Historical information

There is another copy of this postcard (VEMUP1039) in the collection. It is part of Melbourne's V.S.M. (Victoria Stamp Market) Series, printed in Prussia, Germany alongside several similar hand-coloured postcards in our collection. This postcard is believed to originate from c. 1900-10, but the image itself - of sluicing for gold on Menzies Creek - might be older. Gold mining in Emerald was most popular in the 1850s and 60s. However, gold mining on Menzies Creek reopened in the 1890s depression, which is a more likely source of this photograph.

Significance

This postcard is significant for its relative uniqueness as a colourised depiction of Emerald's gold mining history.

Physical description

This postcard is separated into two pieces of paper (between the obverse and reverse). The reverse is a landscape message side with not message but some annotation and an accession number written to the left side, in a portrait orientation. The obverse is in a portrait orientation, with a printed caption in the bottom-right. The image is hand-coloured (colour artificially applied to a black-and-white base photograph) and depicts two men (one of whose head is cut off by damage to the photograph) working in an artificially reinforced channel in what appears to be a creek or stream. One stands in the water while the other is beside it. In the background, the scene fades up the hill into a forest.

Inscriptions & markings

Obverse, Printed Caption: "Hydraulic Sluicing, / Emerald near Gembrook"
Reverse:
Printed Vertically: "Printed in Prussia"
Printed Horizontally: "elbourne"
Handwritten Annotation: "Prospect Bend along the / Menzies Creek near / Emerald Kallista Rd. / GOLD"