Old Northern Road, Albany Creek, became known to many early travellers to the gold fields in the mid-1800,s and a small amount of gold was recovered from gold shafts sunk at Eatons Hill, enroute to the better known gold fields.

Between 1850 and 1860, the population of Australia increased by 170%, with up to 100,000 gold prospectors arriving in 1852 alone.

This period was just after the California Gold Rush and the well documented finds at Ballarat, Bendigo and Gympie had numerous nationalities arrive that gave birth to our multi-cultural society of today. In fact, at that time, one in five males in Victoria were of Chinese origin. The Albany Creek district, originally known as Pine, in 1859 became known on survey maps as Chinaman Creek.

Legend has it, the naming was because a Chinaman, who, on the way to a new gold rush at Gladstone, died by the banks of the creek.

The gold rush created substantial anti-Chinese feeling locally, to the extent that locals, Leitch, Day, Eaton, Ireland and Greensill successfully petitioned the Government for a name change to Albany Creek, named after the Duke of Albany

The Duke of Albany is a peerage title dating back to 1398 and includes among it’s title holders King Charles II.

It was in 1884, because of the gold boom and prior to the Queensland Government successfully applying for a $10million loan to England to build a rail network, that hundreds of gold diggers trudged the Old Northern Road via Albany Creek up to Sweeny Reserve at Petrie and onto Gympie. Only the rich could afford a two day trip on the Cobb & Co coaches pulled by six horses.

To hit pay dirt, rent, buy and sell with Peter Campbell Realty, a local experienced business, conscious of the district’s historical past and actively involved in it’s present and future.

If you have a particular local topic you would like covered in the “Yarns of Yesteryear” series, please just ask. Email peter@petercampbellrealty.com

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Peter Campbell - 0418 774 663