ABOUT WHISKEY STILLS Inc.

OUR VISION

WHISKEY STILLS Inc. is a newly formed community group operating in around Whiskey Creek, Nirranda and Curdievale in South Western Victoria. We are a non profit organization with the support of local councillors and citizens. Our vision for the future is based on a unique and intriguing past life. We aim to preserve and promote the stories and myths eminating from early life of the settlers of the south western coastal region running along the Curdies River basin of Victoria. In particular, we are focussing on the period of the late 1800s.

THE STORIES

This was a unique time in which many settlers on small holdings, endeavoured to survive in a dense forest with little water, severe weather conditions, little money, little equipment, relying on the horse for transport. They encountered plenty of hardships along the way. Many turned to distilling as a means of making a living.
The officers of the government excise department in Melbourne, realizing they were losing revenue, set about to capture the distillers.
There are many interesting stories, poems and songs about their encounters with the famous Detective, John Mitchell Christie as well as the local mounted police and aboriginal black trackers and ship wrecks along the coast.
Constable James Arthur, the crack shot of Victorian Police Force, was stationed at Cobden, and had recently returned from the Glenrowan standoff with Ned Kelly. He featured in most of the hunts for the illicit stills. Many stills were found, and many distillers were captured and sent to prison, but many remain a mystery up to this day, not to mention the rumoured buried whiskey.

WHISKEY STILLS Inc. FUTURE PLANS

We aim to continue the hunt for buried treasure, lost stories, music and dance and memorabilia preserving it for future generations, whilst along the way, enjoying the unique country spirit and hospitality of the descendants of those early pioneering families. We envisage marking the area with road signs display locators and a cairn to mark the whiskey distilling area. We envisage parking areas, picnic grounds, heritage walks, while safe guarding the Curdies River precinct as a public recreational spot for future generations to enjoy.

WHISKEY STILLS Inc.

committee held the first official fundraising event at Nirranda. Citizens joined in the weekend of fun and friendship, reliving the stories, poems and yarns, listened to songs and joined in an oldtime dance. To top it off visitors relished the country style cooking of the locals.
This was our first fund raising event and proved an enjoyable event. There are more planned.

Excise Department says, "No finer drop to be found in the colony."