A-Z Challenge: W for Whroo
I am back again for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge so have made the commitment to blog every day in April except the Sundays. Some bloggers choose a theme, and others do random posts. For me, a theme works better, so them I’ve chosen for 2016 is Towns in Victoria. I will be choosing towns with a relevance to my family history, where possible.
W is for Whroo, an old gold mining town near Rushworth in northern Victoria. Gold was discovered at Balaclava Hill, Whroo in 1854, causing an explosion in the population. Thousands of hopeful miners converged on Whroo. Many miners claims were made, but after four years most had left, the gold having been depleted.
photo: theage.com.au
One of the families that I am researching had many family members who were gold miners at Whroo, so I have done a little research on the area.
The old Whroo cemetery is fascinating to visit. It’s possible to see that joining of families that occured through marriage in the area. Very sad though, is to see the number of very young who died there. It was a tough existence there.
GEORGE HODGE, my family member died there aged just 36, and leaving a young family behind. He died of miner’s pthisis, which is caused by the dust from the mine getting into the lungs for a prolonged period.
photo: mmg.com.au
Description of Whroo in the Australian Handbook 1903. Photo:mmg.com.au
All that is left of Whroo today is signs of the diggings and the Balaclava Mine and the Whroo Cemetery.
source: victorianplaces.com.au
</a
Tracking Down The Family 
Wondering how Whroo got its name.
I knew there was something I forgot to include Jill. Whroo comes from the Aboriginal word meaning’Lips’, referring to a small basin in the area that held spring water. The ‘lips’ reference isn’t really clear to me – maybe the shape of the basin, or perhaps the relief to the lips of the spring water in the dry harsh conditions.
Thanks Jennifer.