Irishtown, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Irishtown
state = vic

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caption =
lga = Shire of Mount Alexander
postcode = 3451 [cite web|title="Postcode Search|url=http://www1.auspost.com.au/postcodes/index.asp?Locality=Irishtown&sub=1&State=VIC&Postcode=&submit1=Search|publisher=Australia Post]
est =
pop =
elevation=
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov =
fedgov =
dist1 = 114
dir1 = NW
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 13
dir2 = S
location2= Castlemaine
dist3 = 51
dir3 = S
location3= Bendigocite web|title=travelmate.com.au|url=http://www.travelmate.com.au/MapMaker/mapmaker.asp]
near-n = Fryerstown
near-ne = Fryerstown
near-e = Fryerstown
near-se = Glenluce
near-s = Glenluce
near-sw = Vaughan
near-w = Vaughan
near-nw = Yapeen

Irishtown is a locality near Castlemaine in Victoria, Australia. It is noted for heritage sites associated with the Victorian Gold Rush, near or within the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. These include the Red Hill hydraulic gold sluicing site and the Burying Flat Cemetery, also known as Deadmans Gully Burial Ground. [cite web|title=Heritage Register|publisher=Heritage Victoria|url=http://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/index.asp| Victoria|accessdate=2008-03-29]

A rush began to New Year's Flat on Fryers Creek on New Years Day, 1853. The rush was described by a digger as "the most animated sight of those stirring times that I ever witnessed". [cite web|title=Beneath our Feet - The Early Years|url=http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/DPI/nrenmp.nsf/FID/-8B5B2CF1F7A00BBACA256CF00013AFE7?OpenDocument|publisher=Department of Primary Industries|accessdate=2008-03-30] The settlement arose nearby, and the Shamrock Hotel, an establishment reportedly frequented by "wild men" was subsequently built on the Vaughan Road.cite book|author=Brown, G.O.|title=Reminiscences of Fryerstown|year=1985] A Catholic Church was consecrated in 1865, the building existing until 1956 when it was demolished.

References