This is where it all began for Beaufort.
Gold was discovered at this point in 1852 and the area was named Yam Holes, as it was reported that there was native yam found here. It was a relatively small goldfield and the township of Beaufort did not exist at this stage.
Two years later, in 1854, gold was discovered in the Main Lead and Raglan areas (known as the Fiery Creek diggings). This was the big gold rush for the district, and Raglan became the main township in 1855.
The township of Beaufort was named in 1858, in the honour of Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857), who introduced the Beaufort Scale of Wind Force to the Royal Navy (this scale is still used today).
Beaufort became the major town of the district following the arrival of the telegraph in 1860. By 1861, the population of Beaufort was 1,216, with only 354 being women.
Yam Holes is not a pretty area at the moment. Pine trees have been planted and harvested in the diggings, and the area has since been abandoned, leaving fallen timber lying on the ground amongst pine regrowth, and allowing some gorse bush to thrive. The area unfortunately attracts the occasional rubbish dumper too.
Despite this, we feel that the historical value of this area should not be lost and have therefore chosen to hide a cache here. You can walk amongst the large crater the diggings have formed and appreciate the efforts made to dig deep for gold.
Please be careful where you walk, especially if you have children with you.
Please note: This cache is NOT at the top level of the diggings. Find a way to walk in. Do not risk falling or creating erosion by trying to scramble down steep embankments.
Parking Waypoint 1: Is about 200metres in along a dirt track off Cemetery Road. The cache is about a 150m walk from this waypoint. It is not recommended that you drive the tracks beyond this waypoint.
Parking Waypoint 2: In wet weather (or if you feel your car cannot handle the dirt track to Waypoint 1), you may prefer to park on Cemetery Road and walk in to the cache via Waypoint 1.