Webinar Series: Unearthing Gold Histories

Australian Heritage Festival (Victoria) 2025

This year we are proud to support the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) in bringing the Victorian festival to you. This year’s theme, “Unearthed;’ invites you to discover the lesser-known stories and histories that enrich Victoria’s cultural landscape.

Explore more than 250 events taking place in almost all corners of the state. Explore heritage walks, open days, talks, family activities, exhibitions, and more! The Victorian Program is on from 18 April – 18 May 2028.

Join us online for our 3-part series Heritage Festival Webinar Series Unearthing Gold Histories, presented in partnership with National Trust of Australia (Victoria).

Webinar Session 1: Unearthing Hidden Histories on the Goldfields 

It’s now 175 years since gold discoveries in California and Australia stirred excitement across the globe and set in motion an unprecedented wave of human migration to the goldfields of the Pacific. In this session, Sharni Brownbridge and Ben Mountford from Australian Catholic University will reflect on their latest research on some of the hidden histories of the goldfields. 

Register for Webinar here 

Webinar Session 2: Uncovering lesser-known stories of Victorian Goldfields towns, How Gold Created a Town 

In this presentation Dr Jill Wheeler, President Linton & District Historical Society will describe how the discovery of gold in May 1855 on the Emu Hill pastoral run, about 35 kilometres south-west of Ballarat, commenced a transformation of this peaceful landscape. By then already occupied by pastoralists from Scotland who had displaced the original Wathawurrung people, this place became known as Lintons’ Diggings, a feverish hive of gold seekers living in tents. Ultimately, it developed into a permanent settlement that became a town called Linton.

Register for Webinar here

Webinar Session 3: Unearthing World Heritage, Victorian Goldfields World Heritage bid journey so far 

Join the bid team for an engaging talk on the Victorian Goldfields World Heritage bid, exploring the rich cultural and historical significance of this remarkable landscape. Discover how the region’s unique heritage, shaped by the nineteenth century gold rush and the enduring custodianship of Victorian’s First Peoples, is being recognised and conserved. We’ll share insights into the collaborative efforts, challenges faced, and the vision for safeguarding this vital part of Australia’s history for future generations.

Register for Webinar here