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

March 1867:
Sandhurst Division. [N G Stephens]
The total number of miners is as follows:
European Chinese Total for the Subdivision
Alluvial miners 3800 1030 4830
Quartz miners 2474 2474
Total 6274 1030 7304
The machinery is as follows:
Alluvial Mining:
Steam engines, 27 working, 4 idle, 265 head of stamp, 391hp
Puddling mills, 380 at work, 40 idle
Quartz Mining:
Steam engines, 74 at work, 23 idle, 970 stamp heads, 1848hp
Total value of machinery £310,000
Square miles of alluvial ground, 13 1/2
No of distinct auriferous reefs, 133
With regard to the quartz, I believe the average of all that has been produced would have been at least
12dwts; but I cannot obtain any information from 3 companies, who have crushed about 7000 tons of
the richest quartz in the district. Two of them crush from their own claims only, and object to give
any information. The proprietors of the third (the Endeavour Company) are willing to give it, but the
manager, who is a shareholder, will not comply with their request. Since my last report quartz
mining exhibits a falling off in the yields on many lines, due, in some measure, to the want of a
workable drainage bye-law; and also to the fact, that many companies are not in possession of
sufficient funds wherewith to prospect their ground. The main lines continue to yield satisfactorily.
Regular and highly remunerative returns continue to be given by almost all the claims on the Victoria
and New Chum Reefs, most of which have been worked continuously for the last 12 years. On the
Victoria Reef, Ballerstedt’s and the Adventure Company’s claims are yielding splendidly, and the
Energetic Company’s have produced 3,149ozs. in 3 weeks. On the Sheepshead Reef, the Albion
Company has just struck a mass of stone well studded with gold. On the Windmill Hill line there is
no change. The Johnston’s Reef returns have improved. From the Wetherall Reef, Collmann and
Tacchi obtained 1,172ozs. of gold for one month’s work, at a depth of 330 feet. This has given
adjoining claim-holders encouragement to sink deeper. Perseverance Reef - Belt’s claim yielding
well, giving confidence to other claimholders. The Nelson Reef is yielding indifferently from deep
levels. Several companies have struck gold on the St. Mungo and Devonshire line. The Lady Barkly
and St. Mungo company’s claims are turning out good quartz. The Price of Wales Company report
having cut stone at a depth of 320 feet, which gave 22dwts/ton. The Catherine reef has improved of
late. Little doing on Star Reef. The failure of the Star Reef Company has discouraged many from
investing their money on this line. In Sailor’s Gully, the Argus, North Specimen Hill, and Eagle
companies are in full work. The stone from the latter is yielding 2oz/ton. The Hustler’s Reef is
giving good returns. The Comet Company’s shaft is down 436 feet. They are getting payable stone.
At Golden Square, the Alliance and Great Britain companies have just obtained first-rate prospects.
At Kangaroo Flat, mining is looking dull; but the Bird’s Reef Company continue working. In
Golden Gully, the Whip Reef is the only actively at work. On Brown’s reef, the Break-o’-Day
Company are sinking their shaft deeper. On Specimen Hill, most of the companies are doing pretty
well. The Agmemnon Company has just completed sinking a shaft to 300ft ... Roberts and Company
has lately erected a winding engine on their claim. Prospecting claim - Dark Aerial, between Crusoe
Gully and the Big Hill. The owners report a yield of 10 1/4ozs. from 7 tons of stone. Another has
been taken up on Humels Reef, Red Jacket Gully, but payable quartz has not yet been found on it.
Most of the companies at Epsom and Huntly are paying moderately. 1
1867: Whipstick - The lead at Myer’s Flat was worked from the earliest days into Campbell’s paddock
(Weddiker P.R), but the main rush was in 1867, when it was traced from the corner of the P.R. for
some miles. Reimers and Co were the prospectors of the later rush. 2
1 Mining Surveyors’ Reports, March 1867
2 Flett, 1979, p250