The Coat of Arms of the Shire of Orbost has been designed in the form of a cross in which five stars are set on a shield. This was typical of those used by many shires and cities throughout Victoria and the Commonwealth. A small crown above the cross indicates the loyalty of the President, Councillors and Ratepayers to the reigning King or Queen. The inner circle of the shield contains four figures, a sheaf of wheat, a factory, a cow, and a ship, which represents the activities of agriculture, fishing, industry and dairying undertaken in the district. Originally part of the Bairnsdale district, Orbost split away as part of the Shire of Tambo in 1882, and became a Shire in its own right as the Shire of Croajingolong on the 30th may 1892. The name changed to the Shire of Orbost on 17 February 1893. Orbost was divided into four ridings on 31st May 1895, they were the North, South, East and Central riding, which was represented by three elected councillors. The Shire coat of arms was on the wall on the right of the front entrance to the building and was removed from the current building when Orbost Shire Council was amalgamated into East Gippsland Shire in 1994.The current building was opened on Friday 28th February 1969 by the Premier of Victoria, The Hon. Sir Henry E. Bolte, K.C.M.G., M.P. Local governments play an important role in the lives of citizens in Australia. Local government authorities exist to provide services and amenities to local communities, and are also responsible for regulating and providing services for land and property in their district. This item is representative of a time when Orbost had its own Shire Council. A large round metal plaque with the words SHIRE OF ORBOST1892 in gold letters around a crown and shield divided into four sections to represent four industries : Shipping ; farming - maize ; dairy and mining.SHIRE OF ORBOST 1892government orbost-shire-council coat-of-arms plaque

This clock was made by Charles Frederick Falck who was a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth from 1863-1908. Falck was born in Körlin, Prussia on May 22nd in 1833 and died at the age of 75 in 1908. Ovens and Murray Advertiser, Beechworth: edition June 13, 1908 OBITUARY: Falck was brought up to the business of watch-making, in which he developed exceptional mechanical ingenuity. Attracted by the favourable prospects held out by the Australian discoveries of gold he, like many other young adventurous spirits, left his native land to seek his fortune in the great southern Eldorado, arriving in Adelaide in 1854, and shortly after came to Melbourne where he worked as a journeyman, and subsequently started in business on his own account. Feeling inclined to test his fortune on the goldfields, he went to Blackwood but, meeting with little success, he returned to Melbourne where he was married. In 1862, he moved to Beechworth, where he commenced business as watchmaker and gold-buyer. He then embarked in vine-growing on the Sydney road, but eventually resumed his business avocations. His skill in practical horology was evinced in a clock of his own design and manufacture, surmounted by a golden eagle, which was exhibited at the first Melbourne Exhibition in 1856, and which afterwards formed a pre-eminent attraction in the window of his business premises in Ford Street. For many years, he filled the position of timekeeper to the Beechworth Racing Club, with complete satisfaction also at various sports meetings. He leaves a family of six sons and one daughter (Mrs. Jas. Broadfoot) all arrived at maturity. The funeral, which was well attended by a number of residents, took place at the Beechworth Cemetery on Sunday, the burial service being performed by the Ven. Archdeacon Potter. The cortege was capably supervised by Mr. D. Wilson, undertaker. The clock was returned to Beechworth in 2020 through the generous support of the Copland Foundation. Given that Mr. C. F. Falck traded as a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth for 45 years and traded with the 1855 clock mounted in his front window, there is a direct link between the clocks and the social, cultural and economic life of nineteenth century Beechworth at time when the town was developing and expanding in response to gold mining. This clock represent the significant skill and expertise of Charles Falck as an horologist. Medium-sized pendulum clock featuring a carved gilt wood eagle with wings outstretch (épandre - expanded with wing-tips directed upwards) and perched above a pendulum rod that holds a silver dial clock face within a reeded sunburst surround. The clock has an eight-day fuse movement with dead beat escapement wound from the clock face. C. F. F. FALCK / EXHIBITION 1856 / MELBOURNEburke museum, copland foundation, beechworth, leonard joel, auction, purchase, clock, pendulum, eagle, eagle clock, charles frederick falck, c. f. falck, falck, horology, pendulum clock, melbourne

This clock was made by Charles Frederick Falck who was a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth from 1863-1908. Falck was born in Körlin, Prussia on May 22nd in 1833 and died at the age of 75 in 1908. Ovens and Murray Advertiser, Beechworth: edition June 13, 1908 OBITUARY: Falck was brought up to the business of watch-making, in which he developed exceptional mechanical ingenuity. Attracted by the favourable prospects held out by the Australian discoveries of gold he, like many other young adventurous spirits, left his native land to seek his fortune in the great southern Eldorado, arriving in Adelaide in 1854, and shortly after came to Melbourne where he worked as a journeyman, and subsequently started in business on his own account. Feeling inclined to test his fortune on the goldfields, he went to Blackwood but, meeting with little success, he returned to Melbourne where he was married. In 1862, he moved to Beechworth, where he commenced business as watchmaker and gold-buyer. He then embarked in vine-growing on the Sydney road, but eventually resumed his business avocations. His skill in practical horology was evinced in a clock of his own design and manufacture, surmounted by a golden eagle, which was exhibited at the first Melbourne Exhibition in 1856, and which afterwards formed a pre-eminent attraction in the window of his business premises in Ford Street. For many years, he filled the position of timekeeper to the Beechworth Racing Club, with complete satisfaction also at various sports meetings. He leaves a family of six sons and one daughter (Mrs. Jas. Broadfoot) all arrived at maturity. The funeral, which was well attended by a number of residents, took place at the Beechworth Cemetery on Sunday, the burial service being performed by the Ven. Archdeacon Potter. The cortege was capably supervised by Mr. D. Wilson, undertaker. The clock was returned to Beechworth in 2020 through the generous support of the Copland Foundation and the Friends of the Burke. Given that Mr. C. F. Falck traded as a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth for 45 years and traded with the 1855 clock mounted in his front window, there is a direct link between the clocks and the social, cultural and economic life of nineteenth century Beechworth at time when the town was developing and expanding in response to gold mining. This clock represent the significant skill and expertise of Charles Falck as an horologist. Large swinging clock featuring a carved gilt wood eagle with its wings outstretched (abaisé - expanded with wing-tips lowered) and perched above a pendulum rod that holds a silvered dial clock face within a reeded sunburst surround. (Similar to #2019.056.01) The clock has an eight-day fuse movement with dead beat escapement wound from the clock face. C. F. FALCK / WATCHMAKERburke museum, copland foundation, beechworth, leonard joel, auction, purchase, clock, pendulum, eagle, eagle clock, charles frederick falck, c. f. falck, falck, horology, pendulum clock, melbourne

The A1 Gold Mine is located north of Woods Point, near Jamieson, in the Upper Goulburn region of Victoria. Gold was discovered at the A1 site in 1861 and mining operations began in 1864. The A1 Mine Settlement refers to a small township known variously as Castle Reef, Castle Point, and Raspberry Creek, which developed in the 1860s around mining industry centred on a crushing machine that worked the three gold reefs in the area. Historically, the name "A1"referred to the high quality of gold found in the quartz reefs at depths of at least two thousand feet. Along with the Morning Star mine at Woods Point, the A1 gold mine produced almost sixty percent of Victoria's gold output in the 1950s to 1970s and continued operating until 1992 when it went into administration. Operations at the site were revived in 2016 and the A1 Mine is now considered one of Victoria's premier gold mines. The A1 mine is part of the extensive and prospective Lachlan Fold Belt, a north-west trending belt of tightly folded Early Devonian sedimentary rocks extending from New South Wales to Victoria. Mineralisation is hosted within or immediately adjacent to diorite dykes. Contemporary development of the 'Queens Lode' at the A1 mine signals a move from high-grade, narrow vein airleg mining into larger scale, mechanical mining designed to increase ore production volume. This original, undated photograph of the A1 Mine appears to depict an area or phase of disuse or abandonment. The aged and humble appearance of the cottage suggests association with the historical A1 Mine Settlement, therefore the image may have been taken prior to the 1950s-1970s revival period in which the A1 mine is known to have produced high gold yields. The photograph contributes to our understanding of the A1 Gold Mine's impact on the landscape and the social, environmental impacts of mining on communities and may be compared with others in the Burke Museum's extensive collection of mining photographs to deepen our understanding of mining in the Jamieson area.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paperReverse: 5577 / A1 Mine / Near Jamieson / Vic. /burke museum, beechworth museum, beechworth, gold fields, gold rush, victorian gold rush, mining tunnels, gold ming history, colonial australia, australian gold rushes, mining technology, beechworth historic district, indigo gold trail, indigo shire, upper goulburn shire, jamieson, woods point-walhalla goldfield, a1 gold mine, victorian high country, modern mining methods, orogenic gold province, gold mineralisation, devonian, dykes

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

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

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 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

A black and white photograph depicting seven men and four women surrounded by tunnel boring machinery. A tunnel boring machine (TBM), also known as a "mole", is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They may also be used for microtunneling. They can be designed to bore through anything from hard rock to sand. Tunnel boring machines are used as an alternative to drilling and blasting (D&B) methods in rock and conventional "hand mining" in soil. TBMs have the advantages of limiting the disturbance to the surrounding ground and producing a smooth tunnel wall. This significantly reduces the cost of lining the tunnel, and makes them suitable to use in heavily urbanised areas. The major disadvantage is the upfront cost. TBMs are expensive to construct, and can be difficult to transport. The longer the tunnel, the less the relative cost of tunnel boring machines versus drill and blast methods. This is because tunneling with TBMs is much more efficient and results in shortened completion times, assuming they operate successfully. Drilling and blasting however remains the preferred method when working through heavily fractured and sheared rock layers.This photograph is significant as it shows the machinery used and attire worn by men and women during the gold rush era. Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paperburke museum, mining, beechworth, boring machinery, excavate, gold, gold fields, gold rush, miners

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 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 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 is of old mine workings on the site of the Spring Creek diggings. Spring Creek is a contact zone for granite pluton and siltstones, shales and standstones; which has, over time, encouraged natural springs to form. Enriched with gold washed out of the surrounding granite, these alluvial deposits achieved fame from 1852 onwards as the Spring Creek Diggings sprang to life (not realised as geographically important until 1871). In Spring Creek that runs behind the main street of Beechworth, near the foot of Newtown Hill a pint pot of gold was discovered on one of these expeditions in 1852 by prospectors Baker and Strickland and the gold rush town of Spring Creek was formed. Australian gold rushes have always created a sense of independence and freedom; as do-it-yourself, off-grid, low-tech adventures. People of all backgrounds were drawn to the gold fields by the prospect of riches and adventure, but they also learned self-sufficiency and found freedom of expression. Industry boomed, new practices were adopted and social norms were upended. This image is of historical significance as it informs on the history of Australian gold mining. It represents the innovation that accompanied the mining industry and the importance of gold mining in town building and regional histories. Black and white rectangular photograph on unmounted board.gold mining, spring creek, mining, geography, geology

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

Taken in the 1880s, depicted is a large group of children and adults dressed in formal clothing picnicking upon the bank of Lake Kerferd. The five members of the group are holding union jack flags that have been hoisted upon portable flag poles. The group is seated by the lakeside in a grassed area beneath eucalyptus trees.This image was taken in the 1880s at Lake Kerferd. Lake Kerferd was created in 1862 to retain water for gold mining purposes from the Hurdle Swamp, and to additionally serve as Beechworth's main water supply. It was named after George Briscoe Kerferd, a Beechworth businessman and councillor, who later became the tenth Premier of Victoria.Sepia rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper mounted on boardentertainment album, picnic, lake kerferd, beechworth, burke museum, kerferd

Information about early mining in Victoria's first gold field. Cover photographs: Front cover - Fossickers working below the water-wheen driven stamper battery located on the south side of the Yarra River upstream of the Warrandyte Bridge. Back cover - The Old Post Office, Warrandyte, in 1906, now the premises of the Warrandyte Historical Society Museum and Archive, 111 Yarra Street.Acknowledgements: Several members of the Warrandyte Historical Society were involved in the development of this publication. It was developed and written by Diane Baird; Murray Houghton and Ted Rotherham provided specialist historical details and further references; Jo Laurence and Shirley Rotherham collected and identified photographs; Brian Laurence prepared images for electronic format; and Richard Morton edited and formatted the text. The Society gratefully acknowledges the dedicated work of all its members who collect, preserve and share Warrandyte's history. In particular, the research by the late Bruce Bence and the dedicated work of the late Jo Laurence have been an invaluable contribution to the history of Warrandyte.

The Blue Duck Hotel stands at the confluence of 3 trout rivers - Cobungra, Bundarra and Mitta Mitta, called Angler's Rest. The original 1900's building was of slab construction and operated as a butcher shop, servicing miners on the track from Omeo to Mt. Wills. In 1912 it was purchased by a miner, Billy O'Connell, and he obtained a hotel license. In the early 1920's he transported 2 houses from Omeo on Horse drays. One is the main building of the Blue Duck and the other was a residence where Billy and his wife raised their nine children. The small log structure behind the pub is State School No.4286 where the children attended school. A teacher was shared with Glen Wills. By the late 1920's the hotel was discovered and patronized by keen anglers. Sir Harold Clapp (head of the railways) was one and he had the bronze blue duck cast and presented to the owners in the 1930's. This stands at the entrance to the premises.These photographs are of a building, in a remote area, that has provided a service to miners, anglers and travellers for over 100 years and continues to do so today. It also played a vital role in the history of the Mt. Wills/Omeo gold mining days.3 Post cards, Black and White photographs. 3 small black and white photographsPost Card No. 1 - "Blue Duck Hotel- Omeo-Glen wills road Ray Love Series No.2"(written on lower front) Post Card No. 2- "Looking towards Bogong High Plains. Omeo-Glen Wills road"(front, bottom, L hand) Ray Love Series No. 18 (front, lower R hand corner) On both of above photos, centre back, is stamped POST CARD and underneath this is printed "A GENUINE PHOTOGRAPH'/ Post Card No. 3 - Bottom L hand corner "Mystic Sea Australian Alps". R hand corner "(Bulmer Copyright)". Each small photograph, handwritten on back "Blue duck Hotel". All have circular stamp with "Print by Wilson White Albury" blue duck hotel; anglers rest; omeo highway; fishing; mining

Historically this item would have been used by gold miners, rabbit shooters, mobile "Rag and Bone" traders and other mobile(in caravans and/or horse drawn cart) traders of various small goods and haberdashery. Although marked as not to be used as trade, the isolation and sometimes difficult terrain rules out using larger and more delicate scales. In the early 1900s rough roads and severe weather conditions forced traders to be more flexible in trading with weights and measures. The "close enough is good enough" doctrine was the Australian outback rule of thumb.The significance of this item in the Kiewa Valley during this period demonstrates the slower acceptance of accurate trading measure using the country side principle "my hand shake is my bond". In the Kiewa Valley small quantity commercial undertakings e.g. gold mining, fur pelts and rabbit meat trade did not require bulk weight type scales. Commerce in rural production e.g. fruit and vegetables involved more farmers and their staff in a barter and/or "in kind" payments. This was more so in the depression years 1929 to late 1930s. Self sufficiency was to a large extent more attainable in this region than in the city/ large country town environment. The Australian "fair go" ethical approach to life and commerce was very much ingrained in those living in country regions, like Kiewa Valley as is demonstrated by the not so accurate hand balance, spring loaded scales.This brass "faced" portable Pocket Balance ( Fish Scales) has front plate made from thin pressed brass. The mild steel spring mechanism enclosed by black painted medium gauge steel cover( three quarters cylindrical). Front scale face and rear spring casing fastened by three rivets. Spring loaded marker blade is located in the centre of the front plate. A steel " finger holder" ring is attached at the top of the scale unit from one of two pre drilled holes. The top is for holding the scale upright and the bottom for a hook to dangle the item to be weighed from the bottom. See item KVHS 0223 for similar scales"THE BILLY BALANCE" and at the bottom "MADE IN GERMANY"antique pocket balance, scales, mobile weights, vintage appliances

This is a book of 428 pages. The cover has brown composite material with a leather spine and corners. The spine has gold lettering and gold ridged lines. The corners are somewhat tattered. The title page and some other pages are torn. The pages contain printed text, black and white diagrams and sketches and colour illustrations.non-fictionEncyclopedia of Technical Education.Two volumes with technical information on a wide range of subjects. technical education, technical school text book, warrnambool

The little yellow and orange brick at 810 Main Road, Eltham, just in front of the Uniting Church (formerly Methodist Church) on the corner of John Street in more recent times has been used as an Opportunity Shop by the Eltham Uniting Church however the operations outgrew the tiny building and the shop moved to inside the Church hall. This building was once the Eltham agency of the Commercial Bank of Australia. Measuring just 3.6 x 4.5 m inside, it was built in 1878 by George Stebbing and is said to have stored gold in the early Eltham-Research mining days. It was also once the scene of an armed hold-up. Thursday, December 15, 1949, the quiet little bank was embroiled in an infamous wild shoot-out between a daring thief and two bank officers. Today, the building still carries the scars ; a bullet hole remains visible in a cedar bench testifying to the events that played out that day.jim connor collection, uniting church, main road, eltham, cba bank, opportunity shop, 2020-01-06

The little yellow and orange brick at 810 Main Road, Eltham, just in front of the Uniting Church (formerly Methodist Church) on the corner of John Street in more recent times has been used as an Opportunity Shop by the Eltham Uniting Church however the operations outgrew the tiny building and the shop moved to inside the Church hall. This building was once the Eltham agency of the Commercial Bank of Australia. Measuring just 3.6 x 4.5 m inside, it was built in 1878 by George Stebbing and is said to have stored gold in the early Eltham-Research mining days. It was also once the scene of an armed hold-up. Thursday, December 15, 1949, the quiet little bank was embroiled in an infamous wild shoot-out between a daring thief and two bank officers. Today, the building still carries the scars ; a bullet hole remains visible in a cedar bench testifying to the events that played out that day.jim connor collection, uniting church, main road, eltham, cba bank, opportunity shop, 2023-07-10