Gday...

1851  -     The first gold is found in Victoria.

Gold was discovered in Australia as early as the 1830s, but discoveries were kept secret, for fear of sparking off unrest among the convicts. However, as more people left the Australian colonies to join the gold rush in California, it became apparent that the outward tide of manpower would need to be stemmed. The government began to seek experts who could locate gold in Australian countrysides.

Gold was first officially discovered in Australia in 1851, not far from Bathurst, New South Wales, by Edward Hargraves. Less than three months later, on 9 August 1851, Victoria had its first gold strike at Sovereign Hill near Ballarat, and the real goldrush began when gold was discovered at Mt Alexander, 60km northeast of Ballarat, and close to the town of Bendigo.

However, the first payable gold in Victoria was actually found at Clunes and Warrandyte. James Esmond was a prospector who had come from the Californian goldfields, just like Edward Hargraves. He made what is believed to be the first gold discovery at Clunes on 11 June 1851. However, at almost the same time, gold was also discovered at Anderson's Creek, near Warrandyte, by Melbourne publican Louis Michel. Both Clunes and Warrandyte claim to be the first town in Victoria where gold was found. 

1863  -     New South Wales sees the first public demonstration of electric lighting, to honour the marriage of the Prince of Wales.

Thanks to the efforts of Governor Richard Bourke, Sydney first received street lighting in the 1830s. Sydney was also the site of the first public demonstration of electric lighting in New South Wales. On 11 June 1863, the city was lit up to honour the occasion of the wedding of the Prince of Wales. This early electric lighting used arc lamps which burned extremely hot, and produced fumes, so they could not be used indoors.

Electric lighting was used regularly in Sydney from 1878. Again, this involved the use of arc lamps to allow work on the Exhibition Garden Palace in the Botanical Gardens to be completed in time for the International Exhibition the government wished to host.

By 1896, the government sought advice from Edison, Swan and various other experts, and subsequently planned ahead to legislate for the eventual establishment of The Municipal Council of Sydney's Electricity Undertaking. On 8 July 1904, the Electricity Undertaking's supply system was officially switched on. At 5:00pm on this day, Sydney's Lord Mayor Samuel E Lees started the steam to fire up the engine and generators, while his wife, the Lady Mayoress, switched on the actual electric current with a special gold presentation key.

1992  -     The Mount Schank State Heritage Area, around extinct volcanic remnant Mount Schank, is declared.

Mount Schank, in South Australia, is a volcanic cinder cone which rises about 100m above the surrounding coastal plain. It lies about 12.5 kilometres south of Mount Gambier, the remnant of another extinct volcano which is believed to be slightly younger than Mount Schank. It was named by James Grant, a young lieutenant sent out on a survey voyage of the southern coast, in December 1800, to honour Captain (later Admiral) John Schank of the Royal Navy.

Volcanic activity from thousands of years ago is evident in the landscape of volcanic craters, lakes, caves and underground aquifers in the area. The region is also believed to be the site of the most recent volcanic activity in Australia's ancient past. Mount Schank is estimated to have first erupted about 4,500 years ago.

On 11 June 1992, the Mount Schank State Heritage Area was declared, in order to protect the unique geological formations of the area. The lack of urban development around Mount Schank, as compared to Mount Gambier, makes the site of great value to scientists for learning more about Australia's volcanic history.

Cheers - John