About me
I am a white settler historian who has lived on Waywurru and Taungurung country for over 25 years. In recent years, I have worked as a consulting historian and ethnohistorian on over 150 cultural heritage management projects across Victoria and New South Wales. I have published a number of refereed journal articles and book chapters, including ‘Mogullumbidj: First People of Mount Buffalo’, Victorian Historical Journal, (91[1], 2020). In 2022-2023 I was engaged as one of two nominated experts to produce the five volume report Ngurai-ilam, Waywurru and Dhudhuroa: Their socio-political identity and interrelationships, country and ancestors, to assist the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Federal Court of Australia. I also undertook the history research for the nomination of the Beechworth Heritage Precinct to the Register of the National Estate, which was listed 16 August 2024. This had facilitated Beechworth’s inclusion in the Central Goldfields of Victoria UNESCO World Heritage bid. In 2025 I filmed as a guest historian on the SBS series Who do you think you are?
I am a full professional member of the Professional Historians Association of Australia. I hold a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) degree, and a PhD in Australian history. I currently live in Benalla, Victoria.
Circa 1840 
Hi Jacqui. It would be great if you set up a Facebook page dedicated to this blog. That way we would straightaway find your latest blog when you shared a link to it on the page. It is great work and deserves the wider audience social media brings.
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PS If you don’t know how to do that I can set one up for you in 10 minutes 🙂
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Thanks very much Michael. I will endeavour to do so before my next post, and let you know.
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Hi Michael. You can find the Facebook page ‘Life on Spring Creek’ now. Thanks for the encouragement.
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Hi Jacqui, Can you email me?
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Yes Rod. 🙂
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Happened upon this blog – and love it. Do you still have your FB page?
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Hi Helen. Yes, there is a Life on Spring Creek facebook page too. Cheers!
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Have you explored the actual people that discovered gold in Ovens…I’m related to Andrew Black – brother-in-law to William Howell – who is documented as being in 2 parties that found gold. Andrew was working with David Reid fro 1841 and would like to know of his life – possibly as a storekeeper supplying miners with Reids or just after they left the area in 1853 ????
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Hi Lindsay, I haven’t come across Andrew Black before, but if you would like to share what you do know already about him by emailing me (jacqui@jacquidurrant.com), I would be happy to keep and eye out of anything relevant! I haven’t focussed on the gold discovery much, but I do know that gold was maybe first discovered when Reid was building his mill on the Yackandandah Creek.
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Hi Jacqui
Could you email me re Beechworth grape and wine history.
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jacqui@jacquidurrant.com
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Jacqui, have just come across your work on Omeo tribe boundaries that I am still absorbing. After seeing you use my Tambo Crossing article I thought to congratulate you on your work and wondered whether you would be interested in corresponding over a few small matters. Peter
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Hi Peter, when I undertook that work, I did not realise it would be posted on line. In any case, I’m happy to correspond. Email: jacqui@jacquidurrant.com
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Hi Jacqui, love your work! Rachel
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