On 17 March 1836, the surveyor Thomas Livingston Mitchell set out on an expedition from Boree Station with 25 men, 2 boats, a train of bullock carts and a herd of at least 100 cattle, which were to be used for food when wild animals were scarce. On his arrival at the site of the future village the local Aboriginals informed Mitchell that the area next to the Murray River was called Gol Gol. Mitchell generally used Aboriginal names when marking his maps as he felt that a map was more useful if settlers could ask the local inhabitants for help. When Mitchell returned to his base camp on the 4 June 1836 he passed on the name of Gol Gol to his superiors.
Township development
In 1865 a survey was initiated to determine the site for the township of Gol Gol and was completed in February 1866. The area proclaimed as the site for the township of Gol Gol was notified on 15 June 1886 in the Government Gazette for the township. Although Government sales began in March 1871 it was almost a decade before allotments in the village were occupied. A Post Office was opened in 1877 and closed in 1879. Subsequently, a Post Office existed from 1885 to 1887, 1902 to 1919, then from 1927 until the present. Early settlers lived in crude dwellings along the banks of the river. These dwellings were made from Mallee boughs and branches covered with mud and bags. Others lived in tents, struggling to earn a living due to the harsh conditions. Gradually facilities improved with the progression of communication and transport making necessary goods and materials more readily available. In October 1881, Gol Gol was described as an under-developed township on the river Murray, populated by six families with about 25 children. The population increased steadily, especially after 1907 as a result of development of irrigation works in the area and the expansion of nearby Mildura in Victoria. By 1917 Gol Gol had become "a suburb of Mildura" and the community continued to progress and become less isolated.
Gol Gol today
Gol Gol currently has a population of about 1500 people. Within the township there is a hotel, garage, general store, primary school and pre-school. The major industry of the area is irrigated horticulture, with the primary crops being citrus, vegetables and grapes. Gol Gol has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Millewa Football League.
