DIGGINGS NEAR GRASSY GULLY, MISERY CREEK, ENFIELD
ENFIELD FOREST AND NEWTOWN-BERRINGA ROAD STAFFORDSHIRE REEF, GOLDEN PLAINS SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
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DIGGINGS NEAR GRASSY GULLY, MISERY CREEK, ENFIELD - History
Contextual History:History of Place:
Heritage Inventory History of Site:
According to Finlay, I.S., Plier-Malone, E.N.M., Cochrane, R.M., Buchnall, M., Douglas, P.M. and Caluzzi, J., 1992, Ballarat Deep Leads and Mines, Geological Survey of Victoria 1:100,000 Deep Leads Map 6, sheet 1, Department of Energy and Minerals, Victoria, the following companies were operating in the area where the following diggings were found: Logan and Party; Wittol and Party; Guinam and Party; Star of the East: Hansen’s Co.; Hartridge and Co.; Nick-’O-Time; Tim’s Lucky; Hidden Treasure; Midland Counties Quartz Mining and Crushing Co.;
The Department of Energy and Minerals’, GEDIS Ballarat Mines Database, shows that:
1867 to 1869: the recorded production of six companies in this vicinity was approximatley 1140 ozs (or 35.45 kg).
1886 to 1891: recorded production of 7 companies operating in this vicinity was approximately 1715 ozs (or 54.35 kg).1
1896 to 1899: recorded production of the O’Keefe Brothers was 2467 ozs (or 76.56 kg).1
1904 to 1907: recorded production of two companies was 663 ozs (or 20.62 kg).1
Mount Misery Ranges, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat.
09.1868: the success of the Geelong gentlemen at Pinchgut Reef has led to 5 other reefs in these ranges being taken up.
06.1869; companies prospecting these ranges have not had any success.
Mount Misery Creek, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat.
11.1859: almost exclusively in the possession of the Chinese; a few parties of Europeans got between 80 and 200 pounds in a few days but this is confined to a limited space.
12.1859: a considerable influx of Chinese who occupy 2 miles of the creek plus the flat on either side.
01.1860: the Chinese are reported to have "hit it heavy", with one find paying 250 pounds per man per week.
02.1860 : the Chinese population is decreasing because of the poor ground and the lack of water.
11.1861: 8 or 10 puddling companies are doing pretty well at 3 to 4 pounds per man per week working the old ground at Mount Misery and Kangaroo Gully.
12.1862: Chinese are now almost in exclusive occupation of the wet gullies in this neighbourhood.
03.1864: continues to yield fair wages.
06.1866: principally occupied by the Chinese.
Mount Misery, Cockatoo Reef at ... , No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat.
GOLDEN TUNNEL COMPANY.
12.1881: have driven a tunnel 145 feet toward Cockatoo Reef, expect to drive a further 100 feet.
03.1882: tunnel has been driven 385 feet and the lode has not been struck.
06.1882: tunnel driven 495 without striking the lode.
09.1882: tunnel driven a further 72 feet to 567 feet.
12.1882: have not done any work this quarter.
03.1883: having a trial crushing of stone from near the surface.
Mount Misery Reef, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat.
MIDLAND COUNTIES QUARTZ-MINING AND CRUSHING COMPANY
11.1859: have taken up 2100 feet by 500 feet of the reef under by-law 10 and propose getting powerful machinery on the ground as soon as possible.
01.1860: working vigorously on their dam, the best seen by the Mining Surveyor, and machinery site where the crushing plant is being erected.
30.01.1860: proceeding well with their operations; have had good weather to clean out the creek; their dam is now 10 feet above the creek flow and will hold millions of gallons of water; they appear to have adopted the American 'river stop' plan which is much used on English railways to dam back rivers; the engine is either on the ground or coming and crushing is anticipated in three months.
04.1860: almost completed the assembly of their crushing plant.
06.1860: have just commenced crushing; have expended 3000 pounds not including labour.
07.1860: have achieved relative success; their lowest crushing has yielded 10 dwt per ton and they are not yet into full work.
09.1860: plant sold at auction by the Ballarat firm which supplied it, purchaser will take a proportion of the yields and the company will be able to continue provided the returns are satisfactory.
12.1860: company to wind up, trials have not been satisfactory and the owners of crushing machinery are about to remove it.
11.01.1861: crushing plant is to be removed by its owner because he does not have any faith in the reef, this will produce a dissolution of this company.
22.08.1862: Grassy Gully is the centre of attention at the moment; one party obtained 13 ozs of gold and the ground is shallow and the ground is being taken up in block claims.
Grassy Gully, Dereel, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat
BUCKLEY AND PARTY (six men)
09.1887: have taken up an old quartz claim and have struck payable gold near the surface; the lode is 3 feet wide and easily worked; another party is sinking on the same line of reef.
12.1887: intend sinking to 100 feet before taking out another crushing.
Grassy Gully, Dereel, adjoining Hughes and party, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat
FLETCHER AND PARTY
06.1886: have struck the same run of cement as Hughes and party.
09.1886: crushed 25 tons for a yield of 27 ozs 13 dwt, which was a little disappointing.
03.1887: sinking a new shaft to strike softer country and richer cement.
03.1888: making good wages.
06.1888: making good wages.
Grassy Gully Reef, Rokewood, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat.
GRASSY GULLY QUARTZ MINING COMPANY
GRASSY GULLY COMPANY (from the December 1868 report)
10.1868: to erect 12 head battery with all the latest improvements
11.1868: taking down steam engine and boiler at Derwent Jacks; boiler to be tested before carting; constructing tramway and chimney stack; taking out stone for a crushing
12.1868: erecting machinery; a highly promising mine. machinery on the ground; boiler built in
03.1869: for this whole reef the yield - taking onto account the gold washed from the debris while being worked - was more than 2 oz per ton.
09.1869: operations obstructed by the volume of water found at the 130 foot level; likeky that pumping equipment will have to be procured before work can continue.(presumed to be this company)
Grassy Gully, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat.
HERCULES COMPANY
06.1874: newly registered claim on reef discovered by Stevens and Sons; have struck a large body of gold-bearing quartz at 70 feet.
Grassy Gully, Dereel, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat
HUGHES AND PARTY (four men)
03.1886: prospected by John Hughes, a 74 year old miner; a rush has occurred to mine the rich cemented wash which has yielded 53 ozs 17 dwt 17 gr from six loads with the tailings expected to yield 6 ozs to the ton; a crushing of 20 tons of tailings is expected to yield 150 ozs; the sinking is 30 feet through 18 feet of hard cement.
06.1886: yield of £370 per man for the quarter; 5 other parties are sinking and driving in this very hard ground.
09.1886: most of the quarter was taken up with sinking a shaft and driving tunnels; yield of 184 ozs 13 dwt from a crushing of 66 tons of cement mined in six weeks; despite the expenses this paid a dividend of £143 per man for the quarter.
12.1886: excellent returns; yield of 169 ozs of gold from crushing of 75 tons of cement; valued at £4 3s 9d per ounce gave each man a dividend of £156 6s for the quarter which gave them a total of £800 per man for the year.
03.1887: cement is still excellent at 2 ozs 6 dwt per ton; had a dividend of £135 14s per man for the quarter; to erect a battery which will save 13s per ton for cartage.
06.1887: have not crushed this quarter; 300 tons of cement have been broken out awaiting completion of their battery.
09.1887: 8 head battery erected; crushed 138 tons for a yield of 142 ozs 10 dwt 12 gr; 50 tons waiting to be crushed; the cement is 3.5 foot thick and is estimated at 1 oz per ton.
12.1887: still getting returns although not quite as good as previously; proved the existance of a large quantity of payable ground which should give £5 10s per man per week; in 2 years have paid dividends of £1000 per man after all expenses including purchase of a battery.
03.1888: have been crushing reef dirt which turned out very poor, better is expected next quarter.
06.1888: results have been good paying £101 per man; are breaking out cement and will shortly have another crushing.
09.1888: have not done quite as well this quarter.
12.1888: excellent results; dividend of £63 4s for the quarter.
03.1889: still getting fair returns.
09.1889: Fletcher and Party have taken over this claim on tribute but have not yet struck any cement of a payable nature.
Grassy Gully, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat.
SOMERSET AND CORNISH COMPANY
06.1874: newly registered claim on reef discovered by Stevens and Sons; shaft is 47 feet deep and is 12 feet into a good looking lode which is 4 to 5 feet wide; propose to sink to 100 feet to prove the value of the mine before erecting machinery.
09.1874: have sunk 90 feet and driven 30 feet but have not found anything payable; sinking in another part of their claim and are down 35 feet.
12.1874: operations ceased because of a lack of capital.
Grassy Gully, Dereel, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat
TIPPETT AND PARTY
12.1887: discovered a new reef; lode is 50 feet deep and 2.5 foot wide; it is yet to be tested.
03.1888: lode at 50 foot is not good enough to pay for working and shaft is being sunk to 100 feet to test the lode.
Grassy Gully, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat.
WHITTLE AND OTHERS
09.1889: struck a reef on the surface which yielded 5 dwt per ton; will test it further.
Grassy Gully, Dereel, adjoining Hughes and party, No. 4 or Southern Division, Ballarat
WILKINS AND PARTY
03.1889: payalble alluvial gold has been struck at a depth of 23 feet.Heritage Inventory Description
DIGGINGS NEAR GRASSY GULLY, MISERY CREEK, ENFIELD - Heritage Inventory Description
A group of alluvial workings. It commences in the gully at the southern most point with a group of shallow sinkings. Heading northwest into the next gully where there is a group of 15 shallow sinkings, one is open for 4m. From the next ridge continuing north west there are 10 shafts with 10m diameter and 1.5m high mullock heaps, one is open for 10m. Workings continue on to the next gully and are spaced approximatley 20 metresapart, becoming more concentrated along the gully, and including a round hole open for 4 metres. A line of workings commences on the north side of the gully and continues over the ridge to the next gully. These workings are separated by a distance of 20 metres, have 10m diameter by 1.5m high mullock heaps around the shafts most of which are open up to approximately 15m. Some of the shafts are circular. This line finishes at the gully where a line of workings heads south west along the gully, two of this group are circular shafts open to 10m. These workings are not intense, and their size and spacing suggests that they were worked by co-operative parties. The circular holes are good examples of this type of working, and the workings seem reasonably intact.
Heritage Inventory Significance: Local
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DIGGINGS NEAR GRASSY GULLY, MISERY CREEK, ENFIELDVictorian Heritage Inventory
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