This photo depicts a man standing next to a large piece of mining equipment identified as a hydraulic chisel (alternative name: drifter dill or power rock drill). This piece of machinery was used in mining to place holes in the walls of a mine which were then filled with dynamite or other explosives for rock blasting or to make holes for plug and feather quarrying. The additional tools to the right of the photograph and in front of the machinery can be identified as either picks or as feather and wedges, the latter of which were used to split stone drilled by the hydraulic or power chisel. Depending on the date of the photograph, which is not provided, this chisel was either powered by electricity or by hydraulics. The following is written on the drill "R.C. FORD'S PATENT No91 / MELBOURNE VICTORIA 1879". The man depicted in this photograph wears a wide brim hat, a loose fitting white shirt and loose pants. He wears boots and has a medium sized dark beard. This attire, along with his locality in the mine and proficiency with the mining equipment, identifies this man as a miner working in this particular, but unidentified, mine. It depicts an instance of hydraulic chiseling which makes this photograph valuable for the study of mining techniques from a date c1880.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray the types of machinery used in mining can reveal important information for technology and highlight the methods used to break apart the earth in order to obtain access to gold and other precious materials during the period this photograph was captured. Further research into RC Ford can potentially reveal even further information pertaining to this photograph. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about the methods and machinery used to access gold or mine more in general. It also highlights the size of machinery at the time and allows us to compare this to the size of the person standing besides the machinery to better understand the manpower which would have been required to use and set-up this macinery.A black and white rectangular reproduced photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: 7816/ copy 1/3gold, sluicing, gold sluicing, hydraulic sluicing, gold and tin mine, mining, gold mining, beechworth, burke museum, melbourne, victoria, hat, mining machinery, machinery, r. c. ford

The photograph is a reproduction of a postcard from the Rocky Mountain Mining Company. In 1875, the Rocky Mountain Extended Gold Sluicing Company Ltd was created, utilising the previous Rocky Mountain claim for the area near Lake Sambell. The company employed A.L Martin to survey an area for a tunnel underneath Beechworth and Johnson Stephens to dig it. The tunnel was built at a rate of 40 feet a month and eventually measured 800 metres. The tunnel was a true accomplishment both in the present and during the 19th century. It was considered to be a marvelous engineering feat. Beechworth is renowned for its hydraulic sluice method of mining. This involved soil being exposed to torrents of water from high-pressure hoses. From 1876 until its closure in 1921, the mine produced an astounding 47,926 ozs of gold. Companies like this were the source of income for many Chinese gold-diggers who sought to make their fortune on the goldfields of Beechworth. During the height of the rush, the town had around 7,000 Chinese inhabitants living on the outskirts of town as they were not permitted to live within Beechworth itself.This image of the Rocky Mountain mine is historically significant as the mining complex is now non-existent, with the only remains being the tunnel built in 1880 by the company, which was considered one of the greatest engineering feats of the time. The image also provides a first-hand look into the social and cultural networks at play during the 19th century with racial segregation of the Chinese at the 'Chinese Camp', as well as an insight into Beechworth's origins during the Gold Rush.Black and white rectangular reproduced photograph printed on paperbeechworth, rocky mountain mine, sluicing, gold rush, mining, gold

This photograph was taken during the late 1800s at the Chinese camp at Beechworth, Victoria. It was in camps such as these that many would-be gold miners made their home after arriving in Australia from across Asia. After arriving in South Australia where there was no poll-tax required of migrants as was the norm in Victoria and New South Wales, those looking to settle on the gold fields walked en mass overland for hundreds of kilometres before arriving in destinations such as Beechworth. Due to widespread prejudice against Chinese gold diggers they were forced to live separate from the town and developed enclaves much like the one depicted in the photograph. As the years progressed the Chinese camp began to construct more permanent structures and included temples of worship, shops and separate burial grounds. This photograph demonstrates the early multi-cultural aspects of Australia and Victoria during the late 1800s. It also showcases pressures and prejudices specific to the Chinese migrant community and the measures taken to separate them from the rest of the predominantly white community. It also reflects the gold-rush period and one of the first draws to Australia due to its mineral wealth. Black and white rectangular photograph developed on paperObverse: None Reverse: From the/Chinese Camp/84-80-1/1997-3221chinese camp, beechworth, houses, immigrants, gold mining, gold rush, late 1800s, chinese, asia

On loan from John Mundy family. Searching for gold in the Orbost district began in the last half of the 19th century and continued until circa 1930s. The original Mundy family moved to a land "selection" at Betebolong in the early 1880's from Buchan. This item is reflective of the late 19th -early 20th century gold mining era in East Gippsland.A small square bottle with a push-in cork stopper. This bottle contains specks of gold or gold dust. mining-gold

This image shows the approach to Beechworth from the south-west via the Newtown Bridge. Numerous early buildings line the road as it bifurcates to become Ford and High Streets on the ridge above Spring Creek and Newtown Falls. The sloping, rocky terrain and water course along the gorge show evidence of the intense mining activity that occurred at the site. The Ovens Gold Rush at Beechworth started when gold was found at Spring Creek in February 1852, prompting an influx of miners from around the world. The population grew over 20,000 by 1857. While the earliest mining at Beechworth was similar to that in other Victorian goldfields like Ballarat and Bendigo, Beechworth is notable for its use of hydraulic sluicing as a major method of removing wash-dirt. Hydraulic sluicing employs high pressure jets of water to blast away large areas of earth and wash it down to be run through a sluice box. Gold gets caught in the sluice and the remaining slurry is washed away. This method of mining is extremely effective but causes significant environmental impacts and damage to waterways. Large water quantities were required for large-scale sluicing, and the long water races and deep tailraces that were constructed in the Beechworth area in the nineteenth century are nonetheless considered feats of engineering. The site in the photograph is associated with the Rocky Mountain Mining Company who constructed an eight hundred meter tunnel under the township between 1876-1880 to reduce water levels at Spring Creek, which had been subject to diversions since the earliest days of alluvial mining. Over four million ounces of gold (115 tones) were found at Beechworth between 1852 and 1868, and the wealth from the gold rushes built Beechworth and the nationally significant buildings that remain standing today.This image shows the early development of the Beechworth township above Spring Creek, where gold was discovered in 1852. Evidence of hydraulic sluicing, a uniquely predominant method at Beechworth, and water-works engineering are present in the landscape. By the 1870s, alluvial gold deposits were depleted and increasingly complex engineering was required so deeper shafts could reach bedrock. This image is significant for understanding changes to the landscape and the evolution of mining methods and engineering practices related to the extensive construction, manipulation and management of water networks. The shift from smaller scale alluvial mining to larger company dominance in the mining industry has implications for understanding wider social, economic, political and industrial changes in the region of Beechworth and within the context of the Victorian Gold Rush more broadly. A black and white rectangular reproduction photograph printed on photographic paper. burke museum, beechworth museum, beechworth, gold fields, gold rush, victorian gold rush, hydraulic sluicing, rocky mountain mining company, spring creek, netwown falls, mining tunnels, water races, tailraces, colonial australia, australian gold rushes, mining technology, beechworth historic district, indigo gold trail, migration, indigo shire, gold mining, gold mining history

This photograph dating between the 1850s and early 1900s depicts an open cut sluicing site located in Allan's Flat looking upon the open cut from Staghorn Flat Number 1. Sluicing was undertaken in the area from 1850 to 1904. The image depicts a location mined by Yackandandah Sluicing Co. It portrays and open space with pipes laying on the ground and connected to pipes leaving the barge. These pipes were used to wash and seperate the qaurtz. There are two small buildings on high ground over looking the barge. Yackandandah Sluicing Co. was created by J.A. Wallace in the 1880s. The Yackandandah Sluicing Co. operated from the mid-1880s to the early 1900s, when resources eventually ran out. Open cut sluicing involved the use of high-powered hoses which used the centrifugal sand pump system (known as hydraulic sluicing) which broke down the soil which was then processed for quartz, gold and other materials. After the resources where drained, Wallace reaped the benefits of his mining business. Allan's Flat is located on the Yackandandah Creek, and is 10km north-east of Yackandandah and 20km south of Wodonga in Victoria's regional north-east. Allan's Flat was initially used to mine gold through alluvial methods, however that came to an end with little results. The mining business was then revived by J.A. Wallace with the introduction of hydraulic sluicing.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray an open cut sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about sluicing and the methods used to find gold and other minerals in the lat 19th Century. It also shows a location where sluicing was undertook which provides insight into the impact of sluicing on the environment at a time when it was done. This image is important for current research into the history of Allan's Flat, a small regional location near Yackandandah in Victoria's North East. Therefore, this image has the capacity to be beneficial for research into society and the motivations of those living and working in this region during this period and therefore, has social significance. The Beechworth Burke Museum has additional images relating to gold sluicing and Allan's Flat which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.Sepia coloured retangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper mounted on board.Revers: Sluicing at Allan's Fortallan's flat, north east gold, sluicing, gold sluicing, hydraulic sluicing, mining, gold and quartz mine, beechworth, burke museum, yackandandah

A pictorial history of Gippsland's Jordan goldfieldHardcover. Gold dust cover. Front cover has a photograph of two miners carrying mining equipment.This work is dedicated to the people of the Jordan Goldfields,/ the Pioneers who worked, lived, loved and died in the moun-/ tains of Gippsland, giving us a rich and varied heritage. It is especially dedicated to Mr William Rae, Gentleman, Late of/ Jericho, without whose assistance this work would have/ remained a dream. Stamp of the Marysville & District Historical Society Inc / P.O. Box 22 / Marysville 3779gold, gold mining, gold mines, victoria, gippsland, history, bosa, marysusan, tomlin, owen f., chamberlain, peter g.

A history of the Dargo, Crooked River goldfieldPaperback. Cover has a black and white photograph of a couple of buildings surrounded by forest. Photograph is probably of Dargo. One building has a sign that says S. Frankenberg. Another has a sign of which only the letters PION visible. In the photograph there are a number of men standing around the buildings as well as what appears to be two children sitting on a bench outside a building. There is also a large wagon-like vehicle to which is attached are a large train of oxen. In the foreground of the photograph is another group of oxen which appear to be chained together. There is also two men standing near the second group of oxen, both appear to be holding whips.The stamp of the Marysville & District Historical Society Inc / P.O. Box 22 / Marysville 3779gold, gold mining, gold town, dargo, gold miner, gold field, gippsland, victoria, australia, history

A history of the Donnelly's Creek gold mine in VictoriaPaperback. Front cover has a drawing depicting two horses carrying packs followed by a man mounted on a horse. There is also two men on foot following with packs and walking poles. They are walking along a forest track that has some tree stumps alongside it.The back cover has two colour photographs. The top one is of an old wooden building with what appears to be an attached lean to. Both of the buildings have stone chimneys. There is a group of people sitting and standing outside the main building. The bottom photograph appears to be the ruins of a building and a fence. There are three people viewing the ruins.The captions accompanying the photographs are: History revisited - O'Sullivans Old Toombon Hotel Recreated and Remnants of a Bygone Mining Era.Stamp of the Marysville & District Historical Society Inc / P O Box 22 / Marysville 3779gold, gold miner, gold mining, gold field, gippsland, victoria, australia, history, fulton's creek, seaton, walhalla, aberfeldy, jericho, wood's point

Recollections by Richard Mackay of the early history of the Gippsland goldfieldsPaperback. Cover is green. Front cover has a sepia photograph of a drawing with the caption 'Walhalla in its heyday. Back cover has a photograph of an old building with a sign on it that says 'Copper Mine Hotel'. There is a man standing in front of the building. In the foreground is a four wheel drive vehicle.Stamp of the Marysville & District Historical Society Inc / P.O. Box 22 / Marysville 3779gold, gold fields, gold miner, gold mining, gold town, gippsland, victoria, australia, history, jamieson, sale, omeo, big river, wood's point, matlock, jericho, aberfeldy, donnelly's creek, walhalla

A history of the Baw Baw and Walhalla country of the Narracan Shire, VictoriaHardback. Brown dust cover. Photograph on front cover looks out from the entry of a mine onto the front of a building which has a hill to the side of it. The back cover has a photograph of the side of a hill with some trees on it.G&V THOMAS Stamp of the Marysville & District Historical Society Inc / P.O. Box 22 / Marysville 3779gold, gold field, gold miner, gold mining, gold town, walhalla, baw baw, gippsland, victoria, australia, history

A history of gold discovery in VictoriaPaperback. Gold front cover. Front cover has a drawing of a group of miners outside a shop. Back cover has a drawing of a group of mounted police riding roughshod through a group of people and dogs.Stamp of the Marysville & District Historical Society Inc / P.O. Box 22 / Marysville 3779gold, gold field, gold miner, gold mining, gold town, victoria, australia, history

Ghost towns of the mountain goldfields in VictoriaPaperback. Cover has a drawing depicting horses, both ridden and pack, walking along a forest track on their way to a small town. There are heavily forested mountains in the distance. Overlaid onto the drawing is a modern photograph of an old stone building. In the foreground is a green timber building with a water tank and verandah. It is all set in the clearing in the middle of a forest.Stamp of the Marysville & District Historical Society Inc / P.O. Box 22 / Marysville 3779 Also the inscription: To Alma / Thanks for your help / Signature / LS / November 1999gold, gold mining, gold town, ghost town, victoria, australia, history

A history of the town of Matlock, VictoriaPaperback. Green cover. Front cover has a drawing depicting two men with packs and walking poles walking through knee deep snow past a wooden hut. In the background are several tree stumps and a small town of wooden buildings.For/ James and Lucienne/ Bailey Stamp of the Marysville & District Historical Society Inc / P.O. Box 22 / Marysville 3779gold mining, gold mine, matlock, victoria, australia, history, anne bailey, robin bailey

A history of the Wood's Point and Jordan gold fieldsPaperback. Beige cover. Front cover has a black and white photograph of miners standing and sitting around a mine cart that is sitting on railway tracks at the entrance to a mine.Back cover has a cartoon drawing of a pack horse that has fallen down a cliff with his rider trying to pull him back up by his tail. Inside the cover is a drawn map entitled 'Map of the Mining District round Wood's point'.Stamp of the Marysville & District Historical Society Inc / P.O. Box 22 / Marysville 3779 gold, gold field, gold mining, gold town, wood's point, jordan goldfields, victoria, australia, history, r w christie

A history of the Wood's Point and Jordan gold fieldsPaperback. Beige cover. Front cover has a black and white photograph of miners standing and sitting around a mine cart that is sitting on railway tracks at the entrance to a mine.Back cover has a cartoon drawing of a pack horse that has fallen down a cliff with his rider trying to pull him back up by his tail. Inside the cover is a drawn map entitled 'Map of the Mining District round Wood's point'.Stamp of Marysville & District / Historical Society Inc / P.O. Box 22 / Marysville 3779 gold, gold field, gold mining, gold town, wood's point, jordan goldfields, victoria, australia, history, r w christie

A history of the goldfields and mineral districts of VictoriaHardcover. Front cover has an illustration of a miner standing next to a hole in the ground which is surrounded by logs. He is standing on top of a platform made out of planks of wood and he is turning a handle on a hand winch to bring up a bucket.Stamp of the Marysville & District Historical Society Inc / P.O. Box 22 / Marysville 3779gold mining, gold mine, mineral resources, victoria, australia, history, robert brough smyth

Subtitled mines, myths and memories of Diamond Creek the book covers the following topics: early days, first settlers, Nillumbik- the town, state school, the churches, growth of a town, early pioneers and stories of the past. PhotographsPaperback; 55 p. : ill., port. ; 21 cm.ISBN 0959895019diamond creek, nillumbik, gold mining, gold miners

Paperback; 9 p. : ill. ; 30 cm.diamond creek gold mine, gold mining, gold miners

Queenstown (St. Andrews) District. A gold miner with his home made dry blower device used for extracting gold particles from dry soil with out the use of water. In 1929, St Andrews was known as Queenstown. Originally published in The Leader, Nov. 2nd, 1929, with the title "Relics of the Old Mining days in the Queenstown District," a series of eight numbered photographs. 'The Leader'; a weekly journal of news, politics, agriculture, literature, science and sport.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Neg Print 11 x 24.5 cmsepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, queenstown, gold mining, gold miner, st. andrews, old timer

500 of these books were printed, and many were used in the field, making good copies very rare. A simple but detailed account of the process written especially for the working miner and the small syndicate, the Quintessential Australian gold Mining book.Orange, hard, cloth covered b270 page book with brown dust jacket. Chapters include sampling sand and slime dumps; treating sand; aeration; treatment of slime; smelting; solution testing; cyanide solution; air- slaked lime; cyanding in Queensland; copper troubles; treatment of concentrates; amalgamations; assaying; floatation; chemistry; testing for minerals. Includes photographic reproductions of a cyanide plant for sand; aeration tower; mixer tank; Eleanora cyaniding plant; mining, gold, cyanide, cyaniding, leaching, smelting, slimes

Soft covered book called 'the Diggers from Chine: the Story of the Chinese on the goldfields'. The book is 148 pages and contents include the Celestial empire, the journey, Mountains of gold, Off to the Diggings, Toil and Strife, the way they lived. Appendix A is the report submitted to the Victorian Parliament by the Select committee on the Subject of Chinese Immigration in 1857.chinese, goldfield, lambing flat, immigration, mining, gold, geoffrey blainey

The Ballarat School of Mines conducted assays at the Model Mine. handwritten memorandum on David Melvin letterhead relating to treatment of a a parcel for extraction of gold. ballarat school of mines, david melvin, mining, gold, sampson's pulverizer, wynne and tregurtha plates

The Ballarat School of Mines had a 'Model Mine' that was used to teach students. Practical work was undertaken for a fee, supervised by laboratory superintendents. Copies of assays undertaken are compiled together in this book. Leatherbound ledger with transfer copies assay reports from the Ballarat School of Mines. Those seeking assaying work from the Ballarat School of Mines are listed in alphabetical order in the front of the ledger. The ledger contains 543 pages. .2) Foolscap assay report on foolscap Ballarat School of Mines letterhead, and signed by Alfred Mica Smith, Superintendent of Laboratories. The report was on eight samples of Quartz submitted by R.C. Morgan, Scotts, Hotel, Melbourne .3) Assay report on Ballarat School of Mines letterhead, dated 14 August 1985, and signed by Andrew Berry, Registrar. The assay was supervised by Professor Alfred Mica Smith, and undertaken for James Burke, Broken Hill, New South Wales. .4) Assay report on Ballarat School of Mines letterhead, dated 18 August 1988, and signed by Alfred Mica Smith, Superintendent of Laboratories. The assay was undertaken on samples of Limonite submitted by James Burke and others, Broken Hill, New South Wales. The report includes information the the Ballarat School of Mines museum and the search for geological specimens from all Australian colonies for the collection. .5) A 'rough' assay report on samples of stone submitted by H. Major Senr, Wilcannia, New South Wales. 5) A 'rough' assay report on sample quartz drillings from quartz reef submitted by H. Morris, Egerton, and an sample of quartz and pyrites for determination by Professor Krause submitted by R.M. Serjeant. ballarat school of mines, a.c. allan, brittania g.m. co., s. body, black horse company, john m. bickett, william bell, james barker, w. bliss, w. bailey, william barrou, w.h. batten, w. bechervaise, band and albion, budd bros, charles barker, i. cahir, a. chamber, w. cahill, james coglan, d. clarke, a.w. dobbie, john dosett, john dunstan, j.a. evans, l. eggleton, charles forbes, d. fitzpatrick, e. ford, michael goold, j. graham, john greenwood, james hayes, ed hardy, arthur harvey, george hodges, john hall, jubilee gold mining company, krause, luplau, lempiere, mt lyell co, john law, ed meadway, john murray, j.h. middleton, c.m. miles, m. muir, e. mcmillan, w. mcdougall, c. napier, w.r. nicholls, napier freehold, w.b, ochiltree, oakleigh gold mining company, dr pinnock, c. quin, james ross, c.b. retallack, e. rowlands, royal standard, linton, frank rabling, william russell, charles soloman, f. selby, w.j. scott, sulieman pasha co, south clunes united, h.w. sinclair, george selby, e.h. schroeder, horsham, e.w. spain, c.h. sheary, sir henry loch gold mining company, a. sutherland, saxon consols, j.b. triggs, h. townsend, harold turnley, c. taylor, melbourne, c. thorpe, a. vandenberg, charles walker, charles wilson, thomas wellington, a. wynne, r. warne, e. wattis, john wood, walter warner, armidale, c. winterbottom, w.l. willliams, j.c. young

This miner's right is a copy from an original held by the Old Colonists' Association of Ballarat. The original was glued onto a page in a large album of photographic images of early Ballarat. Recognising their significance the Council of the Old Colonists’ Association had them removed and restored. The originals are now framed and on display in the Old Colonists’ Hall. Blue Miner's Right issued at Ballarat in the Colony of Victoria.miner's right, mining, gold, ballarat, old colonist's association of ballarat

ballarat, sovereign hill, gold panning, mining, gold mining

Brown ledger with leather spine with bond copies of assays on very light, tissue like paper. Includes an alpha listing of customers and the page numbers where the associated assay and report is found. ballarat school of mines, mining laboratory, model mine, assay, frederick martell, alfred mica smith, j.m. bickett, g. desoza, figgis, gilpin, alex lamn, julius lazurus, john mann, james oddie, oldfield, peacock, thomas proctor, charles serjeant, w.c. shoppee, skilbeck, tulloch & co, john chaffy, cumming and smith and co, commonwealth mine, robert daly, dapto smelting co, duke of york co, ernest de beer, eureka company, r. emmett, p.w. fitzpatrick, first chance gold mning company, frenchmans reef company, f. folks, great birthday company, glenfine smith gold mining company, golden dyke extended, india rubber company, madame berry, victoria united gold mining company, black horse company, david melm, jame macarthur, new normanby company, william nicholas, alexander lambert, pitfield quartz and cement company, a.j. peacock, phoenix foundry, h. raven, c. serjeant, thomas smith, south star extended, h. strickland, edward h. shackell, w.d. thompson, union gold mining ompany, r. vale, walhalla pty, wallace butter factory, mining