In the 1840s, the Yuille cousins, who were the first colonists to own land in the region of Ballarat, operated their farm from the rich alluvial plain at the base of Black Hill and south of the Yarrowee River. According to historian Weston Bate, the soil was often considered the best in Victoria.Bate, Weston. Lucky City: The First Generation at Ballarat 1851-1901 (1978) This area later became known as Black Hill Flats. The discovery of gold in 1851 led to heavy immigration. Although mining started at Golden Point, within a year the focus shifted to Black Hill Flats. In 1854, in their resistance to an arbitrary tax, gold miners in the area came into armed conflict with the authorities in what became known as the Eureka Rebellion.
