under heading CLUNES A town in Victoria which was the site of one of the first two goldfields discovered in that State. It is situated 1080 feet above sea level on CRESWICK CREEK 97 miles by rail north west of Melbourne and 20 miles north of BALLARAT. The surrounding district is an agricultural and pastoral one, and in the town itself are a knitting mill and a cordial factory. William CAMPBELL discovered gold in March 1850 on a property called CLUNES (after a farm in Inverness-shire, Scotland) and owned by Donald CAMERON, but the news of the find was concealed. However, the first discovery of gold in payable quantities was made by James ESMONDS (q.v.) who found rich quartz in the hills near CAMERON'S station- a discovery which was announced in the GEELONG Advertiser on 7th July, 1851. One of the first major gold rushes in Australia followed, and in the early 1880's the town had a population of 7000. A little mining is still carried on. A memorial in CLUNES commemorates ESMOND'S discovery. The town was the birthplace of the artist Sir John LONGSTAFF. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ Regards, Mary of Melbourne FOSTER, Coventry - PRITCHARD,Coventry - GEOFFREY, Middlesex - ORCHARD, Warminster, Wiltshire STUART,Glasgow, - EDWARDS,England, GREATZ,NSW - PFITZNER, Prussia WILLIAMS,CUNNINGHAM, HUMPHREYS,MULVIHILL - All to Victoria Australia