A Golden Heritage
The origins of Golden Square
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It was in the middle of the 19th century and civilization of Victoria's inland was restricted to a few sheep grazing runs that stretched over much of the colony. These huge enterprises required outposts of shepherds or flock masters to keep watch over the free wandering stock as fencing was considered unnecessary in those times. 
The only threat to the recently introduced flocks of  sheep were a few native dogs and the occasional attack by the wandering tribes of aboriginal inhabitants of the inland of Australia. These strange animals were a culinary diversity to their usual diet and the skins made comfortable clothing in the colder winter months.
 
  It was at one of these  outposts on what was known as the Ravenswood Run that a  hut was occupied in 1839 by a  shepherd  who, the overseer Tom Myers, nicknamed 'Bendigo' because he was handy with his fists and idolized the famous Nottingham prize-fighter William Abednego Thompson  Whose name was derived from the biblical characters Shadrack, Meschack and Abednego and was corrupted to Bendigo because of his 'bendy legs' crouch in the ring. The area became known as Bendigo's Creek and it was here 11 years  later in the spring
  of 1851 that two women, Mrs. Margaret  Kennedy and Mrs. Farrell, discovered gold at "The Rocks' where the reef traverses the watercourse. 

The site is now marked by a plaque in Maple Street just 100 metres from the Wade St oval and a marble obelisk on High Street commemorates the discovery. 
At that time the whole area was covered in golden wattle, and was truly 'Golden' above and below ground.
Acacia Floribunda is now our National Floral Emblem.
This discovery along with others around the same time established the newly named Golden Square as a catalyst for the Gold Rush Era to Victoria which created the largest emigration  the nation has ever seen. 
First came the alluvial prospectors, then the miners, when it was found that gold was also deep below.
  These mining operations created  huge amounts of by-products of treated ore in the form of mullock ,sand and slum that were dumped in vast amounts in areas around Sandhurst, as Bendigo was then known.
  One of these areas was known as Allingham's Sand Dump after the proprietor of the battery used to treat the ore, and was situated in wasteland which was formally part of the meanderings of the aforementioned creek.

This photo from 1926 depicts the raised area of sand on the right that was later levelled to become the Wade St Oval

On December 9th 1926, at a meeting called to form a Golden Square Progress Association ,it was suggested to ask the Bendigo City Council to try to establish a sports ground on the now unused sand dump. Permission had to be obtained from the Mines Department who then controlled the land.
  This finally occurred and the residents set about to level the site by working bee. Over 100 turned up in preparation for the monumental task with shovels, planks, wheelbarrows, hand trolleys, rails, and horse and drays. After much toil it was decided the task was too great and a better way had to be found.
  A huge bazaar was held to raise funds to let the task by tender, This of course would have involved most of the local women in the making of produce and fineries as well. It was a huge success and the job was let to a contractor Mr. W.Dole & Son with his team of horses and equipment to finish the task.  The City Council provided 800 loads of topsoil to enable the planting of grass and a wooden fence was erected to form the oval in 1932.
This paved the way to form the Golden Square Football Club and the South Bendigo Cricket Club changed it's name to Golden Square and turf wickets were placed in the centre of the oval. The first change shed was a small wooden structure on the eastern side of the oval near the swimming pool and tennis courts which is now the back green of the bowls club. 

In 1952 a more substantial clubhouse was moved from the Upper Reserve Oval (QEO) to become the new headquarters of the Club. A kiosk and female toilet was added to the structure, which for over twenty years, was a Mecca for some memorable times.
  In 1971 the Club decided that the present confined oval was too small for senior football and a delegation met with the Bendigo City Council on site to try and resolve the issue.

  A challenge was set that if the club could convince three property holders along Maple Street to sell part of their backyards then they would consider enlargement. The Football Club would also have to provide labour to remove the existing fence and replace with a steel chain wire fence around the enlarged area. A High barrier behind the goals also being a part of the conditions of the agreement along with extensive drainage from the properties involved.
  The challenge was met by Arthur Doye and Col Pinal. Neville Howell surveyed  and set out the oval to be the same length as the famous MCG and with the help of  a small party of veteran volunteers consisting of  Abb Doye, Wally Hansford and Jeff Dennis  the present oval became a reality.