Wow how times have changed! 100 years ago, Agnes Water would have been a very different place, still undeveloped with very few people, yet 100 years ago, the hills just 1 hour west of this little town, were peaking in development and exploration.
If you head west towards Miriam Vale, then a little south along the highway then turn off Blackmans Gap Road towards Many Peaks, you will possibly find yourself jaw-dropping at the beauty, the views, and the history. It is a wonderful day trip to take out and about, and the kids will love it.
We found ourselves exploring the incredible history of Upper Glassford Creek in Dawes National Park. Just a short drive from the Many Peaks township (a little tiny gorgeous town that once was swarming with a population of 3000+ people).
This area was mined for Gold Copper and Silver 100 years ago and housed a few hundred people in the immediate area. The evidence left behind today is overgrown with the beauty of the bush, which makes this historical place all the more special.
Seeing our first smelter chimney rising up in the distance through the bush, the kids (and us) were eager to hop out of the car and go exploring.
A little down the track we approached what would have been the main site of activity for the mining area. The kids went nuts seeing the mullock heaps, with all the flecks of gold (it was really only copper), and blue in the rocks.....
This historical place is perched alongside Upper Glassford Creek which of course we had to explore too. This place would be incredible with a little rainfall to get the waterfalls working!!
After exploring the creek for a while, we sat down and had a picnic lunch, and read through the history that was left in a box beside a tree. We read that up one of the branches of the creek was Blue Bag Mine - one of the main mines in the site. So we decided to go off exploring looking for it...... a little while later tunneling through lantana, perched up alongside the creek bank we found the old mine...
After hours of exploring, fossicking, rock hopping, adventuring, imagining, and education it was time to head back towards Agnes Water. We stopped at the Many Peaks Pub for a cool drink and an arm wrestle... the perfect place for a counter lunch too!
For further details on our trip feel free to email us HERE.
All photos are Copyright of Gibson's Pet Friendly Accommodation. Please do not use without permission.
For further reading in relation to Upper Glassford Creek history:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassford_Creek_Smelter_Sites
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:205091/s00855804_1978_79_10_4_29.pdf
http://eheritage.metadata.net/record/QLD-602389