimen Gully in the first week of July 1851 - the same week Victoria became a state. On 15 August, Charles La Trobe, the new Lieutenant Governor of Victoria, proclaimed that regulations were being prepared for the issue of licences to mine for gold at a "reasonable" fee.
At the time, an unskilled labourer in Victoria earned between 20-30 (British pounds) a year, a skilled labourer (like a carpenter or blacksmith) 30-45 pounds, and a female domestic servant between 10-20 pounds.
So, when the regulations were published on 18 August, raising the monthly licence fee to thirty shillings (1 pound 10s) to be paid in advance from 1 September, this was not viewed as reasonable. It was double the licence fee in New South Wales.
The regulations also prohibited anyone from digging without a licence, and the power to enforce the regulations was given to newly appointed Commissioners of Crown Lands. To deter people from walking away from their jobs and leaving employers in the lurch, would-be-diggers also had to provide a certificate of discharge or other proof that they had not abandoned a position.
La Trobe viewed the licence as a way to put the brakes on the goldrush and to raise revenue for the administration and policing of the goldfields. Money was needed to pay for armed escorts to take the gold to Melbourne, and to build roads and bridges.
So, in November 1851 he announced that the licence fee would double to the shocking sum of 3 pounds per month from 1 January 1852. And that it would apply to everyone engaged in the search for gold: diggers, cooks and tent-keepers alike.
The Monster Meeting, Australia's first successful mass protest
The announcement triggered widespread outrage. Prospectors viewed the licence fee as taxation without representation. With no land, and no right to vote, they were being asked to pay 36 pounds a year. In contrast, squatters with 20 square miles of land and the right to vote, paid an annual tax of 10 pounds.
The diggers began to organise. Flyers were put up around the Mount Alexander diggings inviting people to a public meeting.
On 15 December 1851 an estimated 15,000 miners gathered for the Great Meeting of Diggers at the Shepherd's Hut on Forest Creek, part of Dr Barker's Mount Alexander sheep run. Speakers whipped up the crowd, but apart from the shouting, it was a peaceful protest.
Unknown to the diggers, Governor La Trobe had been tipped off about the plans for the Great Meeting and of the diggers likely refusal to pay. It was reported in the Government Gazette of 13 December that he had revoked the increase - but the news didn't reach the diggings until several days after the meeting.
Although the aim of the Monster Meeting (as it later became known) was achieved before it was even held, it was a key step on the way to securing rights for the diggers.
From rebellion to reform
It was not just the licence fee that the diggers were protesting, but also the system that upheld it.
A government camp was established on each of Victoria's main goldfields, filled with gold commissioners, police and soldiers, tasked with ensuring that everyone on the goldfield held a licence. Anyone that didn't was apprehended and punished.
The goldrush had ignited the desire of working men to be free of oppression by the ruling classes, and miners were ready to fight against this heavy-handed and frequently corrupt system. The diggers gathered for three major protests over the next few years, including the:
- Great Meeting of Diggers at Chewton on 15 December 1851
- Red Ribbon Rebellion at Sandhurst (now Bendigo) in 1853
- Eureka Rebellion at Ballarat in December 1854.
Following these rebellions, a Commission of Inquiry recommended much-needed reforms. On 1 May 1855, the monthly mining fee was replaced by an annual permit (the Miner's Right) and a tax on the sale of gold.
These changes meant that miners with bad luck paid less than those with good luck, and the word 'digger', which had often been used as a slight, was formally replaced by 'miner'.
However, the Miner's Right wasn't just about money. Holders were entitled to take out mining claims, vote in government elections, and elect representatives to sit on local mining courts, which replaced the hated gold commissioners, making and enforcing regulations to suit local conditions.
Before leaving the Monster Meeting Site, take a moment to imagine what it would have been like here on 15 December 1851 with 15,000 diggers jostling for space, straining to hear the speakers and shouting out excitedly in response.
From the Monster Meeting site, the walk briefly turns back on itself and before continuing north-east along Forest Creek (along the same path as the (7) Forest Creek Trail). After rain, the walk may involve a shallow water crossing. At Chinaman's Point Road you turn north-west (left).
Stop at the interpretative sign located where the (7) Forest Creek Trail and (3) Monster Meeting Walk diverge to learn about how this area got its name.
The Monster Meeting - protesting the price of prospecting
It's December 1851, and the Government plans to double the monthly mining fee to 60 shillings. Miners are already struggling to make ends meet. Disgruntled, they circulate leaflets promoting a protest at Forest Creek.
On 15 December, despite the heat, dust and flies, around 8-9,000 miners gather at this very spot. A band of musicians joins the throng, attracting more and more until the crowd swells to an estimated 15,000.
Laurence Potts. an articulate agitator with a booming voice, steps onto the bullock's cart that serves as a podium
'... Now, my friends let it be seen this day whether you intend to be slaves or Britons, whether you will basely bow down your neck to the yoke, or whether, like true men, you will support your rights."
A cheer erupts.
We are willing to pay a small tax," Potts continues, but the question is, will we pay 36 pounds a year?"
"NEVER', roars the crowd
"... we are willing to pay a little: persists Potts, but skinned alive, we will not be!"
Amid the noisy excitement. resolutions are passed and a delegation is chosen to march their demands to the Government.
However, Governor La Trobe has already heard about the smaller lead-up meetings and plans to hold the Great Meeting He revokes the increase on 13th December, but the news doesn't reach the diggings for several days. The main aim of the meeting is achieved before it is even held, but it helps pave the way to securing rights for the Diggers.
The ongoing fight for miner's rights - During the early 1850s, miners have no vote and few civil rights. Gold mining is unreliable and extremely risky Disease is rife and accidents are common.
Despite the success of the meeting, finding 30 shillings a month is impossible for unlucky prospectors - the vast majority. Miners must pay the licence fee whether they find gold or not. It is strictly enforced, sometimes violently.
The discontent and unrest continue, building up to the Red Ribbon Rebellion at Bendigo in 1853, and the violent Eureka Rebellion at Ballarat in 1854.
The government finally listens. and the monthly fee is replaced with a 1 pound annual Miner's Right that comes with voting and other rights, Tax is only charged when the gold is sold.
What was a shilling worth in 1851?
30 shillings could pay for your monthly mining licence.
There were 20 shillings to the pound. An unskilled labourer might earn 20-30 pounds per year, a skilled labourer up to 45 pounds.
Rising resentment for some...
Chinese people first arrived on the diggings in 1853, and by 1855 there were 17,000 Chinese migrants in Victoria. Many took out loans to pay for their fares, working under supervision until they repaid the loan and could earn money for themselves. They diligently reworked areas that had already been abandoned by earlier prospectors, and generally kept to themselves.
The Chinese were extremely mobile on the goldfields, but gradually established semi-permanent camps with mobile buildings and joss houses (temples) that they could pick up and move when necessary.
Discrimination against them was common, and in 1872 a colonist wrote that "All diggers have a horror of Chinamen, though I doubt if half of them could tell you for what reason." Fights often broke out between European and Chinese miners. Sometimes the Chinese were forcibly evicted from their claims or moved into Chinese Protectorates and forced to pay a 1 pound annual poll tax. They were regularly harassed, cheated and imprisoned by police and officials.
In 1855, Victoria attempted to restrict Chinese migration by imposing a staggering 10 pounds entry tax on Chinese migrants, forcing many to disembark in South Australia and make the long hard journey overland to the Victorian goldfields. Nevertheless, by mid-1857, the Chinese population had grown to 35,000.
That year, there was an attempt to drive the Chinese out of this area and move them into camps at Pennyweight Flat and Moonlight Flat. Their equipment was broken or thrown down mine shafts until a police constable stepped in to hold the peace.
However, the harassment continued. Once they'd earned enough money to cover the fare, many Chinese miners returned home. Some of those that stayed behind continued mining, while others established market gardens and cafes serving hot meals.
Continue along the road (not Forest Creek Trail), then turn south-west (left) onto Ammans Road, then north-west (right). Look for the signs marked (3).
...rising status for others
As you start to climb Burns Hill you pass another quartz crushing battery. Look for a large pile of battery sand on the west side of the track. You can also see sluiced gullies, the stone footings of a steam boiler and an extensive line of reef workings mined from around 1869 by the Burns' Reef Quartz Mining Company.
Burns Reef itself was probably discovered around 1854 and likely one of the first reefs to be worked in the area. The evidence of early alluvial diggings has mostly been disturbed by sluicing in the gully and later quartz reef mining. Small to medium-scale mullock heaps, shafts, stopes, adits (tunnels) and costeans (small pits dug down to the bedrock) are evident across the hillside.
One of the shareholders of the Burns' Reef Quartz Mining Company, James Brown Patterson, ended up making his name in politics, rather than gold. Born in Northumberland, England in 1833, he migrated to the area in 1852, during the height of the goldrush.
With little success in prospecting, he became a farmer and butcher in Chewton, where he served as Mayor for four years, before being elected to the Parliament of Victoria in 1870 as the representative for Castlemaine and moving to Melbourne. Patterson held several government positions, including Minister of Railways, and served as Premier of Victoria from January 1893 to September 1894.
After passing through the Burns Reef mine site and crossing the Coliban Water Channel again, the walk turns south-east before closing the loop at the Y junction you passed earlier. From there you turn north-west (sharp right) and retrace your steps to the Garfield Trailhead.
Access for Dogs:
Dogs may be walked on a lead on the tracks around the Garfield Water Wheel. They must be kept on a lead and under control at all times. Please collect and remove your dog's droppings for the sake of other visitors and to avoid stress to native animals.
Safety:
The Castlemaine Diggings are a heavily mined landscape and contain a variety of ongoing hazards, including uneven and unstable ground, mineshafts, open cuts, quarries, and mine tailings. For your own safety, please stay on mapped tracks and supervise children. Comply with local signs and do not climb over or around barriers and fences or on the stone foundations of the water wheel.
Location
Leanganook Track, Chewton 3451 Map
Web Links
→ Monster Meeting Walk Heritage Notes (PDF)
→ monstermeeting.net
