Eldorado

At the height of the gold rush in the 1870’s, around 4,000 people lived in Eldorado. The main form of mining was via deep shafts being sunk to depths of 70 metres. In 1895 this technique fell out of favour after the collapse of a shaft which killed six miners. Open cut mines then became the norm and in 1936 Cocks Eldorado Gold Dredging Company was commissioned. The Dredge was reputedly the second largest in the Southern Hemisphere and extracted 2.3 million grams of gold and 1475 tonnes of tin during its eighteen year lifespan. It was driven by an electricity generated steam pump which ran 110 digging buckets. A must do when in the Wangaratta region is a visit the massive hulk of the Dredge near Eldorado where you can walk around the site and take in the enormity of the machine itself.

Click here to download the Eldorado Historic Reserve - Cocks Eldorado Dredge Park Notes.

Although many of the miners houses built during the gold boom no longer exist, the charm and character of Eldorado still remains. St Jude’s Anglican Church and the old school (now the Museum) are well worth a visit as are the various walks along nearby Reedy Creek.

The Eldorado Historic Walk is a self-guided walk that takes you past the prominent sites.

Pick up a map from the Wangaratta Visitor Centre or the Eldorado Store and explore.