SCHICER GULLY PUDDLING MACHINE SITE
CAHILLS ROAD WEDDERBURN, LODDON SHIRE
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
What is significant?
How is it significant?
Why is it significant?
-
-
SCHICER GULLY PUDDLING MACHINE SITE - History
Alluvial gold was first discovered at Wedderburn in 1852. All the gullies in the area were opened during the time of the first gold rush. After being ‘worked-out’ the gullies became the preserve of puddlers and lonely fossickers.SCHICER GULLY PUDDLING MACHINE SITE - Interpretation of Site
Site of a puddling machine. These machines were being used as early as 1853. These machines could be used after gold rush diggings had been deemed to be worked-out. A puddling machine comprised a circular wood-lined trough, one metre in width and usually 6.7 metres in diameter. On the central mound formed by the trough stood a wooden pivot post to which was attached a horizontal wooden pole, with a horse harnessed at the other end. The horse trudged repeatedly around the outer edge of the trough, dragging the iron rakes, which hung from the pole, through the wash dirt in the trough, breaking it up and loosening the gold. Water was fed to the puddling machine from a dam, sometimes via a water race.
Heritage Inventory Description
SCHICER GULLY PUDDLING MACHINE SITE - Heritage Inventory Description
Silted-up dam with large bank of wash. Associated with wash is a very weathered puddler. Difficult to distinguish inner mound from puddling trench.
Heritage Inventory Significance: None
SiteCard data copied on 03/07/2024: In the gully immediately north of Cowks Hill Reef workings is a silted-up dam. This dam has a large bank of wash (50 x 20 metres, 1 metres high) on the northern end of its embankment. Associated with the wash is a very weathered puddler. It is very difficult to distinguish the inner mound from the puddling trench. The puddling machine remains have been significantly disturbed (excavated) by fossickers
-
-
-
-
-
SPECIMAN HILL REEF WORKINGSVictorian Heritage Inventory
-
SPECIMEN HILL MINE SITEVictorian Heritage Inventory
-
LANES REEF MINE SITEVictorian Heritage Inventory
-
-