Black and white photograph. Ian Clark, wearing hard hat and light, inspecting a quartz vein on the wall of a drive at the William's United Gold Mine, Eaglehawk. On back of photo: ' Ian Clark, 8" drill hole'and drill holegold mining, central deborah gold mine, underground, quartz vein, williams united gold mine, eaglehawk

Black and white photograph. Two underground miners inspecting a promising sample from a strong quartz vein at the face. Photo is duplicate of image published in the Bendigo Advertiser (no date). Text on newspaper image: "Deep in the Williams United mine at Eaglehawk miners examine promising samples from a strong quartz vein at the face. To the left is Western Mining's Bendigo residential manager Colin Cruickshank and to the right underground shift boss for the mining contractors, Eltin Pty Ltd Wetner Borchert".gold mining, underground, quartz vein, williams united gold mine, eaglehawk

Handwritten carbon copy of a letter from A Richardson to Mr Wodetzki and a few suggested spots for marking. He also mentions their geologist, Mr Eric Wilkinson may go over the area to determine what should be marked in regard to rock formations, etc. Albert Richardson collection.document, memo, victoria hill, victoria hill, letter to mr wodetzki from a richardson, mines dept, mr eric wilkinson, north old chum mine, ballerstedt's first open cut, lansell's big 180, ballerstedt's second open cut, ballerstedt jun'r, the crushing battery, the victoria quartz, rae's open cut, large cross spur or quartz vein, whip shaft, e j dunn

Black and white photograph. Two underground miners inspecting a drive at Williams United Gold Mine, Eaglehawk 1987. Colin Cruickshank Manager of Western Mining on right of image. Timbering and rock bolt on wall behind. gold mining, underground, quartz vein, williams united gold mine, eaglehawk, colin cruickshank, western mining gmc

Black and white photocopy of newspaper article. Two photos and text: 'Two underground miners standing in front of a diamond drill operating at the Williams United Gold Mine, Eaglehawk. Western Mining's Bendigo residential manager Colin Cruickshank on left hand side and Dexter Broughton working on the drill'. gold mining, underground, quartz vein, williams united gold mine, eaglehawk, colin cruickshank, western mining gmc, diamond drill, dexter broughton

Black and white photograph: miner (possibly Dale Williams ?) holding a small pick, inspecting quartz vein at the Wattle Gully Gold Mine Chewton. gold mining, underground, williams united gold mine, eaglehawk, western mining gmc, timbering

A party of surveyors camped by Yuille's Swamp (later Lake Wendouree) and surveyed the countryside for a map to be produced by the Geological Survey of Victoria. In November 2004 the Central Highlands Regional Library presented a special edition of 200 copies of the 1861 map reproduced from a copy in their collection. Original 1861 map of Ballarat showing streets and leads. Blue dots indicate gold leads, and red lines indicate auriferous quartz reef and outcrops of quartz veins."Compiled & Drawn from the Survey of Mining Surveyors Davidson, Fitzpatrick and Cowan & the Plans in the Surveyor General's Office by J. Brahe, 21st October 1861. R. Brough Smyth, Secretary for Mines. The Honourable J.B. Humffray, M.L.A. Commr of Mines.”ballarat, map, ballarat east, lake wendouree, survey, mines, robert davidson, ballarat gold field 1861, yuille's swamp, wendouree swamp, little bendigo diggings, gold leads, old post office hill, specimen hill, bakery hill, black hill, dead horse creek, brown hill, pennyweight hill, clayton hill, soldiers hill, golden point, gum tree flat, white flat, poverty hill, chinese village, robert brough smyth, ballarat map 1861, ballaarat vineyard, dead horse gully, deadhorse creek, invermay, black hill flat, gaelic church, police reserve, magpie range, dalton's flat, caadian lead, rifle butts, powder magazine, bathing house, government camp, gold office, chinese, llanberrris, victoria theatre, charlie napier hotel, united states hotel, grape's hoel, clayton's hill, cattleyard hill, free trade hotel, esmond lead, bakery hill, black hill lead, juvenile reformatory, ballarat orphanage, lady barkly lead, triffet's slaughter yard, little bendigo, melbourne road, t. cowan, thomas cowan

Carbon copy and typed notes for signs at Victoria Hill. Notes read: Additional Signs In and Around Rae's Open-Cut 18/6/71. (1) Graded Bedding - Note regular alternation of thin sandstones and shale. (2) Oblique Fault - Iron Oxide & thin quartz vein on fault plane. (3) Spurry Quartz Veins - note faulted contact between largest vein and crushed slates. Notes prepared by Albert Richardson.document, victoria hill, victoria hill - additional signs in and around rae's open-cut, graded bedding, oblique fault, spurry quartz veins

Diggers and miners. Diggers and Miners. . . In creeks and gullies where the weathering of auriferous quartz veins had deposited gold-bearing sands and gravels. He worked in the surface alluvium. Picture shows diagram of this. Markings: 7 994.5 WAL. Used as a teaching aid.hanimounteducation, tertiary, goldfields

Actinolite is usually found in metamorphic rocks, such as contact aureoles surrounding cooled intrusive igneous rocks. It also occurs as a product of the metamorphism of magnesium-rich limestones. Pyrite is usually found with other sulfides or oxides in quartz veins, sedimentary rock, and metamorphic rock, as well coal beds, and as a replacement mineral in fossils. Actinolite is an amphibole silicate mineral. It is named after the Greek word "aktinos" meaning “ray” in allusion to the mineral's fibrous nature. Fibrous actinolite is a type of asbestos and was once mined along Jones Creek at Gundagai, New South Wales. Pyrite or "Fool's Gold" is the most common sulfide mineral. It is named after the Greek "pyr" meaning "fire" because it can be used to create sparks needed for a fire if struck against metal or a hard surface. Due to its gold colour, pyrite can be mistaken for gold and often forms alongside it, causing small amounts of gold to be present in rocks containing pyrite. Most importantly, pyrite is an ore of gold. Pyrite is sometimes used as a gemstone but is not great for jewellery as it easily tarnishes. In some fossils of ammonites – shelled cephalopods that died ~66 million years ago – pyrite also replaces the shell. This specimen is part of a larger collection of geological and mineral specimens collected from around Australia (and some parts of the world) and donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collected in Victoria as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria that begun in 1852 (in response to the Gold Rush) to study and map the geology of Victoria. Collecting geological specimens was an important part of mapping and understanding the scientific makeup of the earth. Many of these specimens were sent to research and collecting organisations across Australia, including the Burke Museum, to educate and encourage further study. A small-medium-sized solid specimen with the minerals actinolite (dark green fibrous) and pyrite (brassy) with shades of brown, black/grey, and white. Actinolite is an amphibole mineral in the tremolite-actinolite series of calcium, magnesium, and iron silicates. Pyrite is an iron disulfide mineral.geological specimen, geology, geology collection, burke museum, beechworth, indigo shire, geological, mineralogy, pyrite, actinolite, victoria, sewyln, alfred selwyn

The map maker, Ferdinand M. Krause, was a professor at the Ballarat School of Mines. This land was printed form the Crown Lands Department, Melbourne. Coloured map of the County of Grenville. The edge has been taped. The scale is 40 chains to 1 inch. The map is accompanied with a foolscap sheet printed by the Mines Department in 1898. It is a Report on the Parish of Smythesdale by F.M. Krause and includes information on the water reserve, worked quartz veins, Watson's Hill, Surface Hill and Sugarloaf Hill, Haddon, Trunk Lead and the Crucible Shaft. smythesdale, krause, f.m. krause, ferdinand krause, nitingbool, watson's hill, surface hill, sugarloaf hill, haddon

Royal Society of Victoria Government prize essays Brown soft covered book with the following contents: Preface Collection and Storage of Water in Victoria by Frederick Acheson (gold washing, irrigation, motive-power, general water supply, artesian wells) Agriculture of Victoria by William Story (geological and chemical character of s oils, rotation of crops, sources and application of manures.) Origin and Distribution of Gold in Quartz Veins by Henry Rosales Development of Resources in the Colonyroyal sociey of victoria, gervernment prize essays, soils, water, agriculture, gold, quartz, henry rosales, frederick acheson, william story, charles mayes, quartz mining

Handwritten carbon copy, and later typed copy, of a list of further signs for Victoria Hill. Signs include Quartz Veins, Prospecting Shaft, 1929, Concrete Dam, Anticlinal Arch New Chum Line, Engine Beds for Gt Central Victoria (Midway Mine), Prospecting Tunnels, Primitive Tunnel. Notes at the end: Given to Geo & Max Ellis on 31/3/1971 and Prospecting tunnels driven from small Open Cut in 1860's. Notes prepared by Albert Richardson.document, memo, victoria hill, victoria hill, further signs victoria hill, new chum line, gt central victoria (midway mine), victoria quartz, davis, geo ellis, max ellis

Three page typed copy of notes for signs on Victoria Hill. Mentions items to be seen at Victoria Hill. Sign posts listed are for: Ballerstedt's First open Cut, Quartz Veins (Spurs), Prospecting Shafts 1929, Engine beds for Lansell's big 180 Mine, 20 Head Crushing Battery Stampers, concrete dam, Victoria Quartz Mine, Foundations of steel poppet legs of the Victoria Quartz Mine, Victoria Quartz Dams, Rae's Open Cut, Site where the quartz was roasted, Anticlinal Arch , coloured rock formations, primitive tunnels, Adit, Engine bed for Great Central Victoria, Prospecting Tunnels, Great Central Victoria (Midway). Notes prepared by Albert Richardson.document, victoria hill, notes on signs for victoria hill, gold mines hotel, ballerstedt's first open cut, quartz veins (spurs), prospecting shafts 1929, engine beds for lansell's big 180 mine, 20 head crushing battery stampers, concrete dam, victoria quartz mine, foundations of steel poppet legs of the victoria quartz mine, victoria quartz dams, rae's open cut, site where the quartz was roasted, anticlinal arch , coloured rock formations, primitive tunnels, adit, engine bed for great central victoria, prospecting tunnels, great central victoria (midway), a richardson

Three page hand written carbon copy of Sign numbers at Victoria Hill. No 1 North Old Chum Shaft, No 2 Ballerstedt's First Open - Cut. Special Sign Post, No 2 C Rock Formations Pitching North, No 2 B Rich shallow shafts, No 2 A Quartz veins, No 4 A Concrete Dams, No 3 Engine Beds - Lansell's 'Big 180' Mine, No 3 B Lansell's 'Big 180' Shaft, No 4 Twenty Stampers Crushing Battery, No 3 C Foundations - 'Cleopatra Needle' type Chimney for Lansell's 'big 180' Mine, No 5 Victoria Quartz Mine, No 5 A Fou;ndations Victoria Quartz Poppet Legs, No 5 C Foundations Victoria Quartz Winding Plant, No 5 B Victoria Quartz Dams, No 6 Rae's Open - Cut, No 9 Quartz Once Roasted Here, No 12 Anticlinal Arch, No 15 primitive Tunnels, No 14 Beautifully Coloured Rock Formations, No 16 Adit, Graded Bedding, Oblique Fault, Spurry Quartz Veins, No 17 Prospecting Tunnels, No 18 Floyd's Small Crushing Battery, No 19 Gt Central Victoria (Midway) Shaft, No 20 Great Central Victoria (Midway) Engine Bed, No 21 ballerstedt's Small 24 Yard Claim, No 22 Humboldt Shaft, No 23 Wittscheibe's 'Jeweller's Shop', No 24 The 'Adventure' ground, Large Open - Cut, No 26 Luffsman and Sterry's Ground, NO 27 A Round Shaft, Notes prepared by Albert Richardson.mine, gold, victoria hill, victoria hill, victoria hill key to sign posts on area map, north old chum shaft, ballerstedt's first open cut, lansell's big 180 shaft, 'cleopatra needle' type chimney, victoria quartz mine, rae's open cut, prospecting tunnels, floyd's small crushing battery, gt central victoria (midway) shaft, ballerstedt's small 245 yard claim, humboldt shaft, wittscheibe's 'jeweller's shop', adventure, luffsman and sterry's ground, david sterry, sterry's 'gold mines' hotel, round shaft

8308.1 - Flattened and overall rectangular; dark blue-grey layered mudstone with white veins of quartz showing multiple stages of secondary mineralisation.

Four page document Geological Report Bendigo Goldfield, C.E. Willman and H.E. Wilkinson. Contents include: folds, cleavage, lineations, lineated quartz in laminated veins, faults, major and minor faults, joints, structural domains and relationship to mineralization.bendigo, mining, geological bulletin

The first five pages are photocopies of photos:- 2 of Rae's Crushing Works; Victoria Quartz on Victoria Hill, Ironbark; Looking North from Old Chum Hill to the Victoria Hill; Victoria Hill - from Rae's Open Cut. Introduction covers location of buildings and mines. Mentioned are:- North Old Chum Mine, Ballerstedt's First Open-cut, Quartz Veins (Spurs), rock formations pitching North, Prospecting shafts 1929, Concrete dam, Engine beds of Lansells Big 180 Mine, Lansells Big 180 Shaft, twenty stampers crushing battery, Lansell's Cleopatra Needle type chimney, Victoria Quartz Mine, Victoria Quartz dams, Rae's Open-cut, Quartz once roasted here to an intense heat, Anticlinal Arch New Chum Line, small primitive tunnels, Prospecting tunnels, Floyd's small 5 head crushing battery, Great Central Victoria (Midway) Shaft, Great Central Victoria engine-bed, Ballerstedt's small 24 yard claim, The Humboldt, Adventure ground, The Advance, Luffsman & Sterry's Claim, A round shaft. Small piece of paper with 'Notes on Victoria Hill complete. Notes prepared by Albert Richardson.document, gold, rae's crushing battery, rae's crushing battery, rae's crushing works, victoria quartz mine, from old chum hill, victoria hill from rae's open cut, ironbark, hercules & energetic, midway, wittscheibe, great central victoria, mr & mrs conroy, central nell gwynne, gold mines hotel, john brown knitwear factory, new chum & victoria, rotary club of bendigo south, north old chum, ballerstedt's first open-cut, lansell's big 180 shaft, cleopatra needle type chimney, a roberts & sons, mr e j dunn, h harkness & sons, eureka extd, new chum railway, pearl, inrush of water at victoria quartz, floyd's small 5 head crushing battery, great central victoria (midway), ballertedt's small 24 yard claim, humboldt, humboldt, great central victoria, victoria hill, bendigo & vicinity 1895 p51, j n macartney 1st edition 1871, bendigo goldfield registry 1871, plan of new chum line, mr rae anderson, annals of bendigo obituary 1904, bendigo advertiser, b m l records mines dept, patterson's goldfields of victoria, dickers mining record 23/11/1861, australian mining standard special edition 1/6/1899 p40, bendigo mines ltd, chinese joss house, fortuna, the victoria goldfield 1851 to 1954, the victoria hill 1854 to 1949

Silcrete and chert can create sharp flakes and have been important materials for stone tool making in Australia. Silcrete was commonly used and widespread. Heat treatment of silcrete made the rock easier to fashion into flakes.Partly worked, incomplete Aboriginal rock blanks. The collection includes rocks of silcrete, quartz, and chert. 8969.26 is quartz chert. 8969.37 is a flint stone with a vein of quartz. The dark brown rock is silcrete with more iron than others (possibly 8969.41). 8969.45 is Quartz. aboriginal, tool, blank, rock, scraper, aborigines, quartz, silcrete, chert, stone tools, quartzite, flaking, flake tools, archaeology

Merle Hall Collection: Rosalind Park Creative Village Bendigo Project Pamphlet for Rosalind Park Lookout - two copies. One side of the pamphlet has a layout image of the five sections of the mosaic and the poppet head base. The sections are numbers 1 to 5 Section 1: A stylised representation of the main Bendigo Goldfield based on a geological plan (Publish in 1992). It shows the lines of reef, including the famous Hustlers, Garden Gully and New Chum. Section 2: A typical cross section of the Bendigo Goldfields Section 3: The mine layout shown in this design features part of the Garden Gully line of reef. Section 4: Shown here is the Iron Bark mine on the Sheepshead reef. It has an interesting pattern of drives, stopes and winzes. Section 5: In this section the artist uses gold as her inspiration. The larger mosaic shows quartz veins winding through the earth containing gold in its various forms. The smaller mosaic represents the atomic structure of gold. It shows the the nucleus, the six shells of the atom, their electrons and orbits. The other side of the pamphlet describes the background of the community arts project, the artist, and volunteer workers, also notes mentioning the Bendigo community history. It also lists the donors for funding and business's that supported the project, with special thanks to Eric Wilkinson - Geolpogical advoser, the students and staff from Camp Hill, St Killians and Violet Street primary schools. BRIT and La Trobe University, bendigo.

Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the world. It is formed by a 3d structure of silicon and oxygen. While it is a simple mineral, it can come in a variety of shapes and colours. When quartz is pure it is colourless, transparent and can appear glass-like. Better known and more rare variations of quartz include amethyst and smoky quartz. This specimen is a vein of quartz in Breccia Conglomerate. Breccia is coarse-grained clastic rock which is made up of broken rock fragments and held together by mineral cement. The locality of this specimen is unknown. While quartz is a very common mineral and does not have rarity, it is an important material in industrial settings. One of it's physical and chemical properties is that it is piezoelectric, which means it can be used to generate an electric charge. This has made it useful in the manufacturing of timekeeping devices. This specimen was donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880 among a larger collection of geological specimens. It was collected as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria which begun in 1852 as a response to the Gold Rush. Collections were distributed to organisations across Australia to encourage the further study of the scientific makeup of the Earth. A solid egg-shaped rock with a mineral vein forming a ring around the rock in shades of brown and beige.burke museum, beechworth, indigo shire, beechworth museum, geological, geological specimen, 1852 geological survey of victoria, mineralogy, quartz, breccia, breccia conglomerate, conglomerate

The Victoria Quartz Gold Mine was situated on Victoria Hill, Ironbark, (1877 - 1913). At the turn of the century, this was the site of one of the premier mines on the Bendigo goldfield. In 1908, it boasted the world's deepest shaft - 4,478 feet (1,365 metres). The shaft reached a depth of 4,613 feet (1,406 metres) in 1910. In 1857 eight small claims in this area had been merged to form the Victoria Reef Quartz Mining Co. Another merger in 1877 led to the formation of the Victoria Quartz Co. For the next three decades, the mine produced consistent profits. In 1910, water burst into the claim, flooding the shaft and halting operations. The company baled water for six months then handed the mine over to the tributers who worked the upper levels for the share of the profits. The mine closed in 1913, having produced over 48,000 ounces of gold and paid dividends of £99,600. (Source, Goldfield Guide https://www.goldfieldsguide.com.au/explore-location/400/victoria-hill-mining-reserve/) Victorian Heritage Register information on mine: Statement of Significance Last updated on - July 14, 2005 The story of quartz mining on Victoria Hill lies at the heart of Bendigo's historical status as the world's richest and deepest reefing field. Gold was discovered on Victoria Hill in 1854, and by early 1855 claims had been taken up over its entire extent. Shafts were first worked by windlass, whip or whim, and primitive crushing batteries were in operation. By 1861, Victoria Hill had yielded at least 1,200,000oz in gold. One of the early claims on Victoria Hill was owned by Prussian immigrants, Christopher Ballerstedt and his son Theodore. In 1854, they bought a claim on the hill for £80, to which they subsequently added other claims, and from the quartz veins (called spurs), worked both by shafts and a large open cut, obtained gold worth nearly £200,000. Christopher Ballerstedt was dubbed 'Father of the Hill' and has been credited as the first to debunk the theory at that time prevalent on the Bendigo field, that the gold content of reefs would diminish at depth. As his shafts plunged below the 200-foot level, the quartz remained rich in gold. His success inspired others, and so led the way to Bendigo's later status as the world's deepest and richest goldfield. The Ballerstedt's built Bendigo's grandest mansion, Fortuna. Theodore continued to work Victoria Hill after his father's death, but in 1871, convinced that his claim was exhausted, he sold both mine and mansion to George Lansell for £60,000. Lansell's mine on Victoria Hill was called the 180, and operated under his ownership until his death in 1906. The mine supplied the initial wealth that made Lansell Bendigo's 'Quartz King'. George Lansell was such a force in Bendigo's mining history that his death was cited as one of the reasons for the decline of Bendigo as a quartz mining centre, The Victoria Hill Quartz Gold Mines are of historical, archaeological and scientific importance to the State of Victoria. The Victoria Hill Quartz Gold Mines are historically significant as the symbolic heart of Bendigo's famous goldfield. The mines are linked to nineteenth-century individuals (Christopher Ballerstedt and George Lansell) who played prominent roles in the evolution of Bendigo. Both men's fortunes and their influence on Bendigo, originated from mining operations carried out on the hill. The Victoria Hill Quartz Gold Mines are historically and scientifically important as characteristic examples of an important form of gold mining. Gold mining sites are of crucial importance for the pivotal role they have played since 1851 in the development of Victoria. As well as being a significant producer of Victoria's nineteenth century wealth, quartz mining, with its intensive reliance on machinery, played an important role in the development of Victorian manufacturing industry. The Victoria Hill Quartz Gold Mines are important as a manifestation of this aspect of gold mining. The Victoria Hill Quartz Gold Mines are scientifically important, as they contain relics span nearly sixty years of mining (1854 to 1913), documenting the richest and most significant years of Bendigo's world-famous quartz mining industry. Enhancing the significance of the place are relics from the Victoria Quartz Company operations, ncluding, at 4,870 feet, the world's deepest nineteenth-century gold mining shaft. As a postscript to the chronology of gold mining is the surviving crushing machinery (formerly part of the Bendigo Crushing Works) which was erected near the foundations of Lansell's 180 mine in 1932, to crush quartz for nearby mines. The place has a potential to yield artefacts and evidence which will be able to provide significant information about the technological history of gold mining. [Source: Victorian Heritage Register] Hermes Number 8506 https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/index.php/places/8506/download-report Hand drawn plan of the bottom section of the Victoria Quartz Gold Mine. Mine shaft shown from 2706 feet to 5200 (potential) feet shown, with annotation regarding geological features and gold obtained from different level crushings. Blue border sticker on outside of plan: '13 BC 23 Victoria Quartz Trans-Section'. Plan is not dated. The Victoria Quartz plan is part of the Margaret Roberts Collection.victoria hill quartz gold mine, victoria hill

The Ballarat School of Mines was the first School of Mines in the southern hemisphere. Its Museum was established in 1872. Donation 600, 4 July 1882, H. Sutton, Ballarat. Nature of Donation: 13th Annual report of the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain 2 papers 'from the proceedings of the Royal Society', Nos 217 & 218 - 1882 communicated by the President :on a new electrical Storage battery" by Henry Sutton, Ballarat, Victoria Donation 976, 8 May 1884, H. Sutton, Ballarat. Nature of Donation: * 1 volume "Pluttner on the Blowpipe: (Pluttner's manual of qualitative & quantitative analysis of the blowpipe. Donation 1682, 28 Feb 1887, James Lamb, Ballarat. Nature of Donation: Copy of "The Ballarat Times" newspaper of 3 December 1854, framed, and protected on both sides with glass. Donation 1712, 28 April 1887, Marg. Guerin, Ballaarat. Nature of Donation: Specimens nos (797-806) 797-801 from the New Reform Mine Luchnow, NSW (797) Serpentine with vein of quartz and calcite (798) Surpentine passing into silicous ferruginoous gossan; with drives of rock crystal (&99) Diorite with vein of calcite (800) Auriferous vein stuff (801) Auriferous arrenopyrite with calcite (802) noble opal filling cavities in decomposed traclyte (803-805) from Mr McDonald, NSW (806) arutute (carbonate of lead) in long schombie purni (?) Donation 1730, 23 May 1887, Miss Guerin, Ballaarat. Nature of Donation: Copy of the Victorian Review No 74 December 1 1885, Copy Wide Awake Vol 1 No 6 May 21st 1887Large rough calf covered book recording museum, laboratory and library donations to the Ballarat School of Mines. 4835 donations are recorded.Marbled end papers. Labels on spine and front cover.ballarat school of mines, ballarat school of mines museum, benjamin hepburn, ce clarke, j noble wilson, m hamburger, d christy, edwin jewell, ellery, john gray, go preshaw, cf crouch, henry brind, james darby, rm serjeant, george day, jf watson, stoddart, j hicks, hicks, james hector, sleep, jj sleep, james pearce, henry obree, newman, william tarrant, beilby, william bradford, george lansell, watson, edward gazzard, e morey, john lynch, j hector, rivett bland, bland, costin, whittle, crowther, mitchell, ferdinand krause, krause, joseph mitchell, john walker, bailey, duncan, mica smith, alfred mica smith, james buchanan, buchanan, whitehouse, dr bunce, bunce, james bklack, james bickett, js north, joseph flude, alfred lester, wagemann, fw niven, edwards, william evett, john addis, al elphinstone, henry sutton, ol olden, bh cross, robert hamilton, hancock, ferdinand von mueller, von meuller, berchevaise, j whitehouse, serjeant, henty, james shugg, john ross, james oddie, ralph tate, henry watts, wh wooster, wooster, luplau, rosenblum, heddington, albert furmedge, buley, robert wilson, e. rowlands, ne hall, henry pearce, lee young, nicholls, dusontory, daniel brohpy, brophy, klug, james donaldson, john cherry, ce jones, john feilds, thomas williams, enscoe, e price, shoppee, jacob drew, george wyatt, dimmock, james orr, john hardy, george wyatte, thomas rogers, james lamb, doepel, margaret guerin, bella guerin, guerin, george binns, william laplau, captain baker, baker, crisp, barnard, haffie, bateman, chalmers, richard parker, adam adamson, jn wilson, john noble wilson, papenhagen, towl, government astronomer, royal society, minister of mines, thoams blackett, burbury, denny, thys, p gay, james law, woolnough

The largest gold mine in the area originated from a find in 1862. The mine was closed January 20, 1915 when a fire destroyed nearly all the above ground plant. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p75 Beneath Mine Hill, as locals call it, runs a network of tunnels once of central importance to the fledgling township of Diamond Creek. These are relics of gold mines, which transformed early Diamond Creek.1 The tiny settlement of about 20 families soared to more than 200 because of gold. For around 50 years, from 1862, gold mining was Diamond Creek’s major source of employment. On September 7, 1854 The Argus newspaper reported a find of a four pound (1.8kg) gold nugget in Nillumbik (an early name for Diamond Creek). Exactly where, is not known.2 The largest mine in the district, the Diamond Creek Gold Mine, apparently originated from a find in 1862. It is said Joe and Dave Wilson were visiting former tailor then cook, Charles Orme, at the southern end of Fraser Street. Sitting on a stump outside the front gate on land belonging to Dr A. E. Phipps the Wilsons found a vein of gold-bearing quartz, which led to the discovery of four quartz reefs varying in width to eight inches (20cm), running north and south. A reef found at the foot of the hill opposite Challenger Street became the Union Mine. This reef was traced south to Allendale Road where a small mine began operations.3 Other smaller mines later operated as well. Dr Phipps immediately began to mine and also built the Diamond Reef Hotel as a boarding house for miners. But Charles Orme, who owned the land alongside, leased his mine to Dr Phipps probably because of insufficient funds and business skills. By mid 1865 the mine had produced 2530 ounces of gold – a 100% profit on the original outlay. Of course there were problems. When the local dam dried up a Blake pump was installed to draw water from the creek. The Union Mine operated under the Diamond Creek Gold Mine management except when disputes sometimes resulted in separate management. However disagreements had to be resolved as the Union Mine depended on Diamond Creek Gold Mine pumps to remove underground water from common reefs. In 1912 the main shaft of about 380 yards (350m) employed 200 men recovering an average of 5000 ounces (141.7kg) of gold a year. But not everyone did well out of gold. Records of failed mining companies in the Victorian Public Record Office, reveal that owner Dr Phipps leased his Right to others. Companies came and went over the next 40 years, most sponsored by Melbourne businessmen who sold shares to gullible locals and then became insolvent. Although there were some good profits, financial returns were haphazard until 1905. Some local residents, who were share holders in short- term companies, became well-known names in modern Diamond Creek such as Scott, Haley, Butler, Alder, Ryan, Wadeson, Reeves, Alston, Paul and Edwards. Gold mining was brought to a disastrous end on January 20, 1915 at 3 pm, when fire destroyed nearly all the above-ground plant. Fortunately no lives were lost. But reopening the mine was almost impossible because of the increasing depth of water in the main shaft. The closed mine destroyed the livelihood of 200 families and the debris took many years to clear.4 In 1946 the Diamond Creek Gold Mine was reopened by the Golden Hind Mining Company, but money ran out before the 600 feet (182.8m) or so of water could be removed. Gold remains in the mine but enormous capital would be needed to buy the land, equipment and to remove the water. Today 12 known sealed shafts along the ridge of the hills on private property extend west for around one kilometre from the corner of Fraser and Haley Streets, crossing Norma and Fyffe to Dering Streets. As recently as 1987, heavy rains revealed a former Union Mine shaft in the Georgiadis family Fyffe Street back yard.5 Allendale Mine, south of Allendale Road, is still open and one of the Union Mine’s main drives (horizontal excavation) remains unsealed, on the Creek Reserve.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, diamond creek, diamond creek mine, fraser street, gold mining, james cook drive, mine hill

Dendrites are deposits of black minerals, typically manganese oxides that precipitated from water seeping through fractures in fine-grain rocks like a sandstone or limestone. Dendrites are much less regular than plant fossils and lacks vein structures. The manganese cryztallizes through the process called 'supercooling'. Some samples of dendrites occur in volcanic rocks in the Lilydale district, east of Melbourne. Sandstones are made of tiny sand grains that may have been deposited in the sea and later formed together. Most sandstones are made of quartz which are chemically-resistant minerals. This particular specimen was donated by Alfred Selwyn in 1868 as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria. It is connected to the original 1875 catalogue on Geological Specimen with number 189 'Quartz Crystals_Quartz Crystals (two are polished)'Dendrites on sandstones This specimen is an important contribution to the geological history of Victoria, as well as its links to the 1868 Geological Survey of Victoria. This specimen is part of larger collection of significant geological specimens in the Burke Museum that was collected from around the world between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collection as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria 1852-1974. The Geological Survey of Victoria was an organisation founded in response to the Victorian gold rush to explore the geological and mineral resources and to record a detailed map of the state. It was headed by British geologist, Alfred Richard Cecil Selwyn (1824-1902), who was responsible for issuing over 60 geological maps during his 17 years as director. These maps were all hand-drawn and coloured and became the benchmark for accuracy for geological mapping. Collecting geological specimens was an important part of mapping and understanding the scientific makeup of the earth. Many of these specimens were sent to research and collecting organisations across Australia, including the Burke Museum, to educate and encourage further study. A hand-sized slice of light brown sandstone with dendrites formed from crystallized manganese oxide.Existing label: Not sure what / 'Slica dondrites' / means. / Sample is sandstone and original label / identifies it as from / the Grampians near Stawell. / C. Willman / 15/4/21 Other label: [illegible] / stone [ illegible] / from Grampians Stawell / 1894 /geological specimen, geology, geology collection, burke museum, beechworth, dendrites, sandstones, quartz, lilydale district, geological survey of victoria, grampians, victoria rocks, minerals, rocks, manganese oxides, alfred selwyn

Photocopied handwritten notes with typed copy of same, on Sign Posts on Victoria Hill.. Sign posts were for mines and their associated equipment and geological formations. Initialled AR. Notes prepared by Albert Richardson.document, victoria hill, key to sign posts on area map, north old chum shaft, ballerstedt's first open cut, rock formatins, lansell's big 180, 20 stampers crushing battery, foundations 'cleopatra needle' type chimney, victoria quartz mine, rae's open cut, quartz roasting, anticlinal arch, primitive tunnels, coloured rock formations, adit, oblique fault, spurry quartz veins, prospecting tunnels, floyd's small crushing battery, gt central victoria (midway) shaft

This book was presented to Professor Ferdinand Krause of the Ballarat School of Mines by the co-author Felix Ratte who had taught Geology at the Ballarat School of Mines. Felix Ratte became mineralogist to the Australian Museum, Sydney.Hardcovered book with brown cloth cover. 341 pages with illustrations. Chapters in the book include Geology; Rocks and their Movements; Stratified Deposits; Mineral Veins and Lodes; Dynamics of Lodes; Filling of Lodes; Irregular Deposits; Alluvial Deposits; Physical Properties of Minerals; Compsition and Determination of Minerals; Noble Mineral; Silver and Lead; Quicksilver or Mercury; Haloids and salts; Quartz and Opal; Precious stones; assays and the use of Blowpipes; Special Assays for Gold and SilverFrontise page handwritten in ink: 'Prof. Krause from F. Ratte'mining, ballarat school of mines, geology, felix ratte, minerals, ferdinand krause

8307.1 - 'Rounded rectangle' shaped piece of highly weathered bluestone/basalt. Yellowish-green; criss-crossed by prominent white veins of secondary quartz mineralisation. 'Bandage' bearing the words "miss Western" stuck on one side.- miss Western

largely unknown; ultimately originated as part of series of basaltic volcanic events across victoriaClearly a fragment of a river rock- one surface is smooth and curved the others planar. Mineralogy is basalt-"bluestone"-with white veins of secondary quartz minralisation