KC 2000 Forum, be civil or be deleted, your choice
Heritage nomination Kellys and S/bark Creeks
Tue Jul 6 05:24:48 2004
bill Denheld
Thanks Bruce - for the excellent Kelly forum, it was time for this format and you beat me to it. Well done. As many readers may be aware, Heritage nomination listing for the two main ground zero Kelly sites has been initiated. Given that we are faced with deciding how to protect these important historic places with many thousands of visitors coming to Stringybark and Kellys Creek annually, there is a need to plan for future generations. Just how this should be done requires much foresight and determination right now. Thoughts and considerations was sought by, and will ultimately be passed on to management - Department of Sustainability and Environment, ( D.SE) at Mansfield. Please offer your suggestions. Latest relevant Heritage Victoria announcements can be found at,- www.denheldid.com/twohuts. Thanks, Bill
Tue Jul 6 06:35:58 2004
Tim
Hey Bill, I think that we have chatted about the current situation at Stringy/Bullock creek loosely before. To those who are interested these sites mark the Holy Grail of the Kelly story. They are not hidden by any means, just a little research into them will get you in the " Ball park ". I am a big fan of the 2 huts website and it certainly helped me in my quest to find them, as well as help from Bruce & yourself. This also makes the sites more easily to find and hence the need for meshed over fireplaces etc etc. Kelly ck is a bit more of a challenge but the bulldozer used to retrieve the target tree left a " Freeway " through some rather close and serious countryside. The current situation at Stingybark allows my family to camp not far from the Kelly tree with a drop toilet, fireplaces and a beautiful grassed area. A thought.............If the real site was marked as say the Kelly tree and information board is, people who travel there will no longer be angry that they have been misled about the current location. This may also stop people from crashing around the area looking for the real site and stealing relics from above mentioned areas. Kelly ck.........well a different story again, people have to remember that the area was heavily logged and a saw mill built over the boys hutsite. I would be interested in any other suggestions on this one......Tim.
Wed Jul 7 07:57:21 2004
Too late now....
Matt Shore
I simply must express my anger and disgust at suggestions that BulIock Creek and Stringybark Creek should be 'protected' by Heritage listings.
In principle, I absolutely agree that these sites should be protected.
But what (or more importantly, who) should they be protected from?
I find it amusing, to say the very least, that certain people are suggesting we 'protect' these sites, after the sites have already been raped of any significant material, most of which has extremely questionable relevance to the Kelly story.
Everybody, PLEASE be aware that these significant sites have been dug-up, pilfered and vandalised by certain people who should have known better. A more responsible way to have approached this issue would have been to utilise the services of an archeologist - too late now!
I must ask the obvious question - how does one 'protect' a Heritage site that has ALREADY BEEN PLUNDERED???
The reality is, there is nothing left to protect. It's all gone.
GRRRRR!
Fri Jul 9 14:15:55 2004
Bill Denheld
Two years ago permission was obtained from DNRE to conduct an exploratory search at Stringybark Creek sites. Written permission was obtained even though a gold prospector can turn the place upside down and fossick the area without restraints even today. The only work that has been done there is surface detection for metal objects at the hut sites and a single shallow rubbish pit identified near one of the huts was opened up. All materials are on public display.
Back in May 2003 a meeting was called by the rangers of the D.SE to be held at S/bark Ck reserve as they needed to know what to protect from controlled burns in the area. All interested parties were invited to attend including any of their suggested invitees. At conclusion of the meeting it was decided the two creeks be put on the Heritage Victoria listing in order to become eligible for proper management and planning, - whatever form that would take was subject to input from all parties. It was also decided a blackberry eradication program be initiated and run by Friends of Ned group with backing from the D.SE.
During the meeting it was requested the 'Twohuts sites' and the confirmed correct 'Police campsite' ( where the actual shootout occurred ) be given consideration as worthy protected sites by D.SE historian Mr Daniel Catrice. This had to be done prior to any monies being spent by the D.SE and the grounds were to be nominated for protection status. The D.SE has since provided and installed mesh over the fireplaces for protection awaiting a proper archaeological dig ( to be undertaken) by a Melbourne University Archaeological team. A start date to be announced.
No disturbances of the ground has taken place and no signage has been offered to the public pending the awaited archaeological dig. As to the relevance of the material found at the sites, some dating from the time of the Kelly activities there. It should be noted that the Kelly's, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne worked the creek at Stringybark Creek for gold ( source JJ Kenneally ) and therefore it is very likely they occupied the huts there.
To suggest the material found there having 'extremely questionable relevance to the Kelly story' is rather unfortunate as Ned himself referred to the place as the Shingle Hut, how relevant is that ? Bill Denheld
See www.denheldid/twohuts
Sat Jul 10 06:44:26 2004
No bulldozers
bruce johnson
In 50 years we will all be dead and buried , there needs to be some protection of the historical kelly sites, maybe, just maybe, that will stop the DNRE getting in there with a D9 and wrecking the place big time, just have a look at the fire break at Linton.
bruce johnson
Sat Jul 10 13:10:42 2004
Bill Denheld
Tell us all about Linton Bruce ?
Sun Jul 11 06:48:11 2004
Linton
bruce johnson
Linton is a small gold town out past Ballarat, I do a small amount of gold panning and some of the mullock heaps out there still have a few specks of gold in them, the DNRE or what ever they are called this week, have made a few noises about a little bit of ground disturbance around there.
The ground disturbance done buy todays gold seekers is nothing compared to the bush road the dnre made with their bulldozer blasting through the forest.
bruce