Briagolong - Quarry Reserve
The Quarry Reserve is on the land of the Gunaikurnai, the Traditional Owners of the Gippsland region. The township of Briagolong is named after one of the five clans of the Gunaikurnai people: Brayakaulung (which means 'men of the west'). Their land covers the current site of Sale, Providence Ponds, Avon (Dooyeedang) and Latrobe Rivers; west of Lake Wellington to Mount Baw Baw and Mount Howitt. The Freestone Creek flows through this reserve and its ochre rock is used by Gunaikurnai people in traditional ceremonies.
European settlers named the Freestone Creek in the 1860s for its wall of freestone rock. The creek was explored for gold and a quarry was set up here in 1871. Rock from this quarry was used to build churches in Sale, Stratford and Briagolong and 'Mount View', an early local homestead.
A reservoir to supply the needs of Briagolong and Stratford was proposed for this site in the 1880s but never built. In 1896 the present area was set aside as a Reserve for watering purposes.
A committee of volunteers has looked after the Quarry Reserve since the 1940s and has carried out improvements to make the area more attractive to visitors. The Quarry has long been a favourite spot for campers, swimmers, picnickers and nature lovers.
Look out for
- The rocky wall of freestone at the south end of the Reserve that led to the quarry being set up.
- Shaded playground
- Remnants of the railway line that brought rock up from the quarry. For years this was the path down to the creek. It is now closed because erosion has made it unstable.
- Ochre rocks, also chips of freestone along the path to Koala Beach. These chips were knocked off the quarried rock to make freestone blocks.
- Remnants of a copper mine at the north end of the Reserve
- The confluence of George Creek and Freestone Creek at Koala Beach (also known as Slippery Rock)
- Nesting hollows in old growth eucalyptus trees
- Wildlife including frogs and tadpoles, lizards, echidnas, possums and birds including Superb Fairy Wrens (Djeetgun, the symbol of women in Gunaikurnai culture)
- Local plants including kangaroo and wallaby grasses, and orchids and lilies in Spring.
Hlstory of the Quarry Reserve Freestone Creek
As early as 1850, Angus McMillan who had established a station at Bushy Park was aware of the rocky wall of freestone which gave the Freestone Creek its name.
The stone was first used in late 1865 when George Barry of Castlemaine arrived in Sale to build the Church of England. Briagolong freestone was also used in the construction of the Church of England in Stratford in 1867 as well as the Stratford Post Office windowsills. On the death of Angus McMillan in 1865 Barry used Briagolong Freestone for his tombstone in the Sale Cemetery.
In 1870 Barry had pegged out and applied for 20 acres of the Freestone Creek to be used as a quarry site, however in 1871 the Shire of Avon only granted him 2.5 acres.
Robert Campbell exhibited Briagolong freestone slabs in Sale in 1874 and the following year it was used in the construction of the first Roman Catholic Church in Briagolong and in Michael Feely's Mount View Homestead.
Samples of Briagolong stone were sent to Melbourne for the Colonial Exhibition, but transport costs were prohibitive, so it was not quarried for buildings in Melbourne.
A lease of 47 acres was granted in 1875 and the further removal of stone enabled the creek to flow more freely to the south.
A reservoir to supply the needs of Briagolong and Stratford was proposed for the site in the 1880s but was never built. In 1896 the present area of the Reserve was set aside for watering purposes.
The local Quarry Reserve Committee has managed the site for over 60 years and been instrumental in the improvements that have been made. For many years the Reserve was the site of an annual Boxing Day picnic. Today it is a favourite spot for picnickers and campers. The wall of freestone which attracted so much attention in the early days is still visible at the south end of the Reserve.
For further information on the area refer to Discovering Briagolong by Laurie Manning 1994
Review:
The site has camping areas, playground, shelters, tables, drop toilets and fire pits. A path leads down to the creek which is great for paddling.
Photos:
Location
365 Freestone Creek Road, Briagolong 3860 View Map
