Victor Szwed

The Wombat Post is publishing a series of articles to encourage you to explore our region and our amazing Shire.

Photos of objects, buildings, sculptures and scenery will be presented to challenge your knowledge and provoke yourinterest in our Shire. In some cases clues will be given to assist you. Answers will be provided the following week but this week we make an exception. The answer for the third photo below will be provided to give you a taste of the wonderful heritage of our region.

In future articles, we will visit other parts of our Shire. Why not travel around our Shire and explore? Have you been through Yandoit, Kingston and Spring Hill? Do you know where Kooroocheang, Mollongghip and Smokeytown are?

 

Photo 2: What building is this? Clue: Look up in Vincent Street.

 

Photo 3.  What building is this? Clue: Spring Creek watering hole.

 

Photo 4. This derelict Shed holds water no more.

Victor Szwed is a local resident who volunteers at the Daylesford Regional Visitor Information Centre.

Answer to Photo 3

The Savoia Hotel was built in 1870 as the Spring Creek Hotel. The Hepburn Mineral Springs Committee met there and lobbied for the protection of Springs resulting in the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve being set aside and protected. Gold mining had interfered with some of the mineral spring aquifers causing springs to stop flowing. Merv Keating ran the Hotel for the past 28 years as a traditional country pub. It was a vital part of the local community with Merv often acting as a social worker. It was truly a place for locals. The Italian Reading Room at the hotel was destroyed in the 1906 bushfire which devastated a large portion of Hepburn Springs including the Belinzona guest house which was again burnt down in 2003 and fortunately rebuilt.

 

Victor Szwed is a Daylesford resident who contributes regular columns to The Wombat Post.