Historical information

Steele's Reef was opened in 1859 along with a number of other reefs in the Yandoit area. The reef was worked by small mining parties until the late 1880s. In 1887, the Steele's Reef Quartz Mining Company fixed steam pumping machinery and commenced sinking a shaft. The company were unable to find a profitable ore body and after two years work closed down. By this time their shaft had reached a depth of 150 feet. The mine was then taken over by the Pioneer Quartz Mining Company who appear not to have worked the mine. In 1906, the Steele's Pioneer Company commenced work, erecting a winding winch at the old shaft sunk by the Steele's Company. The next year the company erected a 10-head battery, set of poppet legs, a pumping engine. Sinking the shaft a further 100 feet, the company struggled to find payable ore and soon closed down.

Physical description

Colour photographs of the remnants of Steele's mine at Yandoit, Victoria.