When we think of caves we usually think of limestone caves with beautiful formations.

The Melville Caves are not limestone, they are a collection of huge granite boulders sitting on the top of a massive granite tor in the Kooyoora State Park.

It is the spaces between these huge boulders which form the ‘caves’ or ‘cavities’, however, the cavities are, in fact, a series of large fissures which have formed in the weathered granite.

The Melville Caves as were visited recently by Jennifer and I are a series of huge granite boulders that are said to be once used as a hideout by the bushranger Captain Melville.

Gold was discovered north of Melville Caves, near Wedderburn, in 1852 and as such, prospectors flooded into the area causing the large pastoral estates to be broken up into smaller holdings.

During this period, bushranger ‘Captain Melville’ (nee Frank McCallum) is thought to have used the caves as a camp and a vantage point owing to their elevation which facilitates excellent views down over the flat plains to the south, along which gold-bearing coaches travelled.

He conducted raids at numerous points throughout Western and South-Western Victoria and once made off with five billy-cans full of gold dust which were never recovered.

They are thought to be buried at Mt Arapiles which is located West of Horsham.

‘Melville’ was caught on Christmas Eve, 1852, and was found dead in his cell in 1857and his death was recorded as suicide.

From 1852 to 1883 the region yielded 369 nuggets weighing over 1.5 kg and the bulk were found between 1854 and 1857, including the Blanche Barkly nugget at Kingower, weighing 49.5 kg.

Two other nuggets weighing over 30 kg were found at Rheola, to the immediate south of the Caves. Goldmining occurred within the bounds of what is now Kooyoora State Park and relics of the associated settlement are to be found in the eastern section.

PS: We found a small amount of gold in quartz rock on this visit to the region on the road leading from a nearby abandoned mine.