ELDORADO & THE WOOLSHED VALLEY

#visitwangaratta

At a Glance

Eldorado, on the banks of Reedy Creek at the end of the Woolshed Valley, was once a booming gold and later tin mining settlement. The valley was dotted with small settlements including Sebastopol Flat with many schools, pubs, shops, restaurants and substantial numbers of Chinese miners working claims.

Kelly Gang member Joe Byrne grew up here along with his old friend Aaron Sherritt. The pair were allegedly involved in criminal activities early on including stock theft with the Kelly brothers and their associates. They had also spent time in gaol in Beechworth after being convicted of stealing meat.

The rugged hills above the narrow valley were used by the Kelly Gang as hideouts during their time on the run when they moved surreptitiously in and out of the area, meeting secretly with sympathisers and keeping watch from secluded caves in the ranges.

In early November 1878, police were tipped off by a timber worker who claimed to have seen the fugitives camped in the Woolshed Valley. A force of mounted troopers set off from Benalla but arrived to find no sign of the Gang.

At the height of the Kelly outbreak, word got back to the Gang that Aaron Sherritt was a police informant.

There were four officers inside his home in Sebastopol Flat when Joe Byrne, with Dan Kelly hiding outside, tricked Sherritt into opening his front door and promptly shot him dead before riding to Glenrowan to meet Ned Kelly and Steve Hart where they took hostages at the local inn while they waited to ambush police. Two days after murdering Aaron Sherritt, Joe Byrne, Dan Kelly and Steve Hart were dead and Ned Kelly was captured alive.

Visit Eldorado & Woolshed Valley

Built in a natural amphitheatre between Wangaratta and Beechworth on the edge of the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Eldorado is known for its meandering creek and falls, bush walking, gravel cycling, farm gates and gold history.

Explore the 1km Reids Walk along Reedy Creek, or head up to Memorial Hill for views of the township and valley below with views towards Wangaratta. Eldorado Historic Sites Walk is a self-guided tour of the town’s key mining and commercial sites of the 1850s to 1950s.