Historical information
This photograph depicts the excavated area of alluvial gold mining locations One Mile Diggings and Pennyweight Flat near the Spring Creek precinct, Beechworth, significant locations of the 1850's Gold Rush which built Beechworth into a prosperous, regional town centre. Visible are a few miners, sheds, cliffs at rear and the road into town (Pine Hill). Water races are also visible, which is notable to the areas unique use of hydraulic sluicing as a mining method.
Beechworth sluicer Donald Fletcher, a key figure of the town’s colonial history, first claim was a sluicing operation at Pennyweight Flat. Here, he completed build on a tail-race in 1871 nearly as long as that of the Rocky Mountain Company, who held significant holdings within the area.
In 1859, the site and its surrounding areas were estimated to have a predominant European and Chinese population. In 1883 it was reported that 'thousands of tents' were pitched in the area.
After all surface gold was exhausted, miners began to bore quartz until operations waned toward the turn of the century. In 1928 the mine was converted to what is today known as Lake Sambell.
Significance
This photograph is historically significant as it provides insight into the landscape, working conditions and mining methods used for alluvial mining during the Beechworth Gold Rush.
Physical description
Sepia rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper unmounted.
Inscriptions & markings
Reverse: 84.222.1 /
page 41 62% (crossed out) /
[ineligible] /
One mile diggings where the large bank is view towards Pennyweight flat /
[ineligible] 13
Subjects
References
- The Naming of Pennyweight Flat Details regarding development of Lake Sambell and the naming of Pennyweight Flat
- The Beechworth Gold Rush History of the Beechworth Gold Rush in Beechworth
- Beechworth Shire Council Cases of Typhoid at One Mile Diggings and Pennyweight flat, 1894
- The Beechworth Exhibition Bismuth found at Pennyweight Flat in Beechworth Exhibition, 1872
- Beechworth's Early Pioneers Memorium for Donald Fletcher, as a Beechworth pioneer.
- Beechworth - A Sketch Reference to pitching of thousands of tents at Beechworth
- Reefing near Beechworth Pennweight flat bare rock by 1880
- Beechworth Mining Disctrict Completion of Donald Fletcher's tail-race on Pennyweight Flat.
- Historic Gold Mining Sites in the North East Region of Victoria Information on Fletcher's tailrace
- Beechworth - Past and Present Description of Pennyweight Flat before the Gold-Rush, refers to the area as May Day Hills and suggests it to have been "one of the prettiest spots in this immediate neighbourhood"
- Beechworth Mining District: Spring Creek Division Chinese and European mining population estimate, 1859
