1. Farmland shed near Ophir
2. Ophir cemetery
3. Headstone at Ophir cemetery
4. View from Ophir cemetery
5. Map of the diggings
6. Camping area
Ophir was the first payable gold field found in Australia. The town started with a gold rush in the 1850s but by the 1860s the field was largely abandoned. In the 1870s it had another lease of life when reef mining began. The last of the burials in the cemetery occurred in the 1920s and the church nearby was a ruin by the 1930s. Today there is nothing left of Ophir other than relics such as this old cemetery and the land disturbed by gold mining.
In a gorge where the Summer Hill and Lewis Ponds Creeks converge there is a lovely picnic and camping ground where you can follow various walks around the old diggings. Ophir is interesting place for history buffs to take a walk or drive.
See the location of Ophir on the map.
The ghostly remains of a once lively place. I love the shot of the camping grounds ,great colours.
ReplyDeleteAt first glance, I thought those rocks were ducks with their head under their wing.
ReplyDeleteFascinating how some towns manage to cling to a semblance of life but for others, the light goes out completely.