RED JACKET MINE
1237 BALLAN-MEREDITH ROAD MORRISONS, MOORABOOL SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
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RED JACKET MINE - History
Contextual History:History of Place:
Heritage Inventory History of Site:
The first gold discoveries in the Steiglitz Mining Division were along the Moorabool River, near Morrison's Station; at Dollys Creek; and in the vicinity of Steiglitz itself. The focus of alluvial mining gravels, commonly referred to cement, were deposited up to 40 million years ago. They were infact the remnants of ancient river systems. By 1858, miners at Morrison's were tunnelling under the basalt along westen bank of the Moorabool and by the following year had also discovered a cemented lead at Dolly's Creek.
Initially only rich deposits on the west side of Moorabool River, and up Tea Tree Creek, were worked, but in 1864, two rushes - Evan's and Wallace's - opened up extensive deposits along the east bank of the Moorabool. By 1863, the Lal Lal water race had been extended to Morrisons and the mining registrar felt that it enabled miners to wash with profit about 50% more material than previously treated.
By 1866, alluvial mining on the Morrison's field was declining. The miners had by this time treated most of the easily won auriferous material. Attempting to arrest the decline on the latter field, two companies - Golden Rivers and Borhoneyghurk - embarked on abitious new mining ventures. The former sunk a shaft (beyond 400 feet) and extended numerous drives in order to discover the continuation of the rich Ballarat deep leads; and the latter, installed the division's largest crushing plant, a 70hp steam engine and 28-head of stamps to crush cement deposits. In June 1866, the registrar reported that the failure of the crushing works had caused a severe mining depression in the area.
With a general decline in quartz mining in the mid 1870s, alluvial mining revived. The focus of the work was Dolly's Creek and Morrisons where miners again relied on the water from the Lal Lal race. By this time the race appears to have been taken over by the government. The renewal of activity was brief.
Reference: Mining Surveyors Quarterly Reports: October 1863, June 1865, June 1866, June 1874, June 1876.Heritage Inventory Description
RED JACKET MINE - Heritage Inventory Description
Heritage Inventory Significancfe:/nRegional
Recorded By: David Bannear Date recorded: July 1994 Heritage Inventory Key Components: /nMullock heap: large intact mullock heap. Remains of swing bridge (wooden uprights) on side of river below the mine.
Morrisons Diggings: The surrounding hillside has been extensively sluiced: bank of river, under basalt cap, has been extensively worked and still retains evidence of collapsed adits and associated mullock heaps, carting tracks and large sluicing hole or open cuts.
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RED JACKET MINEVictorian Heritage Inventory
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