Photo: Thankyou to Snap Happy
Looking west across the road, behind the CFA shed, you will see a small timber building. This was the original Beaufort Police Lockup from the gold rush days.
In the late 1800s, the building was transferred to Waterloo to become the Waterloo Lockup. When the Waterloo Police Station closed in the early 1900s, the building was again transferred back to Beaufort for use as a private utility shed.
In 2012, it was rediscovered by the property owners and the derelict building was donated to the Waterloo Community Group.
It was restored by the staff and woodworking crew of the nearby Langi Kal Kal Prison using original timbers for the outer skin. It was then transported to its current site in January 2014.
Where the CFA shed now stands was once the Waterloo Mechanics Institute. Built in 1884, it was the last remaining gold rush building in Waterloo until December 1976, when it was tragically burnt down after a working-bee accidentally ignited nearby bushland. The Waterloo community not only lost its communal meeting place, but also its free library, historical records and photos, and the piano.
In 1985, the community was able to raise enough funds and loans to have its own fire station and tanker, and the community once again had a place to meet.
Looking north east, you will see a large mullock heap that is a remnant from the gold rush days. This was the New Victoria Mine, which was one of the richest in the district, yielding about one tonne of gold.
It ran from 1856 for about three decades. Ponies were used underground to pull the trucks of dirt along the drives. Flooding was an ongoing problem and pumps were required around the clock to try to keep water out of the shafts and drives.