EAGLEHAWK
Eaglehawk is a ‘close in’ satellite
town of Bendigo. Not to be confused as a suburb of Bendigo, even
though the connecting roads are built up all the way to Eaglehawk. The
town secures this independence from the much earlier gold rush period.
Joseph Crook
discovered a gold nugget while searching for stray horses. This event
sparked a gold rush in the area leading to the establishment of the
township in 1852, the population quickly building up to 40,000. The
Post Office opened on 1 August 1857. In 1862, the Borough of Eaglehawk
was established, which included the nearby township of California
Gully. After the alluvial goal was exhausted in 1893, reef mines were
established, with 300 tonnes of gold extracted. Most of the mines had
closed by the 1890s and by 1947 the population had decreased
substantially to 4,090. In 1994 the Borough of Eaglehawk amalgamated
with four other councils to become the city of Greater Bendigo.

The Eaglehawk hotels are survivors of
the gold rush period. 
The United Church
and the old Methodist Church.
The Anglican is converted to an alternative religion.
The Eaglehawk War Memorial is located
in the centre of the town.
There is no special reason to visit
Eaglehawk, but if passing through a coffee may be in order.
Heritage diary
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