Woodvale

Summary of Background & History

Woodvale, situated 10km north of Bendigo, has known many names since European occupation first began in 1845. Woodvale was originally regarded as part of Myers Creek, later Myers Flat. It was changed to Sydney Flat when mining became established in 1852. This name lived until the 1920s, when it was changed to Woodvale to avoid confusion with the NSW city. Prior to European settlement it was open forest country occupied by the Jajawerong people, who were estimated to have a population of about 1000 people. The Aboriginal name for the locality was Nerring. In Woodvale their land was takenover as early as 1845, as part of Weddikar station and the tribe soon became alienated and demoralised, and their presence faded away. In 1861 Marong Shire was founded and Woodvale was apart of the north-east riding of the shire, in 1991 subsumed in the City of Greater Bendigo.

Woodvale land was soon explored and settled after the discovery of gold in Bendigo. This brought many people and haphazard and frenzied activity, including Chinese miners. Most alluvial miners soon moved on to the new rush site after surface gold ran out, leaving the land ransacked. A couple of puddling machines continued to operate up until the period of World War 1, although the lack of water was a continuous problem. Quartz-reef mining commenced in the 1880s, with various mines along the substantial Moon reef; this phase was relatively short lived when miners moved to grazing or the Kalgoorlie goldfields.

A number of settler families, whose names are still associated with the district, took up land after mining activities declined and established local farms and enterprises. Names include William Booth, the Daly’s who emigrated after the Irish potato famine, John Daly had five sons who played a significant part in the establishment of local facilities; the Rothacker family, the Fletts, Riley’s and the Ingham’s. The Ingham’s owned the Old House and Home hotel near the corner of the Raywood road and Camp Road and then established a butcher shop opposite. The Bayliss family established a dairy farm. The district of Woodvale was one of mixed farming, dairying, vineyards and orchards. The settlers’ life was hard and arduous.

Apart from mining, non-agricultural industries were established in Woodvale to service the needs of miners and farmers, including a blacksmith and farrier, shoemaker and a number of general stores. Jack Shadbolt established the first eucalyptus distillation factory in the district at the base of Flagstaff Hill, at the location of the current Shadbolt picnic ground in the Whipstick State Forest. Shadbolt supplied the Red Cross with eucalyptus during WW1.

There were 12 hotels operating at different times at Woodvale. During the gay 1920s police raided the Railway Station Hotel where nude table-top dancing was a local drawcard! The Camp Hotel, still preserved in an excellent state, also had a colourful history, with a feisty licencee, Mrs Deeming, who at one stage was trussed up by ‘bush rangers’ who helped themselves to liquor and stole her gold. The Old House at Home was the last of the Woodvale pubs to operate as such and was de-licensed in 1970.

State School 1531 Nerring was opened in 1875. It was built for £632:19:10 from bricks carted from the Eaglehawk brick kiln after pressure to local council, particularly by women from the district. Through poor maintenance, the school was temporarily closed down after an outbreak of scarlet fever around the turn of the 20th century. The schools’ name was changed to Sydney Flat and it was extensively renovated and remodelled in 1914. At that time it was also the venue for popular local dances. The name was again changed to Woodvale in 1936, when average attendance was about 60 pupils. But enrolments declined after the great depression and World War 2 and in 1948 enrolment was only 9. The numbers were judged insufficient and the school was decommissioned in 1956. It was subsequently renovated and became the Woodvale Public Hall.

The Woodvale Progress Association was formed in 1929, with a particular interest in advocating to local council for improvements to local roads and facilities, but at the time of establishment, because of the depression, the committee also raised funds to subsidise workers employed on council projects, in order to relieve widespread severe unemployment. Because of falling membership it was disbanded in 1939, but re-formed in 1978, as a medium of bringing Woodvale community together and to advance the interests of Woodvale.

The Woodvale Bush Fire Brigade was formed in 1932. It was funded by a levy of one shilling per 100 acres per member and had minimal equipment. Now under the auspices of the Country Fire Authority, but still reliant on volunteer commitment. The Woodvale CFA is well-equipped and takes an active part on local emergency management and fire fighting across the state.

Organised sporting activities probably commenced with hare-drives, which could yield 400-500 hares in a day. Harneys Hotel organised pigeon shoots which were the precursor to the establishment of the Bendigo Gun Club clay-target site at Woodvale which still has a busy schedule. Australian Rules football never flourished at Woodvale, but the Woodvale Tennis and Cricket Clubs have had more successful histories. Woodvale produced a number of fine cricketers, including Henry Frederick (Harry) Boyle who played for Australia in England in the history-making ‘ashes’ test. Tennis took over as the main sport after cricket faded in importance in the 1940s.

Over the years the small farms of the settlers were amalgamated, in order to maintain their viability. In more recent times, this trend has been reversed with the breaking up of larger tracts into hobby-farms. The locality these days consists of broad-acre farming land, small land-holdings of more than 4 hectares and a substantial proportion of the area is Greater Bendigo State Park (Whipstick forest). There is no commercial centre in the Woodvale community. (These details of the background and history of Woodvale are largely derived from Ray Wallace’s book "Sydney Flat Gold to Woodvale Green" and people interested in a more detailed history of the locality are recommended to read this book.) * Ken Stent has copies of the book available for $15, with proceeds to the Woodvale Progress Association, Contact Tel: 5446-9929

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