We were indeed in Ned Kelly country. In fact, as I was later to discoverer, Euroa's primarily 'claim to fame' results from a bank robbery committed here by the Kelly gang in 1878, but more of that later.
We had a few hours in the mid afternoon to see what we could make of this town. The fact that it was public holiday was in our favour...the streets were virtually deserted and we could both wander and wonder at will.
We set off out of the caravan park across the foot bridge,
along the banks of the Seven Creeks
and past a charming little parkland area (with yet another incongruous palm tree gracing the lawns).
A short stroll took us past the Seven Creeks hotel (which we visited on our way back!)
and along the pathway of another more formal park
which led to the town weir.
From the pedestrian crossing over this small, but significant piece of local infrastructure (the river bed was entirely dry downstream)
we could look back across the resulting muddy pond to the main street bridge on the road which takes folk (including us) into and out of Euroa to the Hume Highway and could just still see the pub on the corner.
We were on our way into the main CBD. Like so many of these country towns, Euroa's streets are very wide and in many places lined with large shade trees,
many of which have fallen victim to the merciless and oft over exuberant hacking of the power authorities desperate to avoid any liability for fire season line sparking.
During the era of the Kennett government in Victoria, a wide scale rationalisation of local government authorities saw the amalgamation of several in this area. The Strathbogie Shire Council was the end result, the staff of which are now housed in this rather imposing building.
Mind you, for a town of slightly less than 3,000 permanent residents, and with a development history in which its original wealth came from the sheep's back rather than gold, Euroa punches well above its weight for the number of grand old buildings to be seen here.
The first of these we came to is the old Court House. I remain indebted to the many well placed and informative street signs which provide the history of these buildings for those like us who are passing through.
How else would I have known that this building, which was erected in 1892, is a fine example of the 'American Romanesque' style of architecture, with a particularly striking and unusual 'bullseye vent' over the entrance portico? "Common knowledge", I hear you scoff. I don't think so.
One thing which did emerge during our ramble was the fact that most of the grand, red brick buildings of Euroa came into existence in a very short period during the latter period of the 1800's, and looking at the construction costs of many of them, this was obviously an era in which the local sheep graziers were making a bomb and the area was one of wealth and style.
These days, in addition to the continuing production of fine merino wool and fat lambs, cattle grazing and cool climate wines have been added to the range of primary industries in the local district.
Beyond the Court House, at the intersection of Binney and Brook Streets, stands the large and somewhat imposing Post Office building.
From here we could see along Binney Street towards the end where it meets Railway Terrace.
We set off under the shop verandahs to see what we could find in the CBD. Apart from a good range of shops, cafes and so on, all of which could be reasonably expected in a town of this size,
one building stood out from the rest. 'Blairgowie', now used as a private residence, was originally built in 1880 to accommodate the home and dispensary of Euroa's first pharmacist. There was still money in drugs!
At the far end of Binney Street, where it forms a junction with Railway Street, we paused to look back along it to the ridge of the Strathbogie Ranges in the background, high ground used to advantage by the Kelly gang as we were soon to learn.
And then we took in the street scape along Railway Street. Wow! What an impressive
array of fine old buildings this is stretching along the street to the bridge at the end on the road out to Shepparton. Let's take a look at them individually.
Strangely enough, two were banks, the first of which was the third National Bank to be built here in Euroa in 1885 at a cost which was indeed a princely sum in those days.... 5,000 pounds. Like Blairgowie, it too is now a private reisdence, a fact boldly proclaimed on large signs at the front, probably for good reason.
The second National Bank building, which was located directly opposite the third, is no longer standing. It has been replaced by the rather squat square red brick block seen here...but for what this building may lack in visual splendour it makes up for in history.
At this stage I have to make a personal point. I have absolutely no truck with the school of thought which lionises Ned Kelly and his exploits. Irrespective of the particularly harsh way in which the authorities of the day dealt with both him and his family, he was, in my view, nothing but a ruthless criminal. I do not hold at all with the view that he was Australia's Robin Hood as some would fantasise. As to the continuing fascination with his life....I think that the journalist Martin Flanagan put it best when he wrote,
"what makes Ned a legend is not that everyone sees him the same—it's that everyone sees him. Like a bushfire on the horizon casting its red glow into the night."
"what makes Ned a legend is not that everyone sees him the same—it's that everyone sees him. Like a bushfire on the horizon casting its red glow into the night."
How succinct! Notwithstanding my views of Kelly and his crimes, they are a part of Australia's history, and as I noted at the outset of this missive, we were in the heart of 'Kelly country' and it would be quite silly (and churlish) to ignore that fact.
Here in Euroa, on 10 December 1878, the Kelly gang robbed the National Bank, took hostages and eventually escaped with over 2,500 pounds. It has been said that one of the primary aims of what was an undoubtedly well conceived and executed plan was to draw public and political attention to what Kelly considered injustices relating to the 'Stingybark Creek incident' in October of that same year (where three police officers were murdered by him and his associates).
Irrespective of the motive, the robbery here in Euroa certainly elevated the gang in the public eye and cemented their reputation as outlaws. It also hardened the resolve of the police to bring them to justice, which did occur at Glenrowan in June of 1880.
The building at which we were now looking is but the site of the original bank, which was demolished in the mid 1970's. Its rather non-descript replacement, on which we found this somewhat esoteric depiction of the events of last century, does have one direct connection.....it is built from the bricks of the original bank.
A short distance further along Railway Street stands the impressive Euroa Hotel, which came into being in 1884, and at the time was reputed to be 'the best hotel outside Melbourne'.
Alongside this impressive watering hole is the more modest Euroa Public Hall, which stands as a testament to the generosity (and wealth?) of those living here in the late 1800's. The construction cost of this hall, 1,537 pounds to be precise, was all raised by public subscription.
The last in this row of most imposing buildings, on the other side of the street which runs by the Public Hall, is the Old Colonial Bank building. As you might imagine, this cost considerably more to erect that its immediate neighbour.....3,000 pounds in fact. And it has actually housed three banks in its time....after the Colonial came the Bank of Australia and last but not least, the ANZ Bank which occupied these walls until 1970.
By this stage we were running out of 'historical puff', so we backtracked along Railway Street, past the completely uninteresting Euroa Station (the street actually abuts the railway line oddly enough), until we came to Kirkland Avenue along which we were to make our way back towards the caravan park.
Here we came across the Euroa Masonic Hall,
the oddly half-white buildings of the Uniting Church (do only the already saved worship in the white section??)
and the old Euroa Flour Mill building which now houses a gallery and serves (think about it) as an outlet for fine local produce.
Amidst all this red brick and grandeur we did spy an example of the 'other Euroa'
and an example of commercial enterprise before the money really began to flow. This is the first local bank building, complete with its attendant 'dunny' on which I spotted one of those signs that just tickle my fancy.
Danger! From what I wondered? Mutant red-back spiders far too large to be killed by a good whack with a rolled up newspaper....a potentially collapsing roof....or could we assume that this was the 'long drop' to end all long drops, with a shaft beneath the seat to rival those in the gold mining country to the north. The mind boggles, but we did 'Keep Out'!
Let me end this ramble along Kirkland Avenue by sharing the real reason we took this route. Here, near the banks of the Seven Creeks (isn't that an odd name), stands one of the finest tributes to fallen heroes we had ever come across in a small country town.
Under the protective shade sails are life sized photographs of Lt Col Leslie Maygar, Major Frederick Tubb and Corporal Alexander Burton. You have probably guessed it my now....these are all sons of Euroa who have won the Victoria Cross.
Apart from the detailed exposition of their acts of valour and their war service records which appear on the walls behind their photos, they have been immortalised in statues
which stand adjacent to the lawns of the nearby Euroa RSL building.
Sadly, but not unexpectedly given the carnage that was the 'war to end all wars', none survived the conflict. Burton and Tubb were decorated for their part in a particularly nasty episode at Lone Pine during the Gallipoli campaign, one in which Burton was killed. Tubb survived, only to meet his end in the Polygon Wood area during the Battle of Ypres some four years later where he was not only shot by a German sniper, but was then to suffer severe wounds from British shells as he was being evacuated to an Aid Station, a classic and tragic case of adding insult to injury.
The good Lt Col was already a veteran by the time he took part in the Great War. He had been awarded his VC for his gallantry in saving a companion under heavy fire during an engagement in the Boer War. He saw a great deal of action during WW1 and was eventually mortally wounded by rifle fire and a bomb dropped from a German aircraft as he took part in the famous Battle of Bersheba during the Palestine Campaign
All have been more than fittingly and magnificently honoured here in Euroa.
After a period of reflection, we decided to call into the Seven Creeks hotel on the way home, and here, as had been the case in Dimboola, we stumbled onto a genuine good old country pub, one in which my efforts with the camera were worse than woeful. Let me share with you a couple of the least humiliating of my photograhpic failures.
Here we have the hallway from the front door to the
dining room, which is just a picture of 'old worlde' charm, complete with its own baby Grand piano
The rear beer garden and outdoor dining area is much more modern but equally inviting.
I'm spitting chips that the shot of us quenching our now hard earned thirsts in what was a front bar to end all front bars, was spectacular in its compete failure to effectively reproduce the scene. Not at all happy, Jan!
So, on that one disappointing note we end our flying visit to Euroa, a fascinating little town nestled at the base of the Stathbogie Mountains. This brief taste of history was but a precursor to all that was soon to come in Beechworth and beyond.
Here in Euroa, on 10 December 1878, the Kelly gang robbed the National Bank, took hostages and eventually escaped with over 2,500 pounds. It has been said that one of the primary aims of what was an undoubtedly well conceived and executed plan was to draw public and political attention to what Kelly considered injustices relating to the 'Stingybark Creek incident' in October of that same year (where three police officers were murdered by him and his associates).
Irrespective of the motive, the robbery here in Euroa certainly elevated the gang in the public eye and cemented their reputation as outlaws. It also hardened the resolve of the police to bring them to justice, which did occur at Glenrowan in June of 1880.
The building at which we were now looking is but the site of the original bank, which was demolished in the mid 1970's. Its rather non-descript replacement, on which we found this somewhat esoteric depiction of the events of last century, does have one direct connection.....it is built from the bricks of the original bank.
A short distance further along Railway Street stands the impressive Euroa Hotel, which came into being in 1884, and at the time was reputed to be 'the best hotel outside Melbourne'.
Alongside this impressive watering hole is the more modest Euroa Public Hall, which stands as a testament to the generosity (and wealth?) of those living here in the late 1800's. The construction cost of this hall, 1,537 pounds to be precise, was all raised by public subscription.
The last in this row of most imposing buildings, on the other side of the street which runs by the Public Hall, is the Old Colonial Bank building. As you might imagine, this cost considerably more to erect that its immediate neighbour.....3,000 pounds in fact. And it has actually housed three banks in its time....after the Colonial came the Bank of Australia and last but not least, the ANZ Bank which occupied these walls until 1970.
By this stage we were running out of 'historical puff', so we backtracked along Railway Street, past the completely uninteresting Euroa Station (the street actually abuts the railway line oddly enough), until we came to Kirkland Avenue along which we were to make our way back towards the caravan park.
Here we came across the Euroa Masonic Hall,
the oddly half-white buildings of the Uniting Church (do only the already saved worship in the white section??)
and the old Euroa Flour Mill building which now houses a gallery and serves (think about it) as an outlet for fine local produce.
Amidst all this red brick and grandeur we did spy an example of the 'other Euroa'
and an example of commercial enterprise before the money really began to flow. This is the first local bank building, complete with its attendant 'dunny' on which I spotted one of those signs that just tickle my fancy.
Danger! From what I wondered? Mutant red-back spiders far too large to be killed by a good whack with a rolled up newspaper....a potentially collapsing roof....or could we assume that this was the 'long drop' to end all long drops, with a shaft beneath the seat to rival those in the gold mining country to the north. The mind boggles, but we did 'Keep Out'!
Let me end this ramble along Kirkland Avenue by sharing the real reason we took this route. Here, near the banks of the Seven Creeks (isn't that an odd name), stands one of the finest tributes to fallen heroes we had ever come across in a small country town.
Under the protective shade sails are life sized photographs of Lt Col Leslie Maygar, Major Frederick Tubb and Corporal Alexander Burton. You have probably guessed it my now....these are all sons of Euroa who have won the Victoria Cross.
Apart from the detailed exposition of their acts of valour and their war service records which appear on the walls behind their photos, they have been immortalised in statues
which stand adjacent to the lawns of the nearby Euroa RSL building.
Sadly, but not unexpectedly given the carnage that was the 'war to end all wars', none survived the conflict. Burton and Tubb were decorated for their part in a particularly nasty episode at Lone Pine during the Gallipoli campaign, one in which Burton was killed. Tubb survived, only to meet his end in the Polygon Wood area during the Battle of Ypres some four years later where he was not only shot by a German sniper, but was then to suffer severe wounds from British shells as he was being evacuated to an Aid Station, a classic and tragic case of adding insult to injury.
The good Lt Col was already a veteran by the time he took part in the Great War. He had been awarded his VC for his gallantry in saving a companion under heavy fire during an engagement in the Boer War. He saw a great deal of action during WW1 and was eventually mortally wounded by rifle fire and a bomb dropped from a German aircraft as he took part in the famous Battle of Bersheba during the Palestine Campaign
All have been more than fittingly and magnificently honoured here in Euroa.
After a period of reflection, we decided to call into the Seven Creeks hotel on the way home, and here, as had been the case in Dimboola, we stumbled onto a genuine good old country pub, one in which my efforts with the camera were worse than woeful. Let me share with you a couple of the least humiliating of my photograhpic failures.
Here we have the hallway from the front door to the
dining room, which is just a picture of 'old worlde' charm, complete with its own baby Grand piano
The rear beer garden and outdoor dining area is much more modern but equally inviting.
I'm spitting chips that the shot of us quenching our now hard earned thirsts in what was a front bar to end all front bars, was spectacular in its compete failure to effectively reproduce the scene. Not at all happy, Jan!
So, on that one disappointing note we end our flying visit to Euroa, a fascinating little town nestled at the base of the Stathbogie Mountains. This brief taste of history was but a precursor to all that was soon to come in Beechworth and beyond.
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