events.

History

Although Newstead is located in the Victorian Goldfields, the settlement began as a crossing-place on the Loddon River (known as "Mingus's crossing-place") on the way to the nearby Castlemaine and Mount Alexander diggings. A very early business at the crossing-place was a "refreshment tent" operated by Thomas Jones (probably established in about 1853-4). The refreshment tent, called the "Bullock Drivers' Home", was primarily a sly-grog shop (for which Jones was charged on several occasions), but also incorporated

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