The LEAR Family at Eaglehawk

It is not known why William LEAR from Bitton UK moved from Tasmania to Eaglehawk accompanied by his second wife, Mary Pearsall (nee Holmes) several of her children. His daughter Nancy LEAR is presumed to have accompanied them as she married in the area in 1849.

William purchased the Parkins Reef Goldmine at Maldon which he operated for some time. He was stated on his death certificate to be a Baker.

 His brother Samuel LEAR joined him some time later and died in the mine.

Eaglehawk is an old goldmining town which was declared an independent borough in 1862 and which remained so until the early 1990s. It is now part of the greater area of Bendigo. Locals are very much aware of the goldmining past and a strong working-class settlement and photographs of the town's past are displayed in local business premises. It is located 157 km north-west of Melbourne

This area was once occupied by the Neangar Aboriginal tribe. The Eaglehawk gold rush began in 1852 when Joseph Crook found a nugget while searching for some stray horses. An Eaglehawk flying near his claim was allegedly the source of the town's name.

At the peak of the goldrush the population reached 40 000 although the alluvial gold was already largely exhausted by 1853. This led to the establishment of quartz-crushing reef mines. 300 tonnes of gold were ultimately extracted from the subterranean shafts although working conditions for the miners were appalling. The mines essentially ceased operations in the 1890s although there were periods of renewed activity until the 1950s.

The LEAR Family in Bendigo is tied to that of the Pearsall Family but little is known of the Pearsalls at this time. Several Pearsalls are buried in the LEAR family plot in Bendigo. A photo of the plot can be found .......here. A link to the Pearsall family website can be found in our Link Page.