The Gold Fields of Victoria in 1862

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2 This sampler file includes the title page, preface, contents and sample of text pages. This file is fully searchable (read search tips page) Archive CD Books Australia exists to make reproductions of old books, documents and maps available on CD to genealogists and historians, and to co-operate with family history societies, libraries, museums and record offices to scan and digitise their collections for free, and to assist with renovation of old books in their collection. The Gold Fields of Victoria in 1862 Ref. AU7020 Navigating this CD To view the contents of this CD use Acrobat Reader s forward and back buttons to browse through the pages, alternatively use the INDEX bookmark to search for specific information and then use the bookmarks and Acrobat s page buttons (or slide bar) to go to the relevant page. Use Acrobat Reader s bookmark functions to jump to highlighted sections. To activate bookmarks click on Window and then Show bookmarks (or press F5) Searching this CD This book has been formatted to be searchable using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Adobe Reader 6 or later is recommended for more advanced searching capability within a file or across multiple files. Generally 95% - 99% of the words can be searched. Where the original type was poor the words may not be recognized for searching. For more detailed explanation and tips to get the best search results click here The technical advancements that allow this searching bring a wonderful finding aid but there is still no substitute for reading the book! Copyright 2004 Archive CD Books Australia Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved For more books on CD from Archive CD Books Australia, see the web pages at

3 THE GOLD FIELDS VICTORIA IN 1862 SECOND THOUSAND. MELBOURNE: WILSON & MACKINNON, 78, COLLINS STItEET EAST. G. ROBERTSON, ELIZABETH STREET. SANDS & MCDOUGALL, COLLTNS STREET WEST

4 P R BFACE. In the winter of 1862 full ten years after the discovery of gold in Victoria it was considered advisable that an inquiry into the state of the gold-fields should be instituted. Two questions were then occupying a considerable share of public attention in the colony. The first was whether the older fields were showing signs of exhaustion ; and the second was the social condition of the miners engaged upon them. The proprietors of The Argus determined to despatch a member of their staff, during the Parliamentary recess, to make the necessary inquiries; and the subsequent appointment of a Royal Commission, for the same purposes, proved that the importance of the inquiry had also impressed itself on the Government. The report of the Commissioners has not yet been published. The letters which follow contain the results of the writer's observations. They appeared in The Argus during the months of August, September, and October,

5 iv PREFACE They were received with favour by the mining community, as containing a faithful exposition of the state and resources of the gold-fields, and the condition and prospects of the miners. A wish was generally expressed that the letters should be republished in a permanent form, more especially for circulation in England, as offering the latest reliable information on the subjects on which they treat. In deference to that wish, and by the kindly accorded permission of the proprietors of The Argus, they are now offered to the public. Melbourne, January \, 1863.

6 CONTENTS. CHAPTEE I, PAGE Introductory 1 CHAPTEB II. The Rich Quartz Eeefs of Inglewood CHAPTEB III. The Antimony Mines of M'lvor 23 CHAPTEB IV. Tarnagulla and Poverty Eeef 32 CHAPTEB V. The Silver Mines of St. Arnaud 43 CHAPTER VI. Bendigo (or Sandhurst) 68 CHAPTEE VII. Bendigo (continued) 71 CHAPTEE VIIT. The Whipstick 87 CHAPTER IX. Maldon. Public Quartz Companies, and the Causes of their Failure 95

7 CONTENTS. CHAPTER X. Maldon Mining Companies (continued) PAGE. 107 Castlemaine CHAPTER XI CHAPTER XII. The Chinese on the Gold-fields 130 Dunolly CHAPTER XIII Inkermann CHAPTER XIV CHAPTER XV. Ballarat 162 CHAPTER XVI. Ballarat (continued) 171 CHAPTER XVII. Ballarat (concluded) 181 CHAPTER XVIII. Maryborough 195 CHAPTER XIX. M'lvor 205 CHAPTER XX. TJnvisited Gold-fields 214 CHAPTER XXI. Bulla Bulla and its Kaolin

8 CONTENTS. VH CHAPTER XXII. PAGE The Social Condition of the Miners CHAPTER XXIII. Characteristics of Auriferous Quartz CHAPTER XXIV. Method of Extracting Gold from Quartz CHAPTER XXV. Water-Snpply for the Gold-fields 264 CHAPTER XXVI. Legislative Requirements of the Gold-fields CHAPTER XXVII. Legislative Requirements ofthe G old-fields (continued) 284 CHTPTER XXVIII. The Geological Maps of the Colony "CHAPTER XXIX. Minerals and Metals other than Gold CHAPTER XXX. Mining and Miners 312 CHAPTER XXXI. Conclusion 323

9 THE GOLD FIELDS OF VICTORIA. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. THE purposes for which I visited the gold-fields were fourfold.. They were to ascertain from actual observation the condition of the miners; the position and prospects of existing mining companies, and the causes of the failure of those that have disappeared from the share list; the opportunities for the employment of labour and capital which recent discoveries have opened up ; and what improvements in the existing laws affecting mining enterprise the experience of the last few years has suggested to those who are practically engaged in mining labours. The time for this inquiry seemed to be specially opportune. Since the Royal Commissioners of 1856 visited the gold-fields, a vast change has come over mining operations in this colony. The older fields have become less productive, and where thousands of European miners six years ago were busy with tub and cradle, drawing fabulous sums from the soil, only a few fossickers are about, or a patient and plodding race of workers the Chinese contriving by hard labour and abstemious living, to obtain sustenance. Newer fields have been opened up in every direction, widening im- B

10 OF VICTORIA. 43 signally failed. They had a splendid reef, and less than two years ago I saw them erecting a fine plant, at a cost of some thousands of pounds. Greek sailors, however, have a certain well-known character in every port they visit, and the idiosyncracy to which it points was developed by the successes they achieved. Mutual distrust arose, insubordination followed, carelessness supervened, and finally the auctioneer stepped irw The plant was sold to Buchanan's Reef Company, at Inglewood, and the mine itself was picked up under the liammer for an old song. That the district has still to be prospected in many parts, and has wealth to offer, I may give this passing proof of, that from a new reef, named the Acadia, ten miles west of the township, 19-5 oz. of go^d were got from 3 cwt. of stone, only a few days previous to my visit to Tarnatrulla. CHAPTER V. THE SILVER MINES OF ST. ARNAUD. The presence of silver in the auriferous quartz obtained in some districts of Victoria has long been known. Samples from Reedy Creek were analyzed and reported upcn some years ago. More recently, attention has been drawn to the circumstance that the quartz of the Pyrenees ranges contains a large per centage of this metal, especially the Glendhu Reef at Crowlands. It is at St. Arnaud, however, situated at the extreme northern end of the Pyrenees, that silver is found developed in quartz in extraordinary quantities, and under circumstances of a novel character in mineralogy. New Bendigo, as this digging was originally named, was first opened as an

11 Jig THE GOLD FIELDS CHAPTER XI. CASTLEMAINE. In the olden days, when Castlemaine was not, the reputation of Forest Creek as a gold-field was only surpassed by that of Bendigo and Ballarat. It was the first on which the " new chum" set his longing eyes, after a tedious and fatiguing march from the seaboard, in heat and dirt; and the green and refreshing valley, sloping pleasantly towards the sunny north, must have been gladdening to the stranger, after the gloom and peril of the Black Forest, and the weariness of the long basaltic plain over which he had made his toilsome way. All the hills and valleys around were more or less auriferous, and where Forest Creek and Barker's Creek joined their scant waters together, a canvas town speedily arose, grew as the diggers increased in number valley after valley being found auriferous and blossomed into the pretty township, built partly on the hills overlooking the creeks, to which the name of Castlemaine has been given. The town itself is one of the most advanced of those called into existence since the diggings were discovered, and takes rank after Ballarat and Sandhurst. The latter, indeed, it closely rivals; and it takes precedence of both in the fine market accommodation it has provided, to which farmers find their way, from far and near, on Saturdays, to dispose of their butter and eggs, and their pigs and poultry, to the diggers who flock in from the various diggings in the ranges round about to dispose of their gold and make their marketings. It is to its advantageous situation, indeed, that Castlemaine owes much of the well-established prosperity which it enjoys.

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