In the early 1900's, Bendigo had at least four companies treating parcels of gold ores containing mineral sulphides (pyrites). They were the United Pyrites Co., Spargo's, Liddell's and Leggo's Treatment Works. Many banks also had their own assay equipment with a single furnace and a brick chimney n a small building in the yard behind the bank, for example, the Bank of New South Wales in View Street, Bendigo. The assay teaching facility at the Bendigo School of Mines was built in the 1880's and extended, to include a chemical laboratory in 1892. The building was brick with a round brick chimney to a height of about 7 metres above the ground. Two page document on the assay chimneys of the Bendigo goldfield and, specifically, the purpose built laboratory at the Bendigo School of Mines used to teach assaying. Copy of photo attached of the United Pyrites Gold Extraction Company Work c 1887-8. dr. ralph birrell, assay, assay chimneys, united pyrites co., spargo's, liddell's, bendigo school of mines

4-page typed document, prepared by Dr. Ralph Birrell, on the significance of the former mining sites on the White Hills. Document describes the 'area adjacent to the old Railway Workshops as shown on attached map'. A further addition (slip of paper, typed) to the paper describes the location of the Whiter Hills of White Hills: 1st White Hill is east of Lake Weeroona The 2nd and 3rd White Hills are around Strickland Road, former East Bendigo Primary School, Baden/Powell Streets The 4th and 5th White Hills are east of Napier and Grace Street The 6th White Hill is east of Plumridge Street The 7th White Hill is east of Bosquet Street.

Colour photograph of 'an exposed cement boulder on the site' of the first White Hill. (see Mosaic 4400.220 for detailed information regarding the White Hills, written by Dr. Ralph Birrell)bendigo, mining, white hills

Colour photograph:' boulders heaped up during recent excavations of first White Hills' (see Mosaic 4400.220 for detailed information regarding the White Hills, written by Dr. Ralph Birrell)bendigo, mining, white hlls

Bendigo Institute of Technology ENG School - Dr Ralph Birrell Collection c1956-1976. Construction of the Applied Science Buildings at Latrobe University. Cleared ground, piping and truck in view. Markings slide marked number 6 May '69. Made in Australia. Processes by Kodak, Kodachrome Transparency.Kodakeducation, tertiary, latrobe university bendigo, ralph birrell latrobe university construction

Colour photograph of White Hills,' site adjacent to the Railway Workshops at the end of Riley Street showing the sands and gravels sitting on the white gravel and clay' written on enclosed description by Ralph Birrell. (see Mosaic 4400.220 for detailed information regarding the White Hills, written by Dr. Ralph Birrell)bendigo, mining, white hills

Bendigo Weekly from Friday, June 20, 2014. Teaching a way of life, obituary dr. Ralph Winter Birrell.newspaper, bendigo, ralph birrell

Dr Ralph Birrell (20/3/1927 - 7/6/2014) was a lecturer at the Bendigo School of mines and the author of numerous books about mining in Victoria, particularly Bendigo, and books on various elements of Bendigo history.Set of handwritten land leases books compiled by Ralph Birrell. Book 17: 5156/5573, year 1886. Book 18: 5574/5891. year 1887. Book 19: 5892/6211, year 1890. Book 20: 6212/6531, year 1893. Book 21: 6532/6849, year 1896. Book 22: 6849/71765, year 1897. Book 23: 7166/7390, year 1899.land leases, 1886-1899

Colour photograph of White Hill area - possibly at First White Hill. Image shows white clay and gravel, low level bushes, possibly Chinese Scrub on site. 'The rim of the pit showing an exposed boulder in situ' ( in foreground of image ) (see Mosaic 4400.220 for detailed information regarding the White Hills, written by Dr. Ralph Birrell)bendigo, mining, white hills

Photo: copy of photo of first Bendigo Post Office and Survey Office, located corner of Mitchell and Pall Mall. Building constructed by John Pyke, land purchased for 1800 pounds in first land sales. Source of information: Dr. Ralph Birrell. This reproduction is the property of the National Library of Australia, and is not for reproduction in any form apart from for research.bendigo, buildings, post office and survey office

Colour photograph: 'showing tunnels below the cement where the miners chipped the undersurface to get the gold The thickness of the cement can be seen' Loose sand and gravel above the cement has already been removed. Image shows layer of cement, tunnel visible on LH side, clay and gravel in front. (see Mosaic 4400.220 for detailed information regarding the White Hills, written by Dr. Ralph Birrell)bendigo, mining, white hills

Colour photograph 'showing tunnels below the cement where the miners chipped the undersurface to get the gold The thickness of the cement can be seen'. Loose sand and gravel above the cement has already been removed. Image shows mining tunnel visible going in under the cement. White clay in foreground. (see Mosaic 4400.220 for detailed information regarding the White Hills, written by Dr. Ralph Birrell)bendigo, mining, white hills

Colour photograph of tree 'planted around the gunpowder magazine site in the 1880's, most of which still remain' at White Hills, Bendig ( at the end of Riley Street) The magazine keeper's residence is nearby and is in use as private residence. A magazine for gelignite was built nearby on the site of the Bendigo East School in 1883 and was pulled down in 1915. (see Mosaic 4400.220 for detailed information regarding the White Hills, written by Dr. Ralph Birrell)bendigo, mining, white hills

Dr Ralph Birrell (20/3/1927 - 7/6/2014) was a lecturer at the Bendigo School of mines and the author of numerous books about mining in Victoria, particularly Bendigo, and books on various elements of Bendigo history. New Bendigo Gold Project The Bendigo goldfield is centred on the urban area of Bendigo (population approximately 60 000) in central Victoria, 130 km north west of Melbourne, Australia. Gold was discovered at Bendigo in 1851 and production continued through to 1954. The Bendigo goldfield is the second largest goldfield in total gold produced in Australia, after Kalgoorlie's Golden Mile with a total production of 22 million oz. The geology of the Bendigo Field consists of a series of tightly folded, interbedded sandstone and shale sediments. Within the sediments the gold mineralisation is hosted in quartz reefs or ribbons closely associated with anticline axes and reverse faulting. The gold within the quartz reefs is typically both coarse grained and erratically distributed.Three letters from Bendigo Mining N.L. 14th May 1998, 3 November 1998, and 22nd. April 1999, to Mr. Ralph Birrell from Bendigo Mining N.L. regarding the next meeting of the old miners club to be held at Bendigo mining's site offices. Signed by Shelley Saunders, Community Affairs Co-ordinator. On bottom of page: Registered and Secretarial Office, 61-65 Bull Street, Bendigo Vic 3550. Carshalton Site Office, Coonooer Street, Kangaroo Flat, Vic 3555.bendigo mining n.l., bendigo, mining, gold, kangaroo flat, ralph birrell, old miners group

BHS CollectionCollection of 8 booklets titled Australian Mining historty monographs numbers 1 - 7 by Ralph W Birrell & number 9 by Dr g h bruhn Hamburg 1855 transcribed from old Gothic by Marta Birrell.books, technical, mining