Metal candle holder, cylindrical, open top and bottom, with metal spike attached. Used by underground miners. Candle holder was stuck into timbers or rock to provide light. Small stub of candle in holder. Wick fraying.gold mines, mining equipment, candle holder

Chinese gold scales. Wooden scale holder (a) two part wooden device secured at end of handle with a metal pin to allow swivelling of both pieces. At end of handle, two pieces 'violin' shaped to hold scale and weights. This enabled placement of scales within holder. Bottom piece has indent for scale pan, weight and long handle. Chinese scale (b) thin cream handle marked with inch graduations, without numbers. Separately suspended from handle with thick cotton is a small semi-circular lead weight and a round brass scale pan.gold mining, mining equipment, chinese gold scales

Cast Iron gold mould. Mould used in gold pour to shape ingot. Rectangular shape mould with rectangular handle.gold mines, mining equipment, gold mould

Cast iron mercury bucket, used to hold mercury, potentially in the process of recovering minute pieces of gold mixed in soil and sediments. See research page for description of one process of using mercury to extract gold.gold mines, mining equipment, mercury bucket, miners used mercury in a number of ways to amalgamate gold, with each mill or battery operator having their preferred method depending on the nature of the ore. by the late 1850s the most common way of crushing goldbearing quartz ores or consolidated alluvial cements was in a stamp battery. the battery featured heavy iron stamp heads held in a frame, with each head often weighing up to 500 pounds (226 kg) or more (see msv 1880, page 45) (birrell 2005). stamp heads were lifted and dropped by a rotating overhead cam shaft driven by a steam engine or water wheel. ore was fed into a large cast-iron battery box, mixed with a steady stream of water, and pulverised by the stamp heads. in some batteries, mercury was placed in the base of the boxes to amalgamate with freed gold. the violent agitation of the mercury in the mortar box, however, could cause the mercury to break into myriad tiny globules that were carried away by the water with the tailings, thus losing a certain amount of gold in the process (thompson 1867; ritchie & hooker 1997). the water and sand slurry was splashed by the falling stamps from the box through fine mesh screens and onto inclined wooden tables below the mortar box (figure 2). the tables were covered with copper sheets or plates coated with mercury, which caught and amalgamated with a portion of the gold. the grey putty-like amalgam was periodically scraped off the sheets and retorted in a furnace to collect the gold and recover the mercury for reuse. mercury was inevitably lost from the plates, while poor maintenance resulted in further losses of gold and mercury in the tailings. mercury use and loss from gold mining in 19th century victoria. peter davies1, susan lawrence, and jodi turnbull, department of archaeology and history, la trobe university.

Metal gold retort, it has a two parts circular container attached to crook shaped long handle. A caption reads Mr. G. Humphrey. An amalgam (gold and mercury) is placed inside and fire built around outside. Mercury vaporizes away leaving the gold. Diameter of retort 23 cm. Overall size 37x75 cm.mining, equipment, retort

Black and white photograph (copy) of South New Moon Mine. Written on base of photograph : 'South New Moon Mine.Eaglehawk. Leading Mine in State, 1903. Gold Yield 257,498 ozs.' Image shows mining dam in forefront, large mine buildings and chimney LH side and trestleway connecting to poppet head on RH side. Smaller mine buildings in background. Photo on buff coloured backing board, enclosed in plastic, sealed at back. See: Victorian Heritage Database for history of site http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/result_detail/12109?print=truegold mines, mining equipment, south new moon mine site

A 25 Millimetre Middle Eastern Coin that was discovered by QC Binks while he was out metal detecting for gold. On one side is an Iron Cross with a small crown insignia in the centre. Four infinity symbols are between the arms of the cross. On the other side is the image of a person in profile with a headdress. Cyrillic writing surrounds the image around the border.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, middle east, qc binks.

An odd coin with a very worn out picture of a bulldog and the words "To hell with the Kaiser".bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, kaiser, qc binks.

An Australian 1 cent coin that was discovered by QC Binks while he was out metal detecting for gold.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, money, qc binks.

A medal celebrating the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and the birth of the Australian Commonwealth in Melbourne, 01 - 11th May 1901.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, cornwall, royalty, melbourne, qc binks.

A Collar stud made by Herbert Keith Merriman, under the company name "British Make Gilt". It has a white end piece at the larger end, with a red gemstone set into the detachable smaller end.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, qc binks

Part of an Australian Army medal that was found by QC Binks while he was out metal detecting for gold.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, qc binks, adf, army.

Cast iron company seal used by the South Deborah Gold Mines for official documents including shares, painted black with wooden handle and gold embellishments, painted on one side Sth.Deborah in white paint.gold mines, mining equipment, company seal, bendigo-companies-gold mines-south deborah

Black cast iron company seal for Deborah United Gold Mining Company used for official documents including shares, black enamelled cast iron with gold trim, painted on one side Deb United in white paint.gold mines, mining equipment, company seal, bendigo-companies-gold mines- deborah united

Black enamelled cast iron company seal for the Napoleon Reef Gold Mining Company used for official documents including shares, with gold trim and Napoleon Reefs.NL and Nap.Reef painted on sides in white paint.gold mines, mining equipment, company seal, bendigo-compaines-gold mines-napoleon reef

Black enamelled cast iron company seal for the Central Garden Gully Gold Mining Company, with gold trim and C.G.Gully painted on one side in white paint.gold mines, mining equipment, company seal, bendigo-companies-gold mines-central garden gully gold mining company

Black enamelled cast iron company seal for the Monument Hill Consolidated (Bendigo) mine, with gold trim and the name Mon.Con painted on one side in white paint.gold mines, mining equipment, company seal, bendigo-companies-gold mines-monument hill

Black enamelled cast iron company seal for the North Virginia Gold Mining Company with gold trim and the name N.Virginia painted on one side in white paint.gold mines, mining equipment, company seal, bendigo-companies-gold mines- north virginia

Large black enamelled cast iron company seal with wooden handle, red and gold decoration, seal is a general cross hatched pattern.gold mines, mining equipment, company seal, bendigo-companies-gold mines-seals

EAGLEHAWK, Sketchbook of a Golden Past 1983) Text by Ray Wallace. Preface by Professor Geoffrey Blainey. 84 pages, with illustrations by Keith Vallence. With IndexRay Wallaceeaglehawk, history, eaglehawk, eaglehawk, bendigo, gold, mining, catherine reef united

A random assortment of metal items.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, qc binks

A pin of a Danish flag that was discovered by QC Binks while he was metal detecting for gold. Flag is red background with a white cross. There is a pin on reverse.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, qc binks, danish, denmark.

A Gold Ingot awarded to winners of a contest in an American magazine called Reader's Digest. This ingot was discovered by QC Binks whilst he was metal detecting for gold.R/9313-3bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, qc binks, reader's digest, sweepstakes.

A fairly rusted Chinese Qing Dynasty coin that was discovered by QC Binks whilst he was metal detecting for Gold.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, coin, china, qing dynasty.

A rusted and worn Chinese Qing Dynasty coin that was discovered by QC Binks whilst he was metal detecting for Gold.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, coin, china, qing dynasty.

An ear ring that was discovered by QC Binks whilst he was metal detecting. Gold coloured metal. Two strands twisted around each other - one plain and one fancy textured. Fastener has broken off.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, ear ring, qc binks.

A random assortment of oddly shaped metal items, some brass lock parts, a brass disc and two unknown metal pieces.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, qc binks, metals.

A random assortment of oddly shaped metal items.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, metals, qc binks.

A random assortment of oddly shaped metal items.bendigo, gold mining, qc binks, metals, qc binks.