Historic and Cultural Sights
Winding roads, historic settlements, riverside walks and plenty of atmosphere; the valleys that run between Jamieson and the early mining settlements are fascinating places to explore. This is gold country and traces of early mining and miners’ settlements can be found everywhere you look. Stop in at the townships and settlements and you’ll find other relics of the past - old beer houses and hotels. In Woods Point alone there were 36 pubs. For a glimpse of those days, check out the local history museum in Jamieson and displays at Woods Point.
Jamieson - boomtown
Laidback, leafy and luscious on even the hottest days, Jamieson was once a bustling place. In the thick of the gold rush, miners poured into town from all over the world. Dancing girls travelled down the valley in human sized panniers strapped across the flanks of sure-footed mountain ponies. It was a harrowing trip on narrow tracks with sheer drops below. Local lads used to ride their horses for the best part of a day just to attend the pub dances. Hung-over, they relied on their ponies to get them home while they slept it off in the saddle. This was a modern, go ahead place then with a telegraph line connecting Jamieson with the other mining towns.
Haunted gardens
These silent valleys were once full of voices as gold miners and their families made lives for themselves. Few of their homes still stand but every spring, their gardens bloom again with daffodils, tulips and old fashioned roses, a poignant reminderof the women, men and children who helped shape the High Country.
