Woods Point general store

Gaffneys Creek ruins

A1 mine site relics after bushfires

Knockwood Reserve

Goulburn River, Kevington

In the 1860s the mountainous terrain of the Upper Goulburn Valley was invaded by thousands of miners after alluvial gold was first disovered at Raspberry Creek in 1859. Alluvial mining was later replaced by reef mining; by the turn of the century the population had dwindled as the gold ran out. Today the Goulburn and Jamieson Rivers are popular for trout fishing, canoeing, 4-wheel driving and gold fossicking.

Former goldmining village of Woods Point. Fossickers still pan the creeks in the area for gold

A prospector from the Big River area to the east, Terence “Red” Gaffney, was the first to actively search the area for gold, followed by two others who discovered alluvial gold at Raspberry Creek in 1859. A string of small villages later appeared in the valley, and these were subsequently amalgamated and collectively named Lauraville by the Government Surveyor in honour of his wife, Laura. This drive passes through the remnants of these villages.
The is 36km of unsealed road between Cambarville and Matlock and a further unsealed 52 km section between Woods Point and Kevington. As this road passes through High Country, falls of snow in the winter months are not uncommon and the road can be dangerous because of the ice, snow and rugged terrain.

Location: Upper Goulburn Valley, Victoria.

Length: 495 km

Melbourne to Yarra Glen: 57 km
Yarra Glen to Woods Point: 147 km
Woods Point to Mansfield: 92 km
Mansfield to Whittlesea: 137 km
Whittlesea to Melbourne: 62 km

Minimum duration: full day (min. 2 days recommended)

The Drive: The drive begins and end in Melbourne and includes the Yarra Track, the original road from Healesville to the Woods Point and Jordan Goldfields that was built in the 1860s. The Black`s Spur section (now known as Black Spur) became a popular tourist destination and sought after location for notable early photographers in Victoria, such as Nicholas Caire and J.W. Lindt.

Proceed from Melbourne to the township of Yarra Glen in the Upper Yarra Valley via Eltham Road. Proceed along Healesville-Yarra Glen Road to Healesville. From Healesville, follow Maroondah Highway through Narbethong. After passing through Narvethong, turn right into Acheron Way, then left into Marysville Road to Marysville. Take Marysville-Woods Point Road and proceed through the towns on the Marysville-Woods Point Road and Mansfield-Woods Point Road to Mansfield. Return to Melbourne via Maroondah Highway and Goulburn Hwy to Yea, Yea-Whittlesea Road to Whittlesea, Plenty Road to Melbourne.

Features/attractions: Now a barren ridge and hilltop, Matlock township has little to remind the visitor that the former flourishing gold town had seven hotels, seven stores, two banks and a district population in the thousands in 1866. The cemetery bears silent testimony to once prosperous days.
Picturesque Woods Point township is the focal point of the Upper Goulburn River Valley. Gold mining has continued since 1862 and historic items associated with those mining days and settlement can be seen throughout the district. Features of interest include the hotel, museum, store, camping areas and Ross' hydro-electric plant.
The A1 gold mine began operations in 1861. Along with the Morning Star in Wood's Point, it produced almost 60 percent of Victoria's total gold output from the 1950s to the late 1970s. The unique settlement of A1, along the road in the narrow Raspberry Creek Valley, retains its original mining characteristics.
Gaffneys Creek was the site of the first gold discovery on the Jamieson-Walhalla goldfields in 1859. Present day attractions at Gaffney's Creek and Lauraville include the historic cottages, chimneys and mining relics scattered throughout the hills.
Little remains of the former mining settlements of Knockwood and Ten Mile, although historic relics can still be found, including the water diversion tunnel at Tunnel Bend. This was dug to allow alluvial mining of the river bed but did not succeed.
The valley between Jamieson and Kevington contains a number of private residences that date back to early times. Beckton, The Masonic Arms hotel and the Kevington hotel are some examples. Jamieson is a picturesque and historic settlement near the junction of the Goulburn and Jamieson rivers. It is the largest settlement in the district and has many tourist opportunities and facilities. The most significant of its historic buildings is the former Court house built in 1864 that serves as a museum and memorabilia display today.