After gold was discovered to be deposited "for miles along Woolshed Valley" in the early 1850s, the Woolshed became a major site of mining activity in the north-east . This region was divided into large claims of 80 yards long, one of which was the one depicted in this photograph, called 'Big Johnson's Claim'. Claims such as this utilised a range of technology, including water wheels, steam engines, sluices and toms, most of which would not arrive until after 1856 when this photograph was taken. The Woolshed initially became prosperous in 1855, and labourers, such as the ones depicted in this photograph, engaged in sinking work for 7 pounds a week, whilst other mining labourers could earn up to nine. 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 the operations of mining claims, particularly of the Woolshed Valley area that this photograph documents. This image is important for current research into the history of Woolshed, which was a major site of mining significance and operations. 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 the Woolshed area which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one. A black and white rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: 7791 / page 34. / 52% / Big Johnstone / Claim on Woolshed Goldfields / 1856 / Note canvas [illegible] building / Burke Museum /woolshed, mining, claims, mining claims, big johnson, gold

This photograph depicts the Great Southern Mine located in Rutherglen as it was during the 1900. After the initial Gold Rush of 1853-1854, Gold was discovered deeper under the surface of the earth in the 1860 after the discovery of another deep lead system. Due to the discovery of Gold in Rutherglen, Rutherglen developed into a community in its own right, possessing a population of 6600 by December 1860 and developed into a municipality in 1862. The Great Southern Mine depicted in this photograph required the use of a range of modern technologies, including the hydraulic pumps, in order to reach gold. This photo depicts the mining operations as they were undertaken around the turn of the century.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray a modern mining operation undertaken in the 1860s, 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 the methods used to extract gold in 1900. It is significant as most mining operations around the region, particularly earlier on in the period, used different technologies such as water races. This image is important for current research into the history of Rutherglen more generally, a town which developed singlehandedly due to the discovery of minerals and mining, as depicted here in this photograph, thus indicating an element of social significance as well as historic. The Beechworth Burke Museum has additional images relating to mining and Rutherglen which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.A black and white rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: $ 3.00 19972503 / a02503 / Great Southern Mine Rutherglen 1900rutherglen mine, rutherglen, great southern mine, beechworth, mine, mining, post goldrush, victoria, gold, 1860s, sluicing, hydrolic sluicing

The photograph, captured around 1900, depicts a large group of minors located in Beechworth. Importantly, this photograph can provide information into the clothing and fashion of minors during this period of history. These men wear loose fitting shirts which are mostly a pale white colour, several wear vests and/or jackets and loose fitting trousers with boots. The majority of men wear wide brimmed hats to protect their skin and eyes from the sunlight. One man has a wooden pipe in his mouth and a few have ties/neckerchief's tied around their necks. The outfits of these miners has the potential to provide insight into their social status, these men are all dressed equally which provides the notion that they are of equal societal standing. The outfits of these miners dating to the 1900s is not dissimilar to photographs of those captured in the 1880s. The location of this photograph is not easy to interpret, but the photograph is recorded to have been taken in the Beechworth region. Displayed in this image is some wild shrubbery and grass where the men are standing/sitting and behind the group is a tin wall or even tin building. At the end of 1899, companies were continuing to search for gold in Beechworth and the surrounds but these attempts were not overly successful. In the early 1900's Quartz mining was occurring but this was done by individuals or smaller parties. It is unclear if these men are mining for gold or for quartz.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, the study of images like this one which portrays some of the miners who worked behind-the-scenes for these discoveries has the potential to reveal important information regarding society, fashion etc. The date when the photograph was taken is vague but it allows us to form a timeline of mining activities in the North East. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about society at the time, regarding fashion (which can potentially reveal social status) and mining in Beechworth in 1900. Black and white rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper mounted on board.Reverse: BMM 8032/ Group(?) Beechworth Mines about 1900/ 80quartz, north east gold, sluicing, gold sluicing, hydraulic sluicing, mining, gold mining, north-east victoria, beechworth, burke museum, 1900, group, miners, hats, vests, ties, wild shrubs, tin, quartz mining

This object is a photographic postcard showing some of the above-ground structures of the Golden Bar mine in Chiltern, including a building with a smokestack and the poppet head which is used to haul equipment, materials, and men above or below ground. The Golden Bar site, mined by the Golden Bar Mining Company which was formed in 1901, managed to yield approximately 12,453 oz of gold before work stopped in 1912 - it was one of the principal mines in the area, as well as the deepest and one of the richest. The text on the postcard was handwritten by H.Gordon (?) to Issy (?), to show the mine where he presumably worked as he promises to take them 'above and below'. The postcard can be approximately dated to between 1901-1912. It is stated that after 1902 Kodak added the line on the postcard backs to divide into correspondence and address sections as seen on the reverse of this object. In addition, there is also a similar Kodak photographic postcard in the Burke Museum collection that is dated to 1908 and has the same specific font type and manufacturer markings (see references for link). Lastly, the Golden Bar mine ceased operations in 1912 so the photograph was likely taken prior to this. This photographic postcard is a rare and fair conditioned representation of one of the most significant gold mines in the Chiltern area, showing the above ground structures at the time it was being actively mined. This postcard also holds social significance as a snapshot of working life in the gold mining rush of Victoria, and a personal record of one of its miners. A sepia rectangular postcard printed on card.Obverse: Dudley Studio / Golden Bar. Chiltern Reverse: BMM 8034 / Post Card. / Correspondence. / Address Only. / Kodak. Austral. 110 / My Dear Issy (?), / A card only, to show (?) the mine / and when you come down I will / take you above and below, / All (...) love, me to. Has the baby / gone home yet Heini (?) wants to know / give my love to Syd when next you write / Your loving (...), H. Gordon (?)photographic postcard, postcard, chiltern, golden bar mine, golden bar mining company, dudley studio, kodak

This image is a reproduction of an 1899 original depicting the 'Williams Good Luck Mine' on the Mopoke Reef (also called 'Morepork Gully') in the Dingle Ranges, approximately three miles from Beechworth. The foreground of the image is littered with piles of smashed rock and detritus, known as ‘mullock’, beside a reinforced mine shaft, a vertical access passageway allowing miners to enter the mine and haul ore out using lifting technology such as a poppet heads, whims or windlasses. A group of miners and a dog appear close to an open-sided miner’s hut. Following the discovery of gold at Beechworth in 1852, rushes quickly followed at surrounding creeks and gullies in the district. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, small syndicates of miners continued to work old or abandoned quartz reefs, often persisting without the assistance of heavy machinery to remove the large amounts of rock, in order to obtain yields at ever greater depths. The group of miners in this photograph are Mr. Roger Williams and Sons, who revived operations at the ‘Old Good Luck’ mine on the Mopoke Reef in the Dingle Range near Beechworth around 1892, working the site for more than two decades. An emigrant from Cornwall with experience in the tin mining industry, 19 year old Roger Williams senior sailed to New Zealand in 1840, then to Australia where he spent time in the Bendigo Gold Fields before settling in Beechworth in the early 1860s. Mr Williams senior worked on various mining activities in the district, including the Rocky Mountain Tunnel project. Conversant with the character of gold-bearing reefs in the area, the syndicate dug an eight hundred foot tunnel, digging down as far down as two hundred feet with little capital save their labour, to connect and provide better working access to the mass of reefs and veins in the vicinity. Progress was hampered by poor air quality charged with fumes from dynamite and large quantities of rock had to be crushed to obtain payable yields. The Victorian Goldfields are filled with ruins and remnants of the area's rich mining history, ranging from small alluvial diggings to the remains of huge mining companies. Site names often changed several times throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Some sites were abandoned and forgotten, others were worked continuously over many decades. The names of mines were often repeated at different locations throughout the Victorian Goldfields. For example, there is a Mopoke Gully heritage mine near Fryers Creek, Victoria. 'Mopoke' is a common onomatopoeic name for Morepork and Australian Boobook owls. This image has historical, social and research significance for patterns of emigration during of the Victorian Gold Rush, and the historical, social and environmental impacts of mining at Beechworth at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As gold became scarce and government support and large company investment waned, poor hard-working miners laboured intensively to make a living through periods of high unemployment. This image can be compared and studied alongside other historical mining photographs and objects in the Burke Museum Collection. It has potential to improve our understanding of miners working conditions and the shifting character of mining in the Beechworth district. Black and white rectangular reproduction photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Obverse: Williams Good Luck Mine Beechworth / Roger! / Reverse: 6858 / burke museum, beechworth museum, beechworth, gold fields, gold rush, victorian gold rush, gold ming history, colonial australia, australian gold rushes, mining technology, beechworth historic district, indigo gold trail, migration, indigo shire, good luck gold mine, victorian goldfields, mining syndicates, gold fever, quartz-mining, small-scale mining, old good luck mine, mopoke gully, quartz reefs beechworth

This photograph depicts a reef mine in Beechworth. Reef mining, or quartz reef mining, was common in 19th Century Victoria. This gold mining technique requires mine shafts to be sunk into underground quartz reefs, with horizontal tunnels dug from the original shaft at differing levels to find the gold-bearing rock. The quartz would then be hoisted to the surface, which would then be pounded to access the gold in its metallic state. Gold was discovered in Beechworth in February 1852, at Spring Creek. Within 11 months of that discovery, over 8000 hopeful prospectors quickly descended on this region, transforming it into a thriving, wealthy township. Reef mining and hydraulic sluicing were gold mining techniques used in this region in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This photograph interestingly contains dogs alongside the miners. While dogs have been recorded as deterrents to thieves in the Victorian goldfields, these dogs appear as companions to these men.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. It also shows a location where reef mining was undertaken which provides insight into the impact on the environment at a time when it was done. Although quartz is one of the most common minerals found in the earth's crust, it does not always contain gold. Those reefs that do are rare and highly sought after by prospectors. The Beechworth Burke Museum has additional images relating to gold mining which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.Sepia coloured rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper. Obverse: Reverse: United Shire of Beechworth/ Shire Secretary/ Reef Mining, Beechworth./ 6167.abeechworth, burke museum, gold, gold mining, gold rush, victorian gold rush, reef mining, quartz, companion dog, horse and cart

This reproduced photograph depicts a reef mine in Beechworth. Reef mining, or quartz reef mining, was common in 19th Century Victoria. This gold mining technique requires mine shafts to be sunk into underground quartz reefs, with horizontal tunnels dug from the original shaft at differing levels to find the gold-bearing rock. The quartz would then be hoisted to the surface, which would then be pounded to access the gold in its metallic state. Gold was discovered in Beechworth in February 1852, at Spring Creek. 8000 hopeful prospectors quickly descended on this region within the year, transforming it into a thriving, wealthy township. Reef mining and hydraulic sluicing were gold mining techniques used in this region in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This reproduction photograph interestingly contains dogs alongside the miners. While dogs have been recorded as deterrents to thieves in the Victorian goldfields, these dogs appear as companions to these men.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. It also shows a location where reef mining was undertaken which provides insight into the impact on the environment at a time when it was done. The Beechworth Burke Museum has additional images relating to gold mining which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.Black and white rectangular reproduction photograph on gloss photographic paper. Obverse: Reverse: L is miners 26%/ 10 x 8/ 6167.bbeechworth, burke museum, gold, gold mining, gold rush, victorian gold rush, reef mining, quartz, companion dog, horse and cart

Depicted are a group of men standing in front of a wooden structure. The men wear attire appropriate to the 1920s. This photos is of the shows miners at the Homeward Bound Mine in Hillsborough. The Homeward Bound reef was discovered in 1865 and was worked continuously until 1880. This image is significant as it shows how Victorians worked during the gold rush era. A black and white rectangular photograph depicting 21 separate men, either standing or sitting around a wooden structure. Each man wears the typical attire for gold mining in the 1900s. A horse appears behind a man on the right side of the photograph.The background shows a wooden structure of a mine and the Australian gumtree 7855 /mining, group photo, burke museum, beechworth, photograph, hillsborough, mine, homeward bound mine

This postcard shows a group of men standing outside of the Everton mine alongside a mining trolley sitting on tracks. The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. It also shows a location where reef mining was undertaken which provides insight into the impact on the environment at a time when it was done.A sepia toned rectangular postcard printed on photographic paperpost card/correspondence address only/ Kodak Australia/1914everton mine, mining, goldrush, postcard, burke museum, black and white, photograph, mining trolley

Depicted in the photograph are ten miners standing at a cliff face using a high pressure hose, in Beechworth, Victoria. The miners are located in the Three Mile Creek division, in the Beechworth Mining District established January 4th 1858 under An Act for Amending the Laws Relating to the Goldfields by the Governor-in-Council. The Ovens Gold Rush began at Beechworth in February 1852 and was followed by Yackandandah and the 'Indigo Goldfield'. The strategies applied to mining in Beechworth were distinct in comparison to other goldfields in Victoria such as Bendigo and Ballarat. The miners in Beechworth utlised 'hydraulic sluicing' to remove washdirt, the long water races and deep tailraces constructed through solid rock with an estimated 900 miles of water races cut through the Beechworth fields by 1880, demonstrating great engineering feats. The photograph taken is significant as it is a visual representation of the mining strategy, 'hydraulic sluicing' that was particularly unique to the Beechworth mines, particularly in Victoria and an engineering feat.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper, unmounted print.beechworth mining district, mining, three mile creek division, three mile creek

This reproduced photograph is of Pennyweight Flat near Beechworth, a notable area of the 1850's gold rush in Victoria. Donald Fletcher, migrating to Beechworth from Scotland in 1855, had substantial claims at Pennyweight Flat and was amongst the first in the district to utilise hydraulic sluicing and water diverting methods.The flat is said to have seen a flurry of 200 miners to the area around 1857, and by 1861 when work commenced on extending Fletcher's tail race the census recorded 644 people residing there (European males, females and Chinese). Pennyweight Flat is also significant for the cemetery that resides on the hilltop and which noted approximately 200 burials from the gold rush period 1852-1857, known for a long period as a children's cemetery due to the number of children's graves present.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 in 1910. It also shows a location where sluicing was undertaken 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 Beechworth and surrounding area including Victoria's North East. The Rocky Mountain Extended Gold Sluicing Company was a long running and very active mine that was one of the most successful and largest in the district. 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 which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one. When the mine closed in 1921, in a liquidation sale, Zwar purchased the tunnel and clear water supply that ran under the town of Beechworth. He directed the water to his tannery and over time built a major industry in leather works that was a major employer in Beechworth. In growing his leather business, Zwar installed crude oil engines for electricity in his factory. He oversaw working with local council to introduce electricity to Beechworth via a sub-station on Albert Street. In 1927 Electric street lamps replaced gas lamps in the streets of Beechworth. Black and white rectangular reproduced photograph printed on glossy photographic paperObverse: Reverse: 84.222.5/ digital print/ rocky mountain extended gold sluicing company, gold, sluicing, gold sluicing, hydraulic sluicing, gold mine, open cut mining, mining, gold mining, north-east victoria, beechworth, burke museum

This image taken between 1920-1930 depicts open-cut hydraulic sluicing at the Three Mile Mine, located about five kilometres south of Beechworth. Alluvial, or surface, mining began on this site in the 1850s, but was soon replaced by hydraulic sluicing methods. By the start of 1880 it is estimated that nine hundred miles of water races had been cut though soil and rock in the Beechworth district. 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. Large water quantities were required for hydraulic sluicing, and the long water races and deep tailraces that were constructed were considered great engineering feats. This method of mining is extremely effective, but causes significant environmental damage and impacts to waterways and agricultural operations. Miners at Beechworth built extensive networks of races and dams to secure reliable supplies of water on a scale far greater than elsewhere in Victoria. By the 1880s Beechworth's water barons continued to hold more than half of all the water right licences on issue and undertook sluicing operations on a massive scale. The manipulation of surface and ground water via race networks was well planned and recorded in detail by local mining surveyors. The maps that were created, combined with modern geo-spatial technologies, provide a vital key in understanding the great lengths to which miners went to capture and control critical water resources. Today, Three Mile mine is called Baarmutha. The Three Mile Mine was unproductive until 1865 when John Pund and three other miners secured a fifteen year license and constructed a water race from Upper Nine Mile Creek to Three Mile Creek. In the early twentieth century Pund & Co. averaged over one thousand ounces of gold per year from the mine. After Pund's death in 1915, GSG Amalgamated Co operated the site, continuing sluicing until 1950. This image of hydraulic sluicing methods shows the extent of water-works engineering in the landscape. This photograph has historic and research potential for understanding changes to the landscape, the evolution of mining methods, and the extensive construction, manipulation and management of water networks in the Beechworth district. Black and white rectangular photograph on matte paperReverse: 7597-1 / Sluice Mining / Copied from original on loan from Webb (Qld) / Donated Nov 2009 / Baarmutha Three Mile Mine c1920-1950 / Managed by the Plain Bros then Parkinsons / Current Location is: Beechworth Animal Shelter / used for Baarmuthaburke museum, beechworth museum, beechworth, gold fields, gold rush, victorian gold rush, hydraulic sluicing, spring creek, netwown falls, mining tunnels, water races, tailraces, gold ming history, colonial australia, australian gold rushes, mining technology, beechworth historic district, indigo gold trail, indigo shire, john pund, water manipulation, water engineering, three mile creek, three mile mine, water race, large-scale mining methods, historical mining construction, alluvial mining, mining environmental impacts, baarmutha, water barons

This photo shows the large mining cavity with a hydraulic sluicing machine in operation at Baarmutha Three Mile Mine, Beechworth . The Beechworth Mining District was one of six mining districts established by the Governor-in-Council on 4 January 1858 under the provisions of An Act for Amending the Laws Relating to the Goldfields (21 Vic no.32). The District was further divided into seven divisions: Spring Creek, Snake Valley, Three Mile Creek, Buckland, Woolshed, Yackandandah and Omeo. The boundaries of each of these divisions and of the whole district are described in the Governor-in-Council's proclamation printed in the Government Gazette, 5 January 1858, pages 3-5. Hydraulic mining is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold. It is also used in mining kaolin and coal.This photograph shows the impact the gold rush era had on Australia and the earth.A black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paperCopied from original on loan film (WEBB QLD) / Donated 2009 NOV/ Baarmutha Three Mile Mine c1920-1950/ Managed by John Weir Peter Jereen Jack Cox / Owned by Plain Bros then Parkinsons Sluicing.mining, gold fields, beechworth, gold rush, burke museum, photograph, mining cavity, hydraulic mining, hydraulic sluicing, baarmutha

Taken between circa 1920 - 1950 this photograph depicts a man dressed in dark trousers, a white long sleeved shirt and broad-brimmed workers hat digging around in the Three Mile Mine at Barramutha. The mine was an important gold resource and was typically mined using a method known as hydraulic sluicing whereby high powered water jets are used to dislodge rock or move sediment. The remaining water sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold. The Beechworth mining district was one of six mining districts established by the governor-in-council on 4th of January 1858 under the provisions of An Act for Amending the Laws Relating to the Goldfields (21 Vic no. 32). This photograph shows historic and research value into the historical methods of hydraulic sluicing in the Beechworth mining disctrict. It also shows the evolution of the mining methods and has potential for understanding future engineering endeavors in the context of victorian mine goldfields. Black and white rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: 7597.3/ Copied from original on loan from Webb (QLD)/ Donated Nov 2009/ Barnawatha Three Mile Mine 1920-1950/ Owned by Plain Bros then Parkinsons/ Managed by John Weir, Peter Jenson, Jack Cox/ Slicing. three mile creek, three mile goldfields, three mile beechworth, goldfields, #beechworth, hydraulic mining, hydraulic sluice, burke museum

Taken between circa 1920 - 1930 this photograph depicts a Hydraulic water jet in the foreground and a man dressed in dark trousers, a white long sleeved shirt and broad-brimmed workers hat digging around in the Three Mile Mine at Barramutha. The mine was an important gold resource and was typically mined using a method known as hydraulic sluicing whereby high powered water jets are used to dislodge rock or move sediment. The remaining water sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold. The Beechworth mining district was one of six mining districts established by the governor-in-council on 4th of January 1858 under the provisions of An Act for Amending the Laws Relating to the Goldfields (21 Vic no. 32).This photograph shows cultural and research value into the historical methods of hydraulic sluicing in the Beechworth mining disctrict. It also shows the evolution of the mining methods and has potential for understanding future engineering endeavors in the context of victorian mine goldfields.Black and White rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper. Reverse: Copied from original on loan from Webb (QLD)/ Donated Nov 2009/ Barnawatha Three Mile Mine c1920-1950/ Owned by Plain Bros then Parkinsons/ Managed by John Weir, Peter Jenson, Jack Cox/ Slicing. three mile creek, three mile goldfields, three mile beechworth, goldfields, #beechworth, hydraulic mining, hydraulic sluice, burke museum

Taken between circa 1920 - 1950 this photograph depicts the open mine in the Three Mile Mine at Barramutha. The mine was an important gold resource and was typically mined using a method known as hydraulic sluicing whereby high powered water jets are used to dislodge rock or move sediment. The remaining water sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold. The Beechworth mining district was one of six mining districts established by the governor-in-council on 4th of January 1858 under the provisions of An Act for Amending the Laws Relating to the Goldfields (21 Vic no. 32).This photograph shows cultural and research value into the historical methods of hydraulic sluicing in the Beechworth mining disctrict. It also shows the evolution of the mining methods and has potential for understanding future engineering endeavors in the context of victorian mine goldfields.Black and White rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: Copied from original on loan from Webb (QLD)/ Donated Nov 2009/ Barnawatha Three Mile Mine c1920-1950 Minehead & Slicing/ Managed by John Weir, Peter Jensen, Jack Cox/ Owned by/ the Plain Bros then Parkinsons/ John worked for Pqarkinsons. three mile creek, three mile goldfields, three mile beechworth, goldfields, #beechworth, hydraulic mining, hydraulic sluice, burke museum

This image shows an unknown location in the area of Beechworth that was possibly used as a sluicing mining site for gold during the Victorian Gold Rush. This era saw an influx of Chinese immigrants and Australian prospectors hoping to strike it rich on the fields. Many companies such as the Rocky Mountain Extended Gold Sluicing Company Ltd and the Cocks Pioneer Gold &Tin Sluicing Company also set up mines in the area. This site may be the location of one of these company's mines. The wooden logs are reminiscent of known sluicing operations in the era from that time. Sluicing involved the use of high-pressured hoses to clear away soil from earth that had been dug up by miners and was a popular method of excavation in the area, although it had severe impacts on the environment.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. 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.A colour rectangular photograph printed on glossy photographic paperReverse: 6855 /beechworth, gold rush, sluicing, mining

The date this photograph was taken is unknown. Estimated date 1960-70s. The gentleman in the photograph and location the photograph was taken are also unknown. Perhaps in the Beechworth or Stanley area. The photo is associated to another record, 6856 as it has the same elderly gentlemen in the image. He is able to be identified through wearing the same clothes and distinctive hat in both photographs. The photograph is associated to mining as the gentleman is standing next to a small mine site where perhaps a windless or whip was mounted over the entrance of the shaft. The windless was a structure mounted over the shaft, fitted with a hand-cranked winch, which was usually constructed from wood that would have been found in the surrounding area. Colour rectangular photograph printed on glossy photographic paper.Obverse: Reverse: 6856/ mining, windlass, whip, empty record

The photograph printed on this postcard comes from the collection of the Mitchell Library in Sydney. It is sepia in tone and depicts seven men standing and sitting around a mine shaft in the Beechworth region. The photograph has been dated to approximately 1872. This period in history post-dates the Victorian gold rushes which occurred 1852-1853 in Ballarat, Bendigo and Beechworth. During this period, in the 1870s, the surface alluvial gold had been discovered and removed from location. Therefore, in order to reach the deeper and less accessible alluvial gold, diggers began to dig shafts into the earth. These shafts sunk below the ground level by 20 to 30 feet and required timber structures around the entrance and winches to bring the paydirt to the top. The top of this wooden structure is visible behind the man standing in the upper right of the image. This type of mining was highly dangerous as mines often caved in which injured the minors and often resulted in death. Thus, following this period, in the early 1900s, miners opted instead for hydrolic slucing which cut away the earth without the devastating consequences of a mine cave in. This particular group of miners appear to have been unable to afford a horse (then worth around 50 pounds) which were generally used at mines like this to help pull buckets attached to ropes up and down the mine. Instead, this group brought the buckets up and down by windlass. The windlass was a wooden structure mounted over the mining shaft and fitted with a hand-cranked winch which enabled the bucket attached to the rope to be brought up and down.Gold was first discovered in Beechworth in Spring and Reid's Creek in the summer of 1852-1853. At its popularity, this region had approximately 8000 people on the gold fields searching for gold on the banks of these creeks. These periods did not require the use of heavy machinery or the digging of deep mining shafts like the one depicted in this image. Therefore, this image has important connotations for the technologies associated with mining during the approximated 1870s when gold was harder to access. This is a later period in gold history which does not fit into the "gold rush" period. Instead, it occurred after the surface gold had disappeared and therefore, is essential for researchers who are investigating the mining techniques and structures used to reach the alluvial gold which was located deeper under ground in the 1870s. This period predates the use of big heavy machinery used to mine in the 1900s which include dredges. Images such as this one can also impart essential information as to the wardrobe and fashion of men during this period. It also imparts knowledge about the landscape of Beechworth which is useful for people researching the environment and impact of gold mining in the north-east region of Victoria. In addition, since this image is a postcard reproduction of an early Australian image which may date to approximately 1990 it can impart knowledge as to the interests of people during this time period when there may have been an increase into Australian history.A sepia tone facsimile of an early Australian photograph (circa 1872) printed as a postcard.Obverse: BEECHWORTH / Victoria, Australia / Reverse: GM 2 3275 / CORRESPONDENCE / AUSTRALIAN / YESTERYEAR / CARDS / ADDRESS / Published by George Symons (057) 65 3240 / THE MINEHEAD C. 1872 / The easily gleaned gold of the early fields did / not last very long. In order to reach less / accessible alluvial gold diggers began sinking shafts as much as twenty to thirty feet down / and the mines required timbering and winches / to bring the paydirt to the top. / This syndicate has been unable to afford the / luxury of a horse (about 50 pounds) and so everything / must go up and down by windlass and rawhide / bucket. / Photo: Mitchell Library, Sydney / A sepia tone facsimile of / an early Australian photographmining album, gold mine, beechworth, burke museum, mine shaft, postcard, australian yesteryear cards, george symons, the minehead, gold fields, alluvial gold, early australia, c.1872, 1872, gold diggers, north east victoria

This photograph depicts a large group of men in their work clothing situated in front of a large bank of earth. They are identified as miners working in an unidentified location in Australia. This photograph was taken by photographer Walter Thwaites sometime during the period of 1865-1908, likely c.1870. It is unsure where this image was taken since Thwaites travelled a lot over his photography career and the photograph is not annotated with this information. In addition, the identities of the men in the photograph are also unknown. These men are photographed in front of a large bank of earth where they had presumably been mining for gold or other precious metals. The men, with the exception of four, are wearing wide brimmed hats to protect their faces from the sun. They are also wearing loose fitting white shirts which are often worn beneath a darker coloured vest. They wear pale coloured work pants and boots. The men are mostly clean shaven with the exception of the moustache and a couple of beards. Two of the men have pipes in their mouth. Their clothing is basic and much less dramatic than the outfits worn by the gold diggers of the 1852 gold rush. These men, by wearing similar outfits, are expressing a sense of comradery or equality between them. It is likely that they are from the same, or similar, social status. They have an air of independence and share social equality in their stance and clothing. Walter William McLean Thwaites (1840-1908) was a professional photographer born in Sydney, Australia. He learnt the craft in his father's Hobart studio, but later embarked on his own solo career and toured every existing Australian colony between 1860 to 1888. The Thwaites family were a long line of photographers and artists with Thwaites' father Walter WIlliam Thwaites Sr working as an artist and photographer in Australia after moving from England in 1834. Walter Thwaites Sr's father, also named Walter Thwaites, was a British miniature portrait artist.Images, like this one, of Australian gold rush history can reveal important information about the social and environmental impact of this period. This image depicts over 30 diggers standing in front of a bank of earth and therefore, this image has the capacity to reveal or support significant information for researchers studying the fashion and social status of diggers in Australia in approximately 1870. It can also provide information on the landscape of Australia in this period and the impact of mining for gold on both society and the Australian landscape. The Burke Museum is home to a substantial collection of Australian mining photographs which can be used to gain a deeper understanding into life on the gold fields, technology used in mining, the miners themselves and the impact of the gold digging on the environment.Sepia toned rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper and mounted on board.Reverse: 1997.208 / MINERS. / W. Thwaites / Photography /australia, australian photography, photography, miners, gold rush, australian landscape, diggers, walter thwaites, thwaites photography, w. thwaites photography, social history

The photograph depicts a mine cut with a tractor. Water is being used to sluice the front of the tractor, possibly to separate any gold that may have been picked up from the earth. A few people watch the demonstration. Water was a significant part of gold mining in the Beechworth area and miners used a method known as 'hydraulic sluicing'. Due to the amount of water required, many water races were constructed throughout the Beechworth Mining District. These were cut through solid rock and are an example of engineering achievement. Water usage in the area put Beechworth at the heart of water policy, with many firsts for Victorian colonial goldfield water management being established in the Beechworth Mining District. This photograph is significant as it depicts the use of water in gold mining in Beechworth. Beechworth was notable for it's use of water in mining.Black and white square photograph (portrait orientation) printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: SW-50-2 / 1997 31136 / unreadable pencil markingssluicing, gold mining, mining, hydraulic sluice, hydraulic sluicing, beechworth mining district

This photograph depicts a man in dark clothing, standing in front of a cut away section of earth. He is undertaking hydraulic sluicing, which involves the use of high powered hoses, in order to cut away the earth which can then be sifted for gold. There is a single tree in the background and the earth contains numerous signs of damage because of the mining. Beechworth become a mining settlement after the discovery of gold in 1852. Gold fever had already spread across Australia's colonies and the American states. Sluicing the landscape for gold, as shown in this photograph, was done by diverting water and washing away the lighter dirt, allowing the gold particles to sift down in to catchments for collection. In Beechworth, there was considerable discontent caused by attempts to restrict water use for sluicing to those with certain 'water rights'. The extensive use of hydraulic sluicing, and the washing away of top soils has continued to impact the surrounds of Beechworth in to the present day. Sluicing as a method for gold mining which was widespread across Victoria during the 1870s. The erosion of the top soil in search of gold has a continuing environmental impact on the landscape and this photograph depicts but one example of this occurring and can provide much information to a researcher interested in understanding the history of gold mining in Victoria. This image of the miner and hose is historically important because it demonstrates the methods of goldmining employed in the later years of the goldrush at Beechworth. It shows how much land is washed away by the use of this technology. The image has good interpretive capacity because it allows researchers to see a different mining technique to what is usually presented. Black and white square photograph on card.reverse: 84-50-3 / 1997 3141 / smdsluicing, goldmining, beechworth, burke museum, miners, gold miners, gold sluicing, environmental impact

This postcard depicts the set-up of an abandoned gold mine. This includes a water wheel and other mining implements next to a creek. The postcard inscription indicates that this image is of the remains of the Wallaby Reef battery and water wheel. Wallaby Reef was discovered in 1864, and a prospecting claim established a four head battery and water wheel. Quartz was mined there, with gold also discovered at this location at a later date. By 1878 the mine was no longer resulting in rich deposits, this resulted in the miners moving their search for gold closer to the river where they were able to access more gold. This was in approximately 1879. In 1882 a rich deposit was found. In 1908 the battery was closed, and the mine finished. This photo was taken in 1920 and shows the deterioration of the site since its closure. Gold mining was crucial to the development of the Beechworth area. It has strong research and historical value because the clarity of the photo shows all the minute details of the mining equipment. The text on the back also indicates the mine is the Wallaby Mine, which was used for 45 years to find gold and quartz. Therefore, due to the location being quickly abandoned, this site is a rich location for historical study on gold mining during the 1900s. It can provide important information on the types of tools utilised and the impact of the mining on the environment.Black and white postcard photograph on card.8169 Be / Also near Wallaby Reef Workings / Relics of Rechabite Reef (locality) workings. / Shaft in bed of creek. Wheel used to drive sheadd (?) / stamp battery too I believe near B'worth 1920?beechworth, mining, gold mining, quartz mining, wallaby reef mine, mine battery head

This photograph depicts mining operations (in particular, hydrolic sluicing) at Three Mile Mine, Barramutha, during the later periods of mining, 1920s-1950s. Three Mile Mine was a major site of mining activity sating back to the 1850s, although was often not as prosperous as other sites such as those situated on the Woolshed Valley. Many miners would leave Three Mile Mine for better prospects on other claims. The main, most successful 'rush' at Three Mile Mine occurred during and immediately following September 1855. This photograph, however, depicts a much later period.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray a miner at a sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image, and its related images, it important for its historical significant of labour and mining extraction used for gold during the latter gold rushes in the 1900s. The Beechworth Burke Museum has additional images relating to gold mining in the region which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.A black and white rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paperreverse: 7597.4 / copied from original on loan from Webb (Qld) / Donated Nov 2009 / Baarmutha Three Mile Mine 1920-1950 / Owned by Plain Bros then Parkinsons / John Weir or Jack Cox / Sluicing /mining, barramutha, three mile mine, sluicing, mine, beechworth

This photograph depicts four men standing near a large unidentified building. This building is the entrance to a deep lead mine shaft. There is a bridge entering the building, which was used to access the elevator to the shaft. Deep lead mining involved placing large shafts into the ground which miners use to access deeper locations in order to excavate the rocks in the search for lead. Deep lead mining was highly dangerous as roofs could cave in of the soil was loose. Therefore, this particular mining considered to be highly undesirable profession as many miners did not want to work long hours nor risk their lives in the search for lead. Indigo Shire was a large area where deep lead mining took place, and thus the landscape and environment was largely impacted by these mining businesses. The Indigo Shire grew in population and wealth in the early 1850s when people came into this location in the hopes of finding gold and making a fortune. Ultimately, the accessibility and availability of gold and precious metals decreased once the gold reserves dried up and alongside this, the large population moved away. The Ovens was also heavily impacted environmentally as deep mining resulted in the change in land formation.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 the methods used to find gold in Indigo Shire. It also shows a location where deep mining was undertook which provides insight into the impact of deep mining on the environment at a time when it was done. This image is important for current research into the history of Indigo Shire, a region 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 deep lead mining and Indigo Shire which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.Sepia coloured retangular photo printed on gloss photographic paper.Reverse: 1997, 2510/ A02570/ Deep Lead Mining/ page 94/ 65%/ Burke Museum, Photo 44beechworth, burke museum, indigo shire, deep lead mining, mining, gold, gold mining

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

This photograph dating to the late 1900s depicts the entrance to a reef mine the in Beechworth division. The image depicts two men outside the entrance, which is covered by a hut, where one is standing near a mine cart. The mine car was used to haul soil from the mine. The Beewchworth divison consisted of 5 locations: Beechworth, Stanley, El Dorado, Hurdle Flat and Stony Creek. These locations were set up due to speculative fever that more gold could be found. In places such as El Dorado, Beechworth and Stanley there was profit, however Hurdle Flat and Stonry Creek, gold could not be found in the quantities that was required. By 1880 the Beechworth division was in depression due to the reserves being used up. However, in spite of the depression mining was continued until the late 20th Century.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 reef mining in the late 1900s. It also shows a location where reef mining was undertook which provides insight into the impact of reef mining on the environment at a time when it was done. This image is important for current research into the history of Beechworth , a town 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 reef mining and Beechworth which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.Sepia coloured retangular photograph printed on newspaper.Reverse: 7813beechworth, beechworth division, mining, reef mining, gold, gold mining, 1990

The photo from 1907-8 is a sepia print, depicting a small valley with building at base. There are flumes visible above areas of water, trees on hills and a few small cottages on the hillside. Cock's Pioneer Gold & Tin Sluicing Co NZ No 2 Site. The photo was taken of Matthews Gully looking west. Sluicing was undertaken in the area from 1900 to 1942 with some short breaks between these periods. The image depicts a location mined by Cocks Pioneer Gold and Tin Sluicing Company (as recorded on the annotation on the card mount) The Cocks Pioneer Gold and Tin Mines N.L was one of El Dorado's two largest open cut sluicing mines of the 20th Century. The other was named the Cocks El Dorado Gold Dredging Company. The Cocks Pioneer Mines operated from 1901 until 1941 and found a total of 117,378 ounces of Gold and 1,673 tones of tin concentrates over these years. The Cocks company was formed in 1898 and operated until 1941. 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 gold and other precious metals. From 1914 , four years after this image was captured, the company reformed to Cocks Pioneer Gold and Tin Mines NL (previously it was known as Cocks Pioneer Sluicing Co) and undertook large scale sluicing operations until 1929 and then 1934-1941. El Dorado is located on Reedy Creek and is surrounded by forested country to the north and east. It is 20 km east of Wangaratta in Victoria's regional north-east. John Cock was the son of a Cornish minor who arrived in El Dorado in 1858. Cock founded his gold and tin mining company which ran successfully for many years in the El Dorado region. It was an open cut sluicing company because of the abandonment of underground mining after this was deemed too dangerous. In 1935 Cock's El Dorado Company commissioned the floating dredge which is still visible in El Dorado today. The dredge was built by the Thompson engineering works, Castlemaine, and weighed over 2,000 tones and today has a place on the Victorian Registers of historic buildings. Interestingly, the name El Dorado does not derive from the gold in the region, but from the Barambogie pastoral run completed by William Baker in 1840-1841. Gold was discovered in El Dorado 1854 but the gold was too deep for individual prospectors to find, it required the use of heavy machinery.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 in 1910. 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 El Dorado, a small regional location near Wangaratta 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 El Dorado which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.Sepia coloured rectangle photograph printed on gloss photographic paper Reverse: 1997. 2613/ A02613/ No2 site/ Matthews Gully/ Cocks Pioneer G&T. ?? Co NZ/ No2 Site looking West/ 1907-8/ (7)sluicing, hydraulic sluicing, 1907, 1908, mining, cock's pioneer gold & tin sluicing co nz, nz, site no 2, matthews gully, west, valley, building, cottages, hillside, trees, water, gold and tin mine

This photograph depicts Cock's Pioneer G & T Sluicing site No. 4 in El Dorado. Looking eastwards, the photo captures a wooden and tin building with various mining equipment strewn in the foreground. Underneath the verandah, figures can be seen. These are believed to be a Mr. Hollister (left), Mrs. Breustedt (4th from left), children Min and Chris Breustedt, and Kate Timmons holding a girl's hand. The Cocks Pioneer Gold and Tin Mines N.L was one of El Dorado's two largest open-cut sluicing mines of the 20th Century. The other was named the Cocks El Dorado Gold Dredging Company. The Cocks Pioneer Mines operated from 1901 until 1941 and found a total of 117,378 ounces of Gold and 1,673 tones of tin concentrates over these years. The Cocks company was formed in 1898 and operated until 1941. 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 gold and other precious metals. From 1914, four years after this image was captured, the company reformed to Cocks Pioneer Gold and Tin Mines NL (previously it was known as Cocks Pioneer Sluicing Co) and undertook large-scale sluicing operations until 1929 and then 1934-1941. The Cocks Pioneer was an extremely successful mining company during the 20th century. In the Annual Report of the Secretary for Mines for the year 1915, the Cocks Pioneer was the largest producer of gold and tin collecting 5,535 ozs. of gold and £7,500 of tin. Twenty years later in 1935, Cocks Pioneer was still one of the most profitable mines in Victoria, ranking as the second-highest dividend paying mine. The company produced a total of 3,650 kg of gold. El Dorado is located on Reedy Creek and is surrounded by forested country to the north and east. It is 20 km east of Wangaratta in Victoria's regional northeast. John Cock was the son of a Cornish miner who arrived in El Dorado in 1858. Cock founded his gold and tin mining company which ran successfully for many years in the El Dorado region. It was an open-cut sluicing company because of the abandonment of underground mining after this was deemed too dangerous. In 1935 Cock's El Dorado Company commissioned the floating dredge which is still visible in El Dorado today. The dredge was built by the Thompson engineering works, Castlemaine, and weighed over 2,000 tones and today has a place on the Victorian Registers of historic buildings. Interestingly, the name El Dorado does not derive from the gold in the region, but from the Barambogie pastoral run completed by William Baker in 1840-1841. Gold was discovered in El Dorado in 1854 but the gold was too deep for individual prospectors to find, it required the use of heavy machinery.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 in 1910. 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 El Dorado, a small regional location near Wangaratta 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 El Dorado which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.A black and white copy of a sepia coloured rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper mounted on boardObverse: COCKS PIONEER G + T SL CO, N.L. / 1910 - 11 / NO 4 SITE LOOKING EAST / 4 Reverse: 1997.2508 / AUG 29 1909cocks pioneer gold and tin sluicing company, el dorado, mining, sluicing, hydraulic mining, hollister, breustedt, timmons, gold, tin, gold rush, victoria

This photograph dating to 1910 depicts an open cut sluicing site located in El Dorado captured looking east up the open cut from the number 3 Barge site. Sluicing was undertaken in the area from 1900 to 1942 with some short breaks between these periods. The image depicts a location mined by Cocks Pioneer Gold and Tin Sluicing Company (as recorded on the annotation on the card mount). It portrays open cut rocks with a crevice in the center of the image where the sluicing was being undertaken. There is a small timber structure on the right of the image which could be an entrance to a mine or supports made of wood to prevent a cave in at the open cut site and above the cut rock there is bush. The timber structure has rail tracks on top of the bridge which could suggest the identification of this structure as a mine entrance. The rail tracks were used for little carts which hauled soil from the mine. The Cocks Pioneer Gold and Tin Mines N.L was one of El Dorado's two largest open cut sluicing mines of the 20th Century. The other was named the Cocks El Dorado Gold Dredging Company. The Cocks Pioneer Mines operated from 1901 until 1941 and found a total of 117,378 ounces of Gold and 1,673 tones of tin concentrates over these years. The Cocks company was formed in 1898 and operated until 1941. 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 gold and other precious metals. From 1914 , four years after this image was captured, the company reformed to Cocks Pioneer Gold and Tin Mines NL (previously it was known as Cocks Pioneer Sluicing Co) and undertook large scale sluicing operations until 1929 and then 1934-1941. El Dorado is located on Reedy Creek and is surrounded by forested country to the north and east. It is 20 km east of Wangaratta in Victoria's regional north-east. John Cock was the son of a Cornish minor who arrived in El Dorado in 1858. Cock founded his gold and tin mining company which ran successfully for many years in the El Dorado region. It was an open cut sluicing company because of the abandonment of underground mining after this was deemed too dangerous. In 1935 Cock's El Dorado Company commissioned the floating dredge which is still visible in El Dorado today. The dredge was built by the Thompson engineering works, Castlemaine, and weighed over 2,000 tones and today has a place on the Victorian Registers of historic buildings. Interestingly, the name El Dorado does not derive from the gold in the region, but from the Barambogie pastoral run completed by William Baker in 1840-1841. Gold was discovered in El Dorado 1854 but the gold was too deep for individual prospectors to find, it required the use of heavy machinery.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 in 1910. 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 El Dorado, a small regional location near Wangaratta 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 El Dorado which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.Sepia coloured rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper mounted on board.Obverse: COCKS PIONEER Q + T SL CO, N.L. / 1910 / LOOKING EAST UP OPEN CUT / FROM NO3 BARGE SITE / Reverse: 1997 . 2611 / A02611el dorado, north east gold, sluicing, gold sluicing, hydraulic sluicing, 1910, gold and tin mine, open cut mining, mining, gold mining, north-east victoria, beechworth, burke museum