WHISKEY STILLS Inc. TRAILWANT TO KNOW MORE?You can drive THE WHISKEY TRAIL when visiting South West Victoria. |
CAMPERDOWNAfter leaving Melbourne and having passed through Geelong and Colac you come to Camperdown. At the former Camperdown Courthouse ( opposite the clocktower ) a plaque has been erected commemorating the appearance on November 23, 1893 of James Paterson Wilson, charged with possessing an unlicensed. Thomas “Whiskey Tom” Delaney was also charged at this court in 1891. | |
COBDENAs you drive 13 kilometres South/West to Cobden you will find a plaque erected in Curdie Street out the front of the Uniting Church Op Shop ( next to the current Police Station ). This plaque commemorates the fact - local policeman Mounted Constable James Murdoch Arthur leave from here, always under cover of darkness with Customs Detective John Christie on their hunts for illicit stills in the 1890’s. | MAP |
TIMBOONAs you then drive 29 kms South West to Timboon you come to the former Timboon Railway Station, now operating as “Timboon Distillery,” www.timboondistillery.com. The train terminated here and Christie knew the area well, as did Mounted Constable Arthur. | MAP |
BRUCKNELLYou then drive West along the Brucknell Road to the Brucknell Scout Camp (Melway REF:Vic Roads, Map 89, G 9). A plaque has been erected inside the Scout Camp commemorating the site where Detective Christie, Mounted Constable Arthur and two other police found James Paterson Wilson in possession of an unlicensed still on 19th November, 1893. | MAP |
WHISKEY CREEK ROADContinue along Brucknell Road and turn left into Whiskey Creek Road. When you come to Whiskey Creek ( Vic Roads, Map 91, F 10 ) you will find a plaque on the Eastern side of the roadway. It was near this site in May 1894 that “Whiskey Tom” Delaney and Jim Love were found operating an illicit still. | MAP |
CURDIE VALE (BOGGY CREEK)Continue driving a short distance South to the Sportsman Arms Hotel at Curdie Vale ( known to most in the district as the Boggy Creek Hotel ). It was here that Detective Christie often slept in the tank room or harness room, gathered more information and supplies before tramping the district disguised as a tinker. A plaque has been erected here as part of the trail. | MAP |
GREAT OCEAN ROADLeave the Boggy Creek Hotel and travel West along Boggy Creek Road to the Great Ocean Road and “Delaney’s Corner.” It was here in March 1881 and again in September 1887 that an illicit was found operating in Farrell’s Paddock on the Southern corner. (REF:Vic Roads, Map 91, E, 10) . A Whiskey Trail plaque has been erected here beside the Delaney Family plaque. | MAP |
ALLANSFORDYou can then drive into Warrnambool via Allansford (where it is alleged that Whiskey Tom Delaney was once pulled up by two mounted police in the dark but fled and hid his precious whiskey in a nearby quarry). | MAP |
WARRNAMBOOLAt the Warrnambool Cemetery you will find the grave of “Whiskey Tom” Delaney who passed away in 1912. A plaque has been placed on his grave. | MAP |
KOROITFrom Warrnambool you can continue your drive West to Koroit and visit the site of the former Koroit Racecourse (Vic Roads, Map 89, G, 6). Travel North about 5 kms along the Koroit – Woolsthorpe Road to the former racecourse. A plaque here recognises the fact Whiskey Tom’s “Mountain Dew” was on sale at the Koroit Races. | MAP |
WOODFORDReturn to Koroit and turn left along the Mailors Flat Road to the Caramut Road, turn right and a very short distance later, turn left and travel to Woodford. A plaque has been erected in Merri Street, where the former Welcome Hotel of Job Wines, sold the “celebrated Nirranda Whisky” was on sale (April 1881). | MAP |
MortlakeOn traveling to nearby Bushfield turn left onto the Mortlake Road and travel to Mortlake. It was here in May 1895 that Detective Christie and police located a still operated by Thomas Thulborn (REF: Vic Roads, Map 90, E 3) near the former common and racecourse. A plaque has yet to be erected in Mortlake where the last of the whiskey stills in South West Victoria were found. | Map |
TerangTravel South East to Terang and at the cemetery you will find the burial place of James Paterson Wilson (Vic Roads, Map, Page 244, just below the “Lake Terang Dry” note). You have now completed the Whiskey Trail. This trail can be picked up from numerous points depending on your destination and direction of travel. | MAP |
FURTHER INFORMATIONUseful reading material relating to the making of illicit whiskey in South Western Victoria from the late 1870’s through to 1895 is from the following :
Enquiries - Alan Hart. E-mail - ahsarge@dodo.com.au. © 2003 - 111 whiskeystills.org - All Rights Reserved |