PRINCE IMPERIAL AND ALBION CONSOLS
37 COBBLERS LANE BONSHAW, BALLARAT CITY
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Statement of Significance
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PRINCE IMPERIAL AND ALBION CONSOLS - History
The greater region of Ballarat was first settled by Europeans in 1837/1838, when brothers Archibald and William Yuille established a pastoral run they named “Ballaarat”. William built his small settlement near what is now Sebastopol, with Archibald building at Black Swamp, now Lake Wendouree. They abandoned this run in 1851 following the discovery of gold at Buninyong, Clunes and Golden Point. By 1871, Ballaarat had a population of approx 50,000 as a result of these discoveries, with the area to the south
of the city, including Sebastopol, being especially fruitful.
Sebastopol was originally a small town independent of Ballaarat. Located approx 4km to the south of the CBD, it was established in 1854 and declared a borough in 1864, by which point it had a population of approx 20,000. It was settled after the shallow alluvial gold deposits in Ballaarat had been exhausted, primarily by Welsh and Cornish miners who were accustomed to deep lead mining and were able to access the deeper gold deposits which existed on the Sebastopol Plateau. Gold mining decreased between 1871 and 1881 and ceased entirely between 1883 and 1885, but was renewed in 1886 with a number of new shafts being sunk. This was however only a brief reprieve and Sebastopol never fully recovered, with the last mine closing in 1918.
The Albion Company was the first mining company in Victoria to employ the methodology of boring prior to sinking a shaft. They first employed this methodology on the Sebastopol diggings on the 21st of June 1856, with commencement of the sinking of the mining shaft on the 4th of June 1858 (Niven 1887: 221). On the 7th of March 1869 the Albion Company united with the United Hand-in-Hand and Band of Hope Company to form the incorporated Band of Hope and Albion Consols Company. This joining left the company with a combined 400 acres of mining rights as well as a large amount of shares and capital. In September 1869 nineteen horses were employed in the underground works of one of their mines, as well as the employment of 900 men. However which mine they were all employed at is not noted (Niven 1887: 222).
The greater region of Ballarat was first settled by Europeans in 1837/1838, when brothers Archibald and William Yuille established a pastoral run they named “Ballaarat”.
William built his small settlement near what is now Sebastopol, with Archibald building at Black Swamp, now Lake Wendouree. They abandoned this run in 1851 following the discovery of gold at Buninyong, Clunes and Golden Point. By 1871, Ballaarat had a population of approx 50,000 as a result of these discoveries, with the area to the south
of the city, including Sebastopol, being especially fruitful. Sebastopol was originally a small town independent of Ballaarat. Located approx 4km to the south of the CBD, it was established in 1854 and declared a borough in 1864, by which point it had a population of approx 20,000. It was settled after the shallow alluvial gold deposits in Ballaarat had been exhausted, primarily by Welsh and Cornish miners who were accustomed to deep lead mining and were able to access the deeper gold deposits which existed on the Sebastopol Plateau. Gold mining decreased between 1871 and 1881 and ceased entirely between 1883 and 1885, but was renewed in 1886
with a number of new shafts being sunk. This was however only a brief reprieve and Sebastopol never fully recovered, with the last mine closing in 1918.
The Albion Company was the first mining company in Victoria to employ the methodology of boring prior to sinking a shaft. They first employed this methodology on the Sebastopol diggings on the 21st of June 1856, with commencement of the sinking of the mining shaft on the 4th of June 1858 (Niven 1887: 221). On the 7th of March 1869 the Albion Company united with the United Hand-in-Hand and Band of Hope Company to form the incorporated Band of Hope and Albion Consols Company. This joining left
the company with a combined 400 acres of mining rights as well as a large amount of shares and capital. In September 1869 nineteen horses were employed in the underground works of one of their mines, as well as the employment of 900 men. However which mine they were all employed at is not noted (Niven 1887: 222).
10 dwt (or 0.762kg) (GEDIS Ballarat Mine Data, October 1993, referenced in Bannear 1998: 409). He found that the mullock heap was in Poor condition/ integrity, describing it as a “Fairly prominent mullock heap 65m by 30m by 4m high with a higher point at each end. No sign of the shaft. A dam of a similar area to the mullock heap is on the east side of the heap.” (Bannear 1998: 409). Furthermore he found that the Albion Consols Co. site was located on the edge of an unmade road 550m south east of the intersection of Cobblers Lane and the Smythesdale-Sebastopol Road. He states that its recorded production was 257 oz 8 dwt (or 8.006kg) (GEDIS Ballarat Mine Data, October 1993, referenced in Bannear 1998: 410). He found the site to be in poor condition, describing it as “A flattened, spreading mullock heap 50m by 30m by 5m high.” (Bannear 1998: 410).PRINCE IMPERIAL AND ALBION CONSOLS - Interpretation of Site
Difficult due to the inability to access the property. From the roadway both mullock heaps appear to be in a poor condition, with little evidence of spreading in the northern heap and some of the southern heap (although I was able to get much closer to the southern heap). The southern heap has been impacted by rabbit warrens, and it is reasonable to suggest that the northern one has as well- some evidence was able to be seen in close up photographs, and small, unidentified animals were seen darting around on both heaps. Both have been impacted by vegetation growth, especially European Grass, but especially the southern heap which also has blackberry bushes and Scottish Thistles around the base. The site has been recently ploughed and according to neighbours was until recently used as farming land. The previous owner had recently sold the land to developers (see “threat”). No evidence of either mine shaft was visible from the roads nor from aerial imagery on Google Maps.
Heritage Inventory Description
PRINCE IMPERIAL AND ALBION CONSOLS - Heritage Inventory Description
Small mullock heaps located either side of Cobblers Lane.Heritage Inventory Significance: Local
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PRINCE IMPERIAL AND ALBION CONSOLSVictorian Heritage Inventory
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