Walhalla is a former goldfields town in Victoria’s high country, with a rich and colorful past that has managed to stay stuck in time. It is a fascinating and provoking place to visit.
The first striking feature of the visit was the visually stunning autumn ambience of the town. The creek, the rocks, the foliage and leaves provided rich colors and made one think fondly of forest walks with a warm cocoa.
After this you are struck by the historical buildings, a nod to yesteryear and the town’s rich but former past. Echoes of a prosperity long gone permeate the silence of the now mostly empty buildings. Thoughts are evoked of what the former glory of this place must have been like.
Walhalla Chronicle Portrait
Carpenters and Undertakers Building
Lastly, a visit to the town’s cemetary evokes a creeping sadness that the only evidence of the formerly living are old and decaying headstones. Wandering around the grounds and seeing family tomb stones with young children duly noted make one wonder if this town was an unforgiving place.
We certainly are fortunate to have history preserved in this place and to be inspired to ponder the realities of living here in that bygone era. The results of that pondering are evocative and reflective and that alone, makes this place worth a visit. You feel like you snuck into history, which you had to respectfully leave just as the former residents left it, when you re-enter the current time.
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