Happy Valley, Victoria (Golden Plains Shire)

Happy Valley Victoria
Happy Valley Location in Golden Plains Shire
Coordinates	37°43′12″S 143°36′20″E
Population	85 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	3360
LGA(s)	Golden Plains Shire
State electorate(s)	Eureka Ripon
Federal division(s)	Wannon
Localities around Happy Valley: Linton Snake Valley Scarsdale Skipton Happy Valley Piggoreet Mannibadar Cape Clear Springdallah

Happy Valley is a locality in the Local Government Area of the Golden Plains Shire. It shares the same name with Happy Valley in Northern Victoria.[2]

Happy Valley is a former gold mining town 28 kilometres (17 mi) south-west of Ballarat that is now only a rural locality.

History

Gold was discovered in the area, originally called "Wardy Yallock" (thought to have meant "winding yellow river" of Aboriginal origins) in 1849 as part of the Australian gold rushes, with intensive mining beginning in 1853.[3] The Aboriginal name is also given as Molong ghip.[4] Mining Continued until the 1900s. The naming comes from the amount of gold found in the area.[5]

Demographics

Year	Population
1871	512
1891	239
1911	135
1933	69
1954	25
2016	85

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Happy Valley (Golden Plains - Vic.) (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
3. http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/806766 Bailliere’s Victorian gazetteer (1865)
4. "Native names of hills, rivers, lakes, and other natural features in Victoria" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
5. "Happy Valley | Victorian Places".