Cache #3
Please if approaching from Albury (the east) do not turn around on top of the hill – I have provided a safe turn around location a bit further west (I will put a cache here if this will attract more people). Park on the north side of the road – do not turn at the top – this is potentially dangerous and I will archive the cache if it is not accessed properly.
Dights Hill is the western limit of Albury City Council on the Riverina Highway. It is named after John Dight who was born on September 2, 1808 at Richmond, NSW. He became one of the pioneers of the Albury district - he and his brother Charles took up the Bungowannah Station (just to the west of this cache) in around 1837. This was almost certainly on the advice of the explorer Hamilton Hume (who was married to John’s sister, Elizabeth).
In 1839 he purchased land on the Yarra River and established Melbourne’s first water-powered flour mill at Yarra Bend, where Dights Falls still perpetuate the name. There is an Earthcache (GC67G2C) at this location in Melbourne. When he died in April 1867 the Border Post stated in his obituary “Mr. Dight amassed it large fortune; and if not exactly a colonial millionaire, he was able to count his possessions by several hundreds of thousands.” There are a number of locations in the Albury and Jindera (which was formerly called Dight’s Forest) area bearing his name.
Splitters Creek Series
Splitters Creek is a rural community located to the west of Albury (right on the local council boundary). It is mainly rural residential lots, with tracks up to the nearby hills but there is a Rural Fire Station and Community Centre, plus a local winery. Not certain of the derivation of the name (the creek itself runs through the valley) but I assume it is to do with early timber harvesting (rather than anything to do with the Judean People's Front). If I track down any further history I will update the profile.
Despite there being a number of caches in the nearby Wonga Wetlands, I was surprised when there were none in Splitters Creek itself. This series is an attempt to fill that gap – may add some later if I can find some more suitable locations.
Please be careful with kids and dogs at these sites – I have tried to keep them near safe parking spots, but the Riverina Highway in particular is a busy road. Watch out for snakes in the right weather as well.
All are small caches of the same design – only colour will vary.
Have Fun
FTF - Congratulations bucrog52