Gold was discovered on One Tree Hill in 1854. The site has been worked intermittently until fairly recent times. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p53 Though still a working mine, One Tree Hill Mine at Smiths Gully, now stands in a tranquil reserve surrounded by bush and native animals - in contrast to its heyday. In the mid 19th century, when the mine was part of the Caledonia Goldfields, hundreds of men in search of their fortune worked the alluvial gold in the Yarra River, its tributaries and the reefs that made up the goldfields. Miner Stan Bone, assisted by Wilfred Haywood, is the last of the independent gold miners in the area and still uses the quartz crushing battery as miners did when gold was first discovered in the area in 1851.1 Stan, who is the last of six generations of miners in his family, was aged 17 when he began mining on his father Alex’ mine, The Golden Crown in Yarrambat. These days, after blasting the gold-bearing rock in Mystery Reef, one of the four reefs at One Tree Hill, Stan transports it around five kilometres by tip truck to the Black Cameron Mine for crushing. There he uses water from the waterlogged mine, (which still contains gold), as the Happy Valley Creek at One Tree Hill is usually dry.2 The One Tree Hill Mine has been worked for close to a century since it opened around the late 1850s.3 The Swedish Reef was its most productive reef and one of the largest in the area. Around 1859, extractions included 204 ounces (5.8kg) of gold, won from 57 pounds (26kg) of stone.4 Then during World War Two, Stan’s uncle, Bill Wallace, and Alex Bone, closed the mine. In 1973, Stan, with his Uncle Bill, reopened the Black Cameron Mine and worked there until 1988. Stan resumed mining One Tree Hill in 1998. As late as the 1920s gold was picked up by chance! When crossing a gully on his way to vote at the St Andrews Primary School, Bill Joyce picked up some quartz containing gold. This site was to become the Black Cameron Mine. The Caledonia Diggings, named after Scotland’s ancient name by local Scots, began around Market Square (now Smiths Gully) and included Queenstown (St Andrews), Kingstown (Panton Hill) and Diamond Creek. There were also poorer bearing fields in Kangaroo Ground and Swipers Gully (now Research). * None of these compared in riches to the Ballarat and Bendigo fields5, but the Caledonia Diggings continued intermittently for close to 100 years. Gold was discovered in Victoria following a bid to stem the disappearance of much needed workmen to the New South Wales diggings. Several businessmen offered a reward of £200, for the discovery of gold within 200 miles (322 km) of Melbourne. Late in June 1851, gold was first discovered at Andersons Creek, Warrandyte. Then in 1854, George Boston and two other men discovered gold at Smiths Gully. Gold transformed the quiet districts, with a constant flow of families and vehicles on the dirt tracks en route to the Caledonia Diggings. Three thousand people worked the gullies in Market Square, including about 1000 Chinese miners. The square established its own police, mining warden, gold battery, school, shops and cemetery and grog flowed. Market Square flourished until the middle 1860s. Bullocks transported quartz from the Caledonia Goldfields to the crushing machinery at the Queenstown/St Andrews Battery, near Smiths Gully Cemetery. It was destroyed by bushfire in 1962. By the late 1850s, most early alluvial fields were in decline, but minor rushes continued until around 1900 and some until the early 1940s. Some miners did well, although most earned little from their hard labour in the harsh and primitive conditions.6 But according to historian, Mick Woiwod, the gold fields helped to democratise society, as individuals from all walks of life were forced to share experiences, and the ability to succeed, depended less on inherited wealth or social rank.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, gold mining, one tree hill mine, smiths gully

David Kennedy(1825-1886) was a Scottish singer. Initially a church musician. HE had a large family many of whom were also singers and toured throughout the world. 1872-1876 the group toured Canada, New Zealand and Australia. In 1879 and 1880 they toured India and South Africa. In 1881 three of his children died in a fire at a Nice theatre. David died in South Africa but is buried in Scotland. David junior(1849-1885) began as a singer with his father but later moved into writing.Hand written account of Scottish singer David Kennedy and his family's World Tour, of which Bendigo was a part, written by David Kennedy Jnr. He tells of the mine in Pall Mall, the gold cakes from the different companies displayed in the bank windows, meeting some Chinese sifting tailings, buying a Chinese book and then finding it was an old almanac. Meeting two Irishmen and an account of a large public school. Some of the ink has run.document, bendigo 1873, david kennedy, david kennedy jnr, great extended hustlers, messrs smith and jones, david kennedy the scottish singer, marjory kennedy, alexander gardener

Originally the Sandhurst Fine Art Gallery in 1887 and situated in the great hall of the School of Mines, the name was changed to the Bendigo Art Gallery in 1890 when the gallery moved into its new permanent premises in View Street.Soft cover booklet with buff and burgundy printed cover. Contains 27 printed pages describing the evolution of the Bendigo Art Gallery with black and white and coloured photographs.Publisher Bendigo Art Gallery. Author Simone Bloomfieldbendigo, buildings, bendigo art gallery

John Frederick Warren was born in England in 1834. After coming to Australia, he married Rebecca Baird in 1868. He initially tried his hand at mining before establishing his timber and iron works. He retired in 1902 and lived at "Bowden", Barnard Street, until his death 21/10/1912. Following his retirement, the business was continued by his son John Frederick Warren jnr (b. 1879).J.F.Warren Invoice: Cream paper with red print. Torn left bottom half. Economic Timber and Iron yards. NO. 1 Ironmongery and Office, Market Square. No 2 Sawn Timber (Hard & Soft), Cement. Gal. Iron. &c. Opposite School of Mines, (Hargreaves St. E.) No. 3 Split Timber, Palings, Pickets, &c. (Hargreaves Street East). To: Mrs Waldock. Sandhurst May 9th 1891. Please receive from J.F Warren, The undermentioned Goods in good order and condition:- General Importer. For 30 Yards 36 x 2 netting £10. Paid J.F.Warren per S. H. Box 625.Printed at 'The Bendigo Independent' Office.business, retail, house furnishings, j.f. warren. mrs waldock.

SANDHURST SCHOOL OF MINES letter dated 4.1. (1907) from J.J.Walker of Bendigo Gold District General Hospital Inc. with official letterhead to the President of the School of Mines Bendigo offering a gift a Horse's skull for the Museumdocument, sandhurst school of mines museum / bendigo gold district general hospital inc