Local History

[woolshed]

I am new to this Forum but are a member of a few. My name is Mick, I am 57 yrs old and live in Wangaratta, Victoria. I have been an antique bottle collector / digger for thirty years and have always had a metal detector. I spend my time trying to locate as many relics from my local area as I can. I love local history and the goldfields near me are a big part of it. A friend asked me to have a look at this Forum and said he found the members seem to be up front , more down to earth and sociable.
I am not into gold prospecting, but I am fascinated by it and the way people find it. Every weekend I pass prospectors and fossickers as I drive through the goldfields. They are camped along the creek, ( Reeds Creek, Eldorado to Beechworth ) heads down and bums up, I always think of stopping to have a look see and a chat, but never do,, as I think that I might be intruding.
So , thats me. Cheers, Woolshed.

 

[Beagleboy]

G'day woolshed and welcome aboard. I have just visited your part of the world and did a bit of highbanking with Balx. What an amazing country site. You are very lucky to be so close to it. It took me 3 hours to get there but it was worth it. I will be back when the creek is flowing a little again and maybe we could catch up for a chat. I love to learn about the history as that is big part why I like prospecting.

 

[SWright]

G'Day Woolshed

I support what Beagleboy has said. Just back from there myself and I can tell you that I am seriously thinking of retireing in Beechworth or Wang just so I can get out that way every day. We were staying in Eldorado, which is a great little town, but my Home-Based-Manager/Accountant said no way to Eldorado as it is too small. Even did the rounds of display homes in Wang.

araluen

 

[WalnLiz]

Welcome to the forum Mick. That bottle and relic caper can be as addictive as nugget hunting. One of my mates down here in Canberra bought himself a small back hoe, and the lease on an old tip, just to hunt for bottles.....does really well from them too.

If you bump into any fossickers on the creeks down your way I'm sure they'd be up for a chin wag. Collecting antiques/bottles and collecting gold has much the same fascination.

Hope you find the forum different to most out there, and look forward to sharing some of your bottle and relic hunting experiences.

All the very best of luck out there mate,

Cheers Wal.

 

[axeman]

G'day woolshed and welcome. I'm love digging up old rubbish dumps, like finding old bottles, machinery ect that has been long since been buried. The dumps I mainly dig up are farm dumps but any dump digging is a slow risky game, snakes, spiders, hornets, lots of sharp rusted metal and broken bottles, barbed wire, ect and old chemical drums. The only drawback is that I'm a hoarder and the backyard was looking like a scrap metal yard and there wasn't any room inside the shed so I had a massive clean up. Just about brought me to tears seeing all my hard work going down the road. You should have a yak to some of the prospectors, there usually friendly anyway they may put you on to old dump sites. Just don't look at the gold, you may become addicted.
Good luck and keep us posted on how you're going with the bottle collection.
Mick

 

[woolshed]

Thank you for your replies. Some things you just take for granted, I feel for those that have to travel long distances to enjoy their hobby. I am fortunate.

Cheers Woolshed.

 

[the duck]

Welcome aboard mick i know you from another forum look forward to your post love your finds
Cant wait for some stories and posts