California Gully Precinct
ESLER STREET CALIFORNIA GULLY, GREATER BENDIGO CITY
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Statement of Significance
This group represents the major components of gold-era town life at California Gully; an area renowned at first for its alluvial gold finds but later a rich quartz field. Apart from the fair integrity of its commercial components, there is the church, at once a monument to the devotion of the local Cornish and Methodist communities and an architectural marvel for its interior decoration scheme.
As with Long Gully and perhaps with an even greater sense of cohesion, the California Gully Precinct demonstrates the village characteristics identified with nineteenth century mining. In the case of California Gully the landscape is more comprehensively revealing since there are landform remnants from mining as a backdrop to a group of buildings which includes cottages, shops and Methodist chapel. The siting of the commercial strip along the roadway into Bendigo further illustrates the significance of traffic between Eaglehawk and Bendigo itself. California Gully is an important precinct since its range of buildings, street alignment and character and as well its surrounding landforms reflect the integrated local life of mining on the nineteenth century goldfield.
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California Gully Precinct - Physical Description 2
Contributory Streets:
Eaglehawk Road
Esler Street
California Gully Precinct - Physical Description 1
Roof Forms: Parapeted, gabled. Scale: One-storey.
Wall Materials: Brick, stucco.
Roof Materials: Corrugated iron.
Siting: Attached Buildings.
Period: Mid-late Victorian era.
An old commercial streetscape is the focus of this precinct, being 301-311 Eaglehawk Road. This includes the post office, the White Horse Hotel and the notable 301-3 Eaglehawk Road. Visible behind this commercial strip is the individually notable former California Hill Methodist Church which is typical of the Goldfields Wesleyan architecture, being dichromate brick Gothic revival. Behind it again, are two old houses, one possessing an unusual tracery frieze, and another cottage (lot 91C) which links this group with the former gold field rising behind. This house turns away from the road and hence illustrates the landscape which existed prior to the surrounding subdivision.
California Gully Precinct - Physical Description 3
Key Sites
Pascoe's California Gully Post Office, 307 Eaglehawk Road, 1865c
Pabst, Joseph Hanover, former 301-303 Eaglehawk Road, 1893-5
California Hill Methodist Church, former 2 Esler Street, 1875
Wesleyan School No. 156, former, Esler Street, 1869
Carson's white Horse Hotel, 305 Eaglehawk Road, 1870c
Heritage Study and Grading
Greater Bendigo - Eaglehawk & Bendigo Heritage Study
Author: Graeme Butler & Associates
Year: 1993
Grading:
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FORMER METHODIST CHURCHVictorian Heritage Register H0692
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CALIFORNIA GULLY PRIMARY SCHOOLVictorian Heritage Register H1623
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ALLIANCE MINE SITEVictorian Heritage Inventory
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