"There's gold in them there hills.... " a Pilgrim's Rest Travel Page by Ash59

It all started with a man and a wheelbarrow....

A prospector called Alec Patterson carried all his belongings in wheelbarrow, hence his nickname of "Wheelbarrow" Alec. In 1873, he discovered the first Alluvial gold in the stream that runs through the valley. This then lead to the gold rush that resulted in the small town of Pilgrims Rest being built. Comprising of approx 1800 people, after the mining stopped in 1972, the main source of income now is tourism, so there are hotels, restaurants, a few shops and lots of stalls selling local produce.

In 1986, the entire town was declared a National Monument as a living memory of the gold rush days of the late 1800s, early 1900s, so everything is kept spick and span.