Bendigo General History - Department of Planning and Community ...

Gullies and Nuggets - Whipstick
Nov 1860 Poverty Gully Nuggets of 22, 80 and 95ozs found - creates small rush. 1
April 1860: No 1, or Kangaroo Flat Division [Edward T Harper].
The population is as follows:
European Chinese
Alluvial miners 2618 481
Quartz miners 826
3,444 481
The machinery is as follows:
Alluvial mining:
Puddling mills at work, 559; puddling mills idle
Whims 4, at work: 173
Quartz mining:
Steam engines winding, pumping, and crushing, etc, 33
Whims 26
The increase in my returns of mining population, puddling mills, and steam machinery, is
owning to the extension of my district. Of the 37 steam engines in my returns, 25 are at work
this month, the aggregate power is a bout 500hp, and 12 are idle (310hp), employing directly
100 men and indirectly 47 in carting quartz and tailings. There are 2 more engines in course
of erection, and several others in course of erection, by private quartz companies composed
of 3 or 4 good paying claims being amalgamated, which system is becoming popular on
Bendigo, and is the only true method of success. Mining in all its branches is looking better
this month. The puddlers have a good supply of water, and consequently, are enabled to work
in the best ground, some of which has never been got at before. Very few mills are being
erected, but those we have at work employ nearly double the number as formerly, owing to
the late increase in puddling claims awarded by the late Mining Board. There have been
several new and distinct bodies of quartz discovered in and around Bendigo this month. One
body of quartz was struck in a drive about 40ft below the surface, in an old claim on the
Wilson Reef, parallel and adjoining the Cooper’s Maiden Claim, Redan Hill, which yielded
215oz. of gold to 2 ton of quartz. Another was found on Johnston’s Reef, which gave an
even greater return, and two in the Break o’ Day, Lockwood ... This is not far from Brown’s
Reef but in a different line. The old workings are much as usual, some at work others under
protection. The Specimen Hill Tin Pot Company have commenced crushing with one of
Tennant’s horizontal high pressure engines of 30hp, with good boilerage of 22ft 6in with a
12ft fly wheel, 18 stamps of 3 1/2cwt each in frames of 6 each, and is expected to crush 250
tons per week. The company has 1200 tons ready for the engine and has put on extra miners
to insure a constant supply. It is expected that the whole of the quartz stacked will average
almost 1oz. per ton. Bird’s Reef, Kangaroo Gully - Four claims have amalgamated on this
line and formed themselves into a private company with capital of £3000 ... They are in
treaty for an engine, and have stone enough to last them for 2 or 3 years. Le Capelain’s
Company to the south has crushed some very good stone, but has not been able to work
regularly due to unforeseen problems with machinery. Mr Wright’s claim to the north of the
Bird’s Reef Company has been constantly at work for the last two years. He has a beautiful
little 4hp engine kept constantly at work crushing top stone. The yield is under 1oz. per ton
generally ... The top reefs to the south of Bendigo Flat are generally very patchy, but often
exceedingly rich, and I am of the opinion that the reefs lying deeper or underneath the top
stone and below water level will be more regular and not so patchy. Glasgow Reef - The
pumping engine is nearly completed, and the claims to the N. and S. of it are briskly engaged
in sinking their main shafts for the extraction of quartz, which at a depth of 130 feet was
found very rich. The water level here is about 110 feet. Fagg and Company has been
constantly taking stone from a depth of 75 feet, which averaged 5oz.per ton. Ness and Co. to
the east, have crushed 14 tons, averaging 3 1/2oz. The Golden Gully Company have been
constantly at work, stone yielding about 1oz. per ton. The United Glasgow Reef Company is
making preparations for a start. The Diamond Hill Company are again at work ... This and
Schilling’s Claim to the north, keep their crushing machine constantly at work. Sarnia Reef -
The German amalgamated claims are doing well. Skene and Company to the north intends to
sink about 170ft. Sheep’s Head Reef - The Union Company on this line have a very
extensive claim, and employ a number of men ... They crush their own stone as well as for
the public. They have made extensive excavations, and extracted thousands of tons of stone,
averaging generally 1oz. Several of the other claims have got stone, but with the exception of
Blewit’s claim none of them are having it crushed.
1 Perry, 1975, pp166-176