The No. 4 Tail Race Tunnel was commenced in 1947 from the downstream end at Mt. Beauty. Difficulties were encountered and driving from the top end in a downstream direction was commenced in January 1950 and the breakthrough between these two headings occurred on 22d July.Historical record of the construction of the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme.3 small black and white photographsPhoto 1 - on back in ink - 'Tour of area, crossing West Kiewa Branch Jan. 1949 Photo 2 - on back in ink - 'Kiewa Valley River - site of tunnel in rear. Dec. 1948'. Photo 3 - on back in ink - 'No. 4 Tail Race Portal Mt. Beauty Jan. 1949'.west kiewa river; tail race portal; mt beauty; kiewa hydro electric scheme

Men at Work on the Tail Race, Cocks Pioneer Mine, El Dorado. Cocks Pioneer Electric Gold & Tin Mine Company was formed in 1899. The company's first power station, located at the eastern end of the valley began operating with its 340 Kilowatt steam-powered generator. By 1909, from 2,500,000 cubic yards worked, reported recovery was 17,284 ounces of gold and 224 tons of tin ore. By 1909, Cocks Pioneer’s power plant had become inadequate and uneconomical. The barge was floated downstream about a mile, but lost time caused the operations to cease. Following testing, a new mine was established by diverting Reid's Creek at a cost of £25,000. Settling dams were built, one of which held 1,935,900 cubic feet. Sold earth banks, built against a wall of stringy bark saplings constructed and laced with vertical props, were built. In 1914, the company was reformed as Cock’s Pioneer Gold and Tin Mines NL, another power station was constructed at the western end of the township, near the junction of Clear and Reid's Creeks. From 6,800,000 cubic yards of material processed, the returns were 64,397 ounces of gold and 855 ton of tin. Cocks Pioneer mine then moved the barge downs stream and continued sluicing. In 1929 Cocks Pioneer Electric Gold and Tin Mining Company ceased operations due to a drop in values. Cock’s Pioneer Gold and Tin Mines NL carried on large-scale hydraulic sluicing operations until 1941. Handwritten across the front: 'Cocks Pioneer Mine Eldorado MEN AT WORK ON THE TAIL RACE' / 'THELMA STUDIO / [underlined] WANGARATTA.mining, gold, tin, gold mining, tin mining, cocks pioneer, men, thelma studios, wangaratta, el dorado, eldorado

This machine was in use in the 1940's during the construction of the tunnels for the Hydro Electric scheme. This particular photograph was taken in the Tailrace Tunnel which brings water from West Kiewa Power Station to the open tailrace in Mt. Beauty and then into the regulating pondage before discharge into the Kiewa River. This machine (or one similar) is on display on the Northern side of the entrance to the Visitor's Centre. The tailrace tunnel (or West Kiewa tunnel) was commenced in 1947 from both ends and the breakthrough occurred on 22nd. July, 1950Shows the size of the tunnel and the machinery used for excavation in the 1940's/50's.Black and white photographHandwritten on back of photograph "Jumbo" in Tailrace Tunneltunnel, machinery, water, tail race

1. Rent receipts, permissive occupancy, Monument Hill Consolidated. 2. Right to occupy a residence area, Victoria Phillipa Evans 127 Breen Street Bendigo. 3. Plan for applied Lease 10423. 5. Certificate of Registration of tail race. Loose documents.MCCOLL RANKIN & STANISTREETorganization, business, industrial - mining, mccoll rankin & stanistreet

R.S.L. is the Returned and Services League of Australia, a member based charity founded in 1916, and the largest veterans' charity in Australia. It provides a support network and community for veterans and their families. They have a commemorative service each year on 25th April, ANZAC Day.The Mt Beauty RSL committee members in 1949 is a list of people living in Mt Beauty at the time and who were working as a support team for veterans and their families. The ANZAC crowd at the temporary memorial indicate the interest in the town for a commemoration and the need for a more permanent structure.Both Black & White large photos. 1. Group of men - Mt Beauty R.S.L. Committee with names on reverse. 2. Anzac Day at Mt Beauty. Early 1950s. People including school children, gathered around a temporary war memorial structure near the current (2023) roundabout. In the background is the main workshop. The Tail race channel hasn't been constructed. On the back in pen of RSL photo: Mt Beauty R S L Committee 1949 -50 / Standing Fred De Little, Roy Cobby, WaJ. Jones/ Joe Lang, Ian Bennett, Stan Leanard, Ted White/ Seated / Harry Edney, Jack Chapman (Tres), Harold Boon (Pres), R Webster (Sec), /Joe Breen returned services league, anzac day, rsl 1949

This photo is of the very newly constructed State Electricity Commission town of Mt. Beauty. The houses up to Nelse street were erected from 1946 onward and then the township was extended beyond Nelse Street in 1950 which places this photograph about 1950/51. There is no evidence of work being commenced on the regulating pondage but the tail race canal can be seen on the centre right of photo. The workmen's camp was enlarged in 1950 to the extent of providing accommodation for a total of 1,200. There are a number of dwellings on Simmonds Creek and the road to Falls Creek can clearly be seen. Snow capped Mt. Bogong is in the upper left of the photo with Mt. Beauty behind the township rising to Big Hill beyond that.Shows the newly constructed town of Mt. Beauty surrounded by farmland and before the regulating pondage was built to discharge water from the power stations via the West Kiewa tail race tunnel into the Kiewa River. Copy of black and white photograph of Mt Beauty CampWritten on the back in black ink - A Campenmt beauty camp, secv, construction town

This photo is of the very newly constructed State Electricity Commission town of Mt. Beauty. The houses up to Nelse street were erected from 1946 onward and then the township was extended beyond Nelse Street in 1950 which places this photograph about 1950/51. There is no evidence of work being commenced on the regulating pondage but the tail race canal can be seen on the centre right of photo. The workmen's camp was enlarged in 1950 to the extent of providing accommodation for a total of 1,200. There are a number of dwellings on Simmonds Creek and the road to Falls Creek can clearly be seen. Snow capped Mt. Bogong is in the upper left of the photo with Mt. Beauty behind the township rising to Big Hill beyond that.Shows the newly constructed town of Mt. Beauty surrounded by farmland and before the regulating pondage was built to discharge water from the power stations via the West Kiewa tail race tunnel into the Kiewa River. Black and white photographHand written on back of photograph "Mt. Beauty from Transmission Line"mt. beauty, construction, pondage, state electricity commission

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