Mount Egerton

Mount Egerton is a historic gold mining town in Victoria, Australia.

Mount Egerton is a historic gold mining town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the mountain by the same name in the Shire of Moorabool local government area, 97 kilometres (60 mi) north west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2016 census, Mount Egerton had a population of 582.It was named after settler George Egerton.The town's main street is Main Road which consists of the historic gold mine and battery, general store (now closed), and hall. The town also contains a primary school and recreational reserve.

George Egerton held approximately 35,000 acres of stock farming land in 1838 which to outsiders was known simply as "Egerton's run".The discovery of gold in 1853 by Alexander Russell and George Grell saw a gold rush in 1854 as placer mining took place along All Nations Gully and West Gully. A rich reef was found at the hill crest in 1856 and an underground mine was established. The Post Office opened on 1 February 1856. The town population swelled to 600, several companies had established mines including the Black Horse and the town was home to banks and several hotels.

The main mine was sold to Thomas and Smerville Learmonth in 1863 and became known as "Learmonth's Claim".

St Francis Xavier was built in 1868 by settler Thomas Thyne. Mt Egerton Primary School began taking enrolments on 6 November 1877.Although sustained mining occurred through the 19th Century, a decline in gold output caused a general decline in the town and it gradually decreased in size while many of the district's buildings and homes were abandoned until mining operations finally ceased in 1910 having produced a total gold output valued at around 2 million pounds.The post office closed in 1993. In 1996 the general store was redeveloped into a fish and chip shop, liquor store and laundromat, with the old bank being removed to make way. The shop closed in May 2010, and the premises are now used as a private residence.

In 2011, proposals were submitted for a wind farm and telecommunications towers both of which have met some community opposition. WestWind Energy has proposed the Moorabool Wind Farm, a 330MW, 107 turbine facility in the vicinity of the town.