Maldon-MtTarrengower-North British Mine
Historic Context:
The stone arrangement on the hill side, which can be seen from the town, is comprised of stones collected from the mullock heaps of nearby gold mines. The stones have been painted white to make them stand out.
The current arrangement was created in 1942 to signal the community's resolve that Australia would win the war. V' for victory (following the British use of the V sign).
What is intriguing here, is that the stone arrangement actually started off as an anti-war message. It dates to 1916 when it spelled 'Vote No.' During World War I the Australian government held a referendum during World War I to assess the Australian public's preparedness to accept general conscription. The referendum of 28 October 1916 was defeated. The NO sign was erected as a celebration in 1916 or 1917. In protest, the sign was blown up by visiting soldiers in early 1918, but swiftly rebuilt by the enraged towns people (Ballarat Courier Tuesday 28 May 1918, p. 6 col. 3). It attained national fame (e.g. Geraldton Guardian (WA) Tuesday 3 June 1919 p. 2 col. 5).
The 150 at the bottom of the 'V" is a second reuse of the stones on occasion of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Maldon (1854-2004).
GOLDFIELDS GUIDE - MALDON
Skimming through the Goldfields guide to Maldon - there's certainly a lot to see in the area.
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