NORTH EAST VICTORIA HISTORIC MINING PLOTS
1850-1982
Historic Notes
BEECHWORTH GOLDFIELD
DATE HISTORY: ·
1852: First discovery on present site of Beechworth, February 1852.1
1853: Woolshed (part of Reedy Creek, about 6 km below Beechworth) opened 1853 - extraordinarily rich by 1855 - township extended for 2_ miles, but almost deserted within a few years.2
1855: Discoveries of new fields at Eldorado in 1855 and Wooragee (Magpie Creek), north of Beechworth, in 1856.3
1856: Small party cut a tail-race from the Spring Creek falls up to the alluvial flats on Spring Creek, east of Beechworth, then virtually abandoned, 1856 (future Rocky Mountain Co. claim) - had been held in very small claims and worked by sinking and driving, then tub-and-cradled - tail-race 20 chains long, blasted 2-8 ft deep through rock - took 18 months to complete, cost £3,000 - not deep enough to drain deepest ground - much gold left behind.4
1859: Spring Creek, 1859 - called Spring Creek above the Upper Falls and Woolshed Creek below the Lower Falls - originally worked in paddocks - slabs and bark used to prevent sides falling in - then worked over again with sluice-boxes - now being worked for third time, by improved sluicing methods.5
1860: 2,310 European miners, 2,139 Chinese6
- Upper Three-Mile Creek worked since 1852 - now chiefly taken up by Chinese, sluicing (likewise Lower ThreeMile/Bowman's).7
1861: Battery of 16-head, 15-hp steam engine erected at Two-Mile Reef, 1861.8 · The 'great' Excelsior tail-race, Reid's Creek, being extended by blasting through tough granite, 15 ft deep, 1861.9
1861: Bawden's (or Rawden's) Steam Co., Woolshed, 1861 - 'have given up the system they first adopted, of ground sluicing their claim, and in consequence of having little or no fall to work upon, lifting up the tailings and water by buckets on an endless band of vulcanised India rubber some 15 ft and discharging it over the bank into the creek; they now only lift the water and bank up the tailings as well as they can.'10
1861: German and Durham crushing machine, 2-Mile Creek, 1861 - 12-head, 12-16 hp engine.11
1861-62: European miners leaving for the Lachlan and New Zealand, 1861-2 - Chinese taking over ground.12
1864: March 1864: 2,048 sluice-boxes, 181 sluices and toms, 21 waterwheels on alluvial, 17 steam engines on alluvial, 3 on quartz, 4 puddling machines, 1 hydraulic hose.13 Rush of about 150 Chinese to Magpie Creek and Wooragee Flat,
1864 - all surfacing and sinking down to 40 ft.14
1865: Bowman's Forest quartz crushing mill (Bolam and Wood) moved to Wooragee reefs, 1865.15 Wooragee Flats (Magpie and Wooragee creeks), 1865 - Chinese the envy of European miners, now flocking to spot - mining there on private land.16
June 1866: 725 European alluvial miners, 936 Chinese - 180 quartz miners. Chinese predominate at Woolshed, Spring Creek, and Three-Mile Creek - Magpie Creek exclusively Chinese.17
June 1866: 3,200 sluice-boxes, 170 sluices and toms, 60 suction and elevator pumps, 16 hydraulic hoses, 13 steam engines on alluvial, 9 puddling machines, 27 water wheels on quartz, 1 steam engine on quartz.18 Historic Mining Sites Assessment Project: Beechworth goldfield 2
1866: Wooragee, 1866 - many Chinese miners get 30 or 40 oz per week from claims. · Spring Creek reefs (eg. Canadian Reef, Madman's Gully) again getting attention, 1866 - abandoned about 3 years ago.19 Reefs at Wooragee are all one reef - a continuation of Homeward Bound, etc., on Twist's Creek side of range.20
1867: Rocky Mountain Gold Sluicing Co., 1867 - to increase depth of tail-race another 8-10 ft, to work deep ground higher up the Spring Creek valley - tailrace extended by 450 yards - cost £3,000.21
1867: Beechworth Division, 1867: 3,100 sluice-boxes at work - only 6 puddling machines. 1,538 alluvial miners (560 European, 978 Chinese), 130 quartz miners. Stanley: 12 puddling mills, 1 steam-powered battery.22
1867: Cement claims at Sebastopol, 1867—gold and tin.23
1868: Ah Gee & Co. among quartz miners at Six-Mile Creek, 1868.24
1869: Hunt's diamond machine washing tailings from Finn's old claim at the Woolshed, 1869—most diamonds in district found.25 Discovery of large quantities of stream tin at Pilot Range, north of Beechworth-Chiltern road, 1869.26
1870’s: Woolshed and tributaries, 1870s—in wet seasons, tin more profitable than gold—every creek and gully from both sides of ranges contains black sand— 'tin streaming' will provide work for years to come.27
1870: Heaviest floods since gold discovered, winter 1870—creek claims washed out, but tailings accumulations washed away and tail-races cleared.28
1871: Donald Fletcher's tail-race, Pennyweight Flat, rivals that of Rocky Mountain Co. Rocky Mountain Co.'s tail-race just completed—half a mile long—cost £10,000—14 ft deep (on average), 6 ft wide, through granite—'This is, without doubt, the greatest undertaking of the kind in the colony.' 29 'The miners have conveyed water in numerous races from the heads of the streams to their claims in the lower parts of the district, and an immense quantity of gold has been got out of the alluviums. Perhaps no part of the colony - not even Ballaarat - shows more remarkably the energy and activity of the mining population than this area [Beechworth-Yackandandah].'30
1872: Two quartz prospecting associations started, 1872—'on account of a general feeling in the public mind that the future prosperity of the goldfield must depend on quartz mining.'31 Woolshed creeks and gullies being worked for tin,
1872—much water—very profitable.32
1869-76: 6,500 oz obtained from Rocky Mountain claim - £7,000 in dividends. As sluicing operations proceeded higher up the creek valley, ground became deeper and richer - tail-race no longer adequate - decided to cut a tunnel through granite from a point about 200 yards below the Newtown Falls to company’s workings, east of town. Company reorganised as Rocky Mountain Extended Gold Sluicing Co. - increased capital to £26,000 - adjacent claims purchased and amalgamated under a new lease.33
1876-78: Basin Creek reefs (where?), 1876-8 - Caledonian, North-eastern, and near the Kangaroo Springs.34
1877-78: Summer of 1877-8 - driest season on record.35
1877-1890: Rocky Mountain Co. produced 308 kg gold. Operations dogged by dry seasons and lack of water - paid first dividend (3s per share) after wet season of 1887-8 - ceased operating in 1890? 36
1876-9: Rocky Mountain tunnel cut - 3,600 ft long, 6 ft high, in some places as much as 150 ft below surface - cost £12,000.37
Life on Spring Creek (Beechworth)
https://lifeonspringcreek.com/2016/12/29/mining-on-spring-creek-1852/
This blog post presents an eye-witness account of how gold was mined on Spring Creek (Beechworth) in the rush of 1852. If you want to know why the image of the solitary miner gently panning for gold by the side of the creek is a fallacy… read on.
This is a great post by Jacqui Durrant that describes working on the goldfields a few years before the arrival of Johann Georg Streitberger. Well worth a read (as are her other posts).
The Spring Creek Gold Mining and Amalgamating Company
1st of May 1861 Ovens and Murray Advertiser (see TROVE for that date)
[PROSPECTUS.]
THE SPRING CREEK Gold Mining and Amalgamating Company (LIMITED).
In 200 Skates of £5 each. £1 to be paid as deposit on application, and the remainder in Monthly Calls of £1 each.
IT is proposed to form a Co-operative Company. under. " Pyke'B Limited Liability Act," as above.
The origincl promoters ot this Company are thoroughly acquainted with the nature of the ground, having worked on if, and tbey know for a Certainty that a vast quantity of comprativelv rich ground remains unworked to the present time and which can only be removed in a systematic mining manner with the aid of efficient mechanical appliances. The ground is secured, and a valuable water right is in the immediate vicinity, and whioh will become the property of the Company. The moost of the working will be sluicing in the first instauca to secure the bulk of coarse gold, and one of Lyons and Hall's Patent Amalgamating Basins will be employed to sieve the fine gold which escapes from the sluicing boxes. The whole of tha ground, inclusive of the tailings ond headings on the surface ia more or less [narifwrnus]?, and will t rnisn profitable; employment for many men in proportion to the number of hands engaged for several years to come.
The advantage s to the Compary would be immediate, and would also materialy assist in developing the prosperity of Beechworth and the district generaly as no doubt so soon as this Company becomes an established fact, many similar undertakings will be formed upon the same basis. being well known to all practical miners that aa immense'quantity
of fine gold is hourly lost by the present mode of working
One third of the number of shares will be allotted to the original promoters, and two thirds sold to the public, and miners takihg shares will have a privilege of being employed as working shareholders at current wages - thus ensuring a certain quid pro quo in return tor their labour, and also a propartionate dividend on the amount of interest held by them as sleeping shareholders.
The cost of machinery. required and expense of erecting it, would not exceed £350) and supposing for example ten men were employed at 10s per diem, they would excavate and wash about 150 loads a day which, at an average of 2 dws. to the load, and this it is confidently asserted, will be found to be below the actual value as there are many blocks of rich grouad which have never yet been mined out, and will be found to yield from one up to five ounces to the load and it is also known to the projactors of this Company that there exists from twelve to fourteen feet or unworked gnund in depth which contains from three to six penny weights of goId to the load; however, to return to the first-named figure, we shall hare 150 x 2 -3 )0 or 5 ounces at £3 18s an ounce; deduct the cost of labour, water, and management, say eight pounds per diem, this would leave a dividend of five shillings and and eleven pence and a fraction upon each share, or two thousand per cent, upon the amount.
Astounding; as this result may appear, nevertheless the reward which await enterprise and industry when combined, and effectively prosecuted by the assistance of skill and mechanical appliances, together with economical management.
JOHN C.LYONS,
Russell's Creek (Gippsland)
There is a Russell's Creek that flows into the Loch River, roughly to the north west of Noojee. The Gippsland Times 18/7/1862 (see TROVE) has an extensive article on the gold fields in this area. I've included this in its entirety below. Note that:
- 1861 Letters were addressed to Johann Georg Streitberger via Snowy River (East Gippsland)
- The article below identifies German Gully in the diggings "The Shady Creek diggings, which now, with Russell's Creek, German Gulley, and the other auriferous tributaries of the Glengarry, is known as the Baw Baw diggings, was discovered by an assisted prospecting party, under the leadership of Mr. W. McCrea, in June 1860."
- The diggings were payable and extensive enough to attract a large number of people.
"TIHE HISTORY OF GIPPSLAND GOLD-FIELDS. No. III.
We have now spoken of all those diggings, which are situated on the north-eastern district of Gippsland, except those on Wombat Creek, a tributary of the Mitta Mitta, and, we believe distant from Omeo about thirty miles. These diggings were discovered last summer by some Omeo prospectors who were gold seeking on the Snowy Flat, which borders on the neighboring colony of New South Wales. Here as in all other Gippsland gold-fields, the digging is shallow and the metal is principally found in the beds of the creeks. We believe that there are about two hundred men at work, and that the average earnings is about 15s per day. It is expected that next summer will more fully develop these diggings, and miners say that an extensive gold field exists in that neighbourhood..
At present the miners suffer much from cold, and the working cannot be carried on with that energy which is necessary to ensure profitable returns. We must now take a vast stride over the numerous spurs of the Main Chain, rivers, creeks, and gulleys, all unprospected, to the Western diggings, situated on creeks and rivulets flowing into the Tyers and Glengarry. For some considerable period, it has been known that gold existed in the neighbourhood of the Western Ranges and about the latter end of 1859 a fair prospect was obtained on a tributary of the Tyers known as Bull Beef creek. Here Mr. Finlay having at a considerable expense, cut a race almost directly at the foot of the giant mountain, commenced washing the banks, nothing of any moment resulted, and this portion of the country was in a fair way of being again abandoned.
About this time, however, one of these peculiarly organised being who, having once taken an idea into their heads, adhere to it with a pertinacity which is often regarded as savouring of monomoniesm, appeared in the field. He was fully pursuaded that gold existed in the neighbourhood of Mount Baw-Baw, and find it he would. For weeks Mr. Gladman would leave the society of man and, with no other company but a little dog, and with no provisions but what was provided by his gun, he would roam about the dark frowning mountains, and with his dish, fossick in the beds of streams. Sometimes, Mr. Gladman would come down to Mr. Millar's at the Moe and get a little tea and sugar, and as suddenly disappear again. Nor was his labor without a reward; in January, 1860, he declared he had discovered a payable gold field on Good Luck Creek. To this creek there was an immediate rush of inexperienced miners principally from the neighbourhood of Tarraville and Port Albert, Melbourne too furnished its quota, but principally composed of men who desired to go to a .gold-field to live by any other means than hard work.
For the moment these diggings lost character and but one or two parties with more energy than the rest remained, and worked out their claims. Amongst these was Mr. John Russell who discovered Russell's Creek, where another rush took place in the latter end of the same year. These diggings were not however destined to be abandoned so quickly, as they are to this day, supporting a population of from 500 to 700 persons, and though very many grumblers are to be found there as well as every where else, the miners generally are earning fair wages, and are not much given to roaming. These diggings extend over a very large area, and. very much of the country remains as yet unprospected.
The Shady Creek diggings, which now, with Russell's Creek, German Gulley, and the other auriferous tributaries of the Glengarry, is known as the Baw Baw diggings, was discovered by an assisted prospecting party, under the leadership of Mr. W. McCrea, in June 1860. Mr McCrea started to prospect from the crossing near Mr. Browne's public house on the Melbourne road, to Mount Baw-Baw, and cut a track from Shady Creek to the Glengarry, he then proceeded through dense scrub to a spur leading from the dividing range to the river, at the foot of which he discovered Pheasant Creek, and having tested its richness he and his men took up a prospecting claim. Mr. McCrea immediately proceeded to Melbourne to resign his trust and register his claim with the nearest warden, this portion of Gippsland being then believed to be in the Castlemaine district. Whilst there, his c!aim was jumped by a party, amongst whom were the then mail contractors. After a considerable loss of time and expense, Mr. Carr, the Castlemaine warden, was brought to decide on the rights of the parties. This decision gave much displeasure as it merely amounted to a division of the ground, and was only done after the jumping party had divided something near £1,000 per man. Mr. McCrea brought his claim before Government, and was awarded £700 for his party.
The news of the richness of Pheasant Creek soon brought a large flock of miners from Melbourne, from whence goods were packed to the diggings, and consequently Pheasant Creek was soon worked out, the miners spreading themselves, and at last opening creeks and gullies, until they joined with, the Russell's Creek field. We cannot conclude this portion of our narration without bearing testimony to the never despairing energy of W. E. Gladman, for to his labor does the opening of that portion of the country belong. Wherever prospectors have wandered, Mr. Gladman's was to be found on some large tree, and we fully believe that if it was not for his perseverance, that no part of the Baw-Baw country would be explored up to this date. Mr. Gladman's claim for discovering a goldfield was recognised by the Government and he received a share of the reward fund.
A vast extent of country yet remains to be prospected, and we much doubt if the best portions have ever yet been disturbed by the pick and shovel. These diggings like all other Victoria gold fields have suffered somewhat from rushes to other colonies ; but it says much for their permanent features, that the miners here are of a less nomadic character than on any other Gippsland gold-fields. Russell's Creek is situated about twenty miles from the Moe crossing on the Melbourne road, and it says very little for those who represent the wants of the district that there is no bridge over the Glengarry which has to he crossed near Mr. Miller's, and over which the whole necessaries of seven hundred persons have to be taken.
The mail bags are crossed on a log often covered with water, and the river itself is sometimes for days together impassable. We believe that the neglect of the Government to these diggings as well as to others does much to prevent a large population settling there, and who can wonder at the continued emigration to New South Wales and New Zealand, when there is not a single yard of road yet made or cleared by Government to any diggings in Gippsland except to Omeo, where it was never asked for, nor never wanted. Victoria will yet mourn the loss of the best bone and sinew of her population, and when too late find that she cannot again recover that vitality which she has lost."
TANJIL HISTORICAL NOTES
The following is extracted from https://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/512247/Gippsland-Historic-Mining-Plots-1850-1980-Historic-Notes.pdf
Tanjil was generally spelt 'Tangil', throughout the period of mine surveyors' reports.
Gold found in Tanjil deep leads were very coarse, pieces of half an ounce and more being common.1
early 1850s: Vague reports of prospecting in Tanjil area - eg. John Buntine found traces of gold in
the Shady Creek in 1851, and Hugh Massey Stewart found gold in Bull Beef Creek
in 1856.2
1859: Baw Baw diggings (later Russell's Creek field), on Tanjil River, between Walhalla
and Neerim, discovered by Edward Gladman at Good Hope Creek - reward of £250 -
first payable gold in area, although much prospecting had taken place.3
1860-63: Good Hope rush gave impetus to prospectors - a government prospecting party from
Shady Creek, across Latrobe River, and into Hawthorn Creek, later found gold at Icy
Creek and Pheasant Creek (west of Fumina) - another party discovered Camp Creek
West (now Hill End; Camp Creek was then called Bowley or Middle Creek) -
Russell's Creek opened up in late 1860 by John Russell - other creeks worked
included Stony, Wombat, Hardup, Ross's, Kenny's, and Charity creeks.4
1860s: Main auriferous creeks were: Hawthorn, Boggy, Wild Bull, Camp, Stony, Snake,
Specimen, Doyle's, Pheasant, Kenny's, and Icy. Bed of Tanjil River extensively and
profitably worked in many places - also a number of small gullies falling into the
river between Icy and Russell's creeks. The shallow alluvial gold in the Tanjil district
was plentiful, easily obtained, 'and, in consequence, quickly worked out'.5
September 1860: Recent discoveries near Mt. Baw Baw. The route to the Mt. Baw Baw goldfields is
along the Gipps Land Road until the Tarwin is passed, beyond which by about 2
miles the road to the goldfields is to be found. Hawthorn Creek (the first gold
bearing country known on Mt. Baw Baw) is located approximately 8 miles SW of
Mt. Baw Baw. Pheasant or Salt Damper Creek situated approximately 5 miles S 80ยบ
W from Mt. Baw Baw. Pheasant Creek is of a nuggetty character and not at all water
worn.
6
November 1860: Approximately 300 miners at Mt Baw Baw goldfield.7
1861: Principal mining locality on the Baw Baw gold field was the Tanjil River, 16 km
south of Russell's Creek - first gold found at California Gully in 1861.8
1860s: Early alluvial miners dug a cutting across the river end of Long Point (site of Tanjil
township), to divert the Tanjil River - cutting now submerged by flooding of Blue
Rock Lake.9
1861: Fulton's Reef opened up on Russell's Creek - named for same prospector as Fulton's
Creek on the Aberfeldy.10
May 1863: Alluvial miners at Russell's Creek and Tanjil ('Yanyit') River getting £4-£9 per week
- mining population about 200.11
June 1863: Payable gold found on tributary of 'Gangil' River, known as Kenny's Creek - fine
gold.12
1864: A party of Chinese visited Russell's Creek and believed the prospects were good so
they proposed to bring up a large number of Chinese - did not stay because there was
no Chinese Reserve and therefore no protection.13
1864: Geraghty, Stewart, Ellis and Hopwood worked their claim on the Tanjil river bed by
diverting the stream with dams.14
1865: Cement Hill, a prominent hill near Tanjil township, was found to contain gold.15
1866: Miners prospecting Overland, Gumsucker and Pheasant Creek reefs - gold obtained,
but not sufficient to warrant erection of machinery.16
1867: Rush to Tanjil River - most miners on the Baw Baw diggings were occupied in
alluvial mining on the Tanjil.17
March 1867: Mining population of district was 230 (no Chinese) and steadily increasing - included
Neerim goldfield. Only machinery in district was eight waterwheels for working
Californian pumps. No quartz reefs at work. 'Although 5 distinct quartz reefs have
been proved to be auriferous, and several cement hills, it is generally thought they
could not at present be profitably worked.'18
June 1867: Find on supposed new creek - Lady Manners Sutton Creek - actually head of Charity
Creek. Alluvial workings on 'Jangil River' being developed.19
1867-9: Empire Reef discovered on west bank of Tanjil River, about 3 km south of Russell's
Creek - Kenyon and party erected puddling machine, then, as Gippsland Empire Co.,
installed a 5-head water-powered battery at end of 1868 - co. collapsed in 1869,
when dam broke.20
1867: Three companies at work on New Year Reef.21
1868: Pheasant Creek Reef opened late in 1868 - a company erected small battery and got
good returns for some years.22
1869: Reef prospected near Camp Creek.23
June 1869: At Cement Hill, miners were averaging £3 per week by sluicing the cement and
quartz wash - this mode of extraction is not profitable, as the gold is plainly visible in
it and the cement requires crushing. The cement is traced for a distance of 7 or 8
miles, averaging in thickness from 1 to 5 feet, and generally about 3 feet of wash
underneath.24
June 1869: Pheasant Creek Co. erecting plant. New Year's Reef Co. plans to erect small
battery.25
1869: Several companies formed to prospect and work Cement Hill - leading co. was Tanjil
Cement GMC - capital of £46,600, with shares selling at up to £400 each by early
1870 - erected 40-head battery (commenced crushing early 1870) and constructed
10km-long water race - companies adjoining Tanjil Cement lease were Bulgine,
Jumping Sailors, About Ship - soon amalgamated as Tanjil Golden Cement Co. -
further north was Young Ballarat Co.26
September 1869:Sixteen leased pegged out, besides 40 ordinary claims, on Tangil cement. No. 1
Tangil Cement GMC commenced operations - excavating for 40-head battery, to be
powered by water, 'an unlimited supply of which can always be obtained' - water race
under construction.27
December 1869: No. 1 Tangil Cement GMC awaiting first crushing. No. 2 Tangil Cement GMC
(Young Ballarat) erecting battery. Jumping Sailor (or Golden Cement GMC)
erecting 5-head battery.28
1869-70: Tanjil quickly developed into a township - the first real urban community in the
present Shire of Narracan - growth of access roads followed: dray road to Moe
upgraded, trade developed between Shady Creek and Tanjil, track cut between Tanjil
and Stringer's Creek.29
March 1870: Results of cement crushings was disappointing - mines might pay on tribute. More
attention now paid to quartz mining. New Year Co., Russell's Creek, erecting steampowered battery, also whim for haulage.30
June 1870: All cement claims, except Tangil Golden Cement, either suspended or abandoned.31
1870: By mid-1870 the 'golden cement' had proved incapable of rendering a quick return
for the expensive effort involved in prospecting and mining - miners began to leave
for fields with easier prospects, particularly the newly opened Stockyard Creek
(Foster) - crushing plants were dismantled and removed, buildings likewise - by end
of 1870, less than 60 people remained in area.32
March 1871: 'The fine plants erected some time ago to reduce the cement have been taken down,
and are now being carted to Melbourne.' Bridle track opened, connecting Russell's
Creek with the Yarra, via Pheasant and Hawthorne creeks and the heads of the
Latrobe River.33
1872: Great Extended Co. (Tanjil?) erected puddling machine - expect to keep about 20
men employed.34
1872-3: United Co-operative Co., on Columbia Reef, erected steam-powered battery in 1872 -
quartz proved to be moderately rich (1 oz/ton) but full of pyrites - crushing 'fair
average stone' late in 1873 - suspended work for lack of funds in 1874.35
1872-5: Pheasant Creek quartz prospectors sold their claim, plant, &c., to Cross Reef Co. -
drove a tunnel 200 ft below existing workings, for a distance of over 600 ft - first
crushing was so poor that mining ceased and company wound up - reef abandoned.36
1873: Party working Barker's Reef, on the Tangil River - sinking shaft.37
1874-5: Pioneer Co., Lower Tangil, erected puddling machine and whim - 'this company's
ground … [is] the only mine in the district in which payable prospects have been
obtained by sinking through bluestone' - stone not payable and insufficient funds to
adequately prospect ground - company wound up.38
1874-8: Pioneer Blue Rock Co. formed to prospect the Lower Tanjil deep leads - changed
name to Perseverance Co. in 1875, then to Lady Bowen Co. in 1878 - stopped work
in 1878, in preparation for working on a large scale, but nothing more was heard of
the plan.39
1875: Free and Easy Amalgamated (late Hungarian United Co., late Jumping Sailor)
working Cement Hill - proved unpayable.40
1875-6: Bates and Randall constructed water race a distance of one mile from the eastern
branch of Tangil River to Wombat Creek, for sluicing purposes, in 1875 - sluicers
making from 50s to 60s per week - rich ground worked out by mid-1876: 'The ground
sluicers are not doing so well as expected; in fact the most of them are at present off
gold.'41
1875-: Traralgon Co. began work again in Cement Hill - drove tunnels deep into hillside -
name changed to Tanjil GMC, 1877.42
1875: 'From ignorance of the true nature of the lead on the part of most of the residents in
the locality the ground intervening [Bailey's] claim and the abandoned workings near
the township was unworked' until Traralgon Co. prospected to find new run of gold.43
1876: Sluicers on Pheasant Creek making as much as £6 per week - ground worked out
within a few months. Hawthorn Creek ('the old creek') being sluiced - paying men
average £2 per week.44
1876: 'Work in this division has been about the same as usual during the quarter; the most
of the mining may be put under the head of fossicking.'45
1877: Party of four cutting a race to bring water from western branch of Tangil to Buckley's
Flat, for sluicing.46
1877: Old Columbia quartz claim (Buckley's Flat) taken up by Columbia GMC - drove a
tunnel 600 ft through very hard country - renamed Standard QMC, 1879.47
1878: Baw Baw Sluicing Co. formed to bring water to head of Russell's Creek from Icy
Creek - promises to open up a large tract of unworked country for hydraulic sluicing -
six miles of race completed by 1881 - planned to extend for a further six miles or
more, but stopped work by June 1881.48
1878: 'The present population is too poor to undertake anything that does not promise
immediate return. The district is so far unnoticed by mining capitalists…' 'Its
isolation from centres of civilisation, its mountainous character, and the dense growth
of scrub and timber, have kept it from the notice of capitalists. Those who won the
gold in the palmy days of the district dispensed it as freely as it was found, and left
when the shallow workings were exhausted. A small number still remain, earning a
livelihood and discovering occasional patches by fossicking the old gullies.' 'With
the exception of the cement lead at Tangil, and a few small quartz workings, the
diggings were all confined to the beds of the rivers and tributary creeks, or gullies.
No source or sources from which so large an amount of alluvial gold could have been
derived were discovered, or even sought for…'49
1879: Enterprise Co. formed to work old Empire lease (Western Branch Reef) and Long
Tunnel GMC took up old Tanjil Cement Co. lease - latter erected large battery (the
Pioneer) and build a race some miles long - heralded new rush to Tanjil - several
more companies formed, including Southern Cross Co. (near Tanjil), Overland Co.
(Russell's Creek), Standard Co. (8km from Tanjil - had large waterwheel, fed by long
race), Barker's Reef Co. (junction of Tanjil River and Russell's Creek), Jolimont Co.,
and Hudson Co. (Camp Creek).50
