Finding historic mines in the Grant Historic Area

Locating mines on the Crooked River, Grant, Black Snake Creek,
Wentworth, Stirling, and Normanby goldfields. Includes location maps for all the
Bullumwaal mines, and a copious collection about Deptford and its goldfields.
Extended to cover mines of Victoria's North East, as well as 'ring ins' of historical interest.

These files arose from an interest in the Crooked River goldfield, and its "city", Mt. Pleasant (later Grant) in the Victorian High Country. Following the bushfires in the area in 2006-7, the authors were able to walk into areas that had been overgrown and inaccessible for decades.

30 Apr 2019 Extreme bravery. Pte. Alan Sinnott, VX92319, Rabit Trapper, Tabberabbera,
22 Oct 2019 Seventy picture slides document visits to Good Hope and Uncle Tom
11 Feb 2021 Fred Sargent updated his Bowman's Forest, Buckland, Mt Elmo, Myrtleford and Sandy Cr.
9 Jun 2022   New. 'The Remarkable Crooks Brothers' An amazing man who tenured Tuerong Park\
11 Mar 2023   Personal notes re. my education at Osborne Primary School 2655, 1948-53
27 Mar 2023   Updated Tuerong Park hisory, restored items went missing last update
28 May 2023   Revision, and update of my Deptford material

Introductory notes to read before downloading individual mine files. Contemporary accounts showing the Crooked River / Grant Goldfield in a not so romantic light.

Project: Mines of GRANT. A series of booklets aimed at highlighting important mines of the Crooked River, Grant, and surrounding goldfields, giving sufficient information to allow interested persons to find them. We share photographs of those sites taken during the rare window of opportunity when the bushfires of 2006-7 burned the area clean, as well as research notes and maps.

Uncle Tom and Collingwood mine, accessed off the Collingwood Spur Track.

Mountaineer mine and battery, difficult access, on Good Luck Creek
(Luck's All became Columbia, merged with Mountaineer, became Lone Hand)

Mines high on Victoria creek (Western Spur) inc Great Western mine

Red Rose mine and battery, mismarked on every map. Located in a most
beautiful ferny gully below the Fern Hill mine.

Eldorado and Britannia mines, shared a common battery on Eldorado creek

Good Hope mine. Well documented elsewhere, but worth a visit.

Traill's "Oro" mine (Grant), a later mine,virtually unknown. Unsafe.

Good Luck mine. High on Good Luck Spur. Including the Nelson

Geff Davis mine. A treat, and not too hard to access.

Normanby. A long drive and strenuous walk, but a lot of interest.

Union mines, just below Grant township include the Italian, Vulcan,
and Dorrit. Large complex, biggest mullock heap on this goldfield.

Warhawk, a lesson in greed and dishonesty.

Palmerston. Was in a picturesque location, but now very over-grown.

Glengarry. Litle to see, but a good example of a formed walking track
following Brewery Creek. Over three hours walking.

Mines of Black Snake Creek. Easy, mildly strenuous access to several
mines and battery. Inc Kong Meng, Queen Bee, Crinoline

Hub of the Mountaineer (Lone Hand) water wheel hidden under metres of blackberries prior to the bushfires. Visible for such a short time, now totally hidden again.

Overlooking this beautiful waterfall close to the upper Palmerston adit we found several hut sites that would have enjoyed this view..

From left: Fred Sargent and Andrew Swift, mine mappers and historians who specialise in the mining areas of the Victorial High Country. Author of these notes, Peter Ward, right.

Gavin Keating who is responsible for almost all the photographs embedded in the accompanying documents, sitting by the entrance of the lower Palmerston adit..

Revision of an article originally submitted to the Gippsland Times regarding a trip up Good Hope creek after fires had burned it clear, and of damage done by mudslides to the Good Hope Battery.

Project BULLUMWAAL: A package to provide location information for the mines and reefs of the Bullumwaal and Deptford districts, as a supplement to the mining notes contained within Keith Fairweather's book, "Bedrock " A resource for those researching the mining and social history of Bullumwaal and Deptford. Victoria's Wentworth river and its land to the north.

Detailed maps, pictures and GPS locations of most of the Bullumwaal mines and reefs. "BULLUMWAAL MINING HISTORY" is a collection of reference materials for this important early East Gippsland goldfield.

“A BULLUMWAL of TIMES LONG PAST” a compilation of newspaper extracts, downloaded from the National Library of Australia, Newspapers Online, relating to mining at Bullumwaal, East Gippsland. Interesting background reading of nearly three hundred pages. As well as being a resource for those interested in Bullumwaal mines, the extracts throw light on the social history of the township, and of the early history mining in the district generally. Revised, enlarged May 2023

Hibernia mine. Read and heed the warning contained within re. hidden shaft.

Wild Dogs. The included clipping in my note shows the chance of a dog pack attack has now moved from possible to real, and is something any walker in remote country must plan against. Readers with personal stories may like to provide material to add to this note.

Eureka. This is the Eureka of Tucker Creek, not the Eureka of Dargo River. Shorter walk, some steepness, but interesting. Traill involvement.

Rubbly (Hopeful). An easy walk off Union Spur track. A virtually unknown mine

Stirling, Dogtown and Ernestine sites. Not "high Country" Plenty of easy to access mining history.

Deer everywhere. This stag ambled along in front of the "Patrol" in the Grant Historic area as we drove towards Talbotville. A "grab" through the windscreen.
The Gippsland Times, of 13 Feb 1875 notes the deer as already being of plague proportions at Healsville.

The Garry Castle, Republic, Birregun. Again not high Country", but a relatively easy walk, and a mine well worth visiting.

Sawyer's mine. A small mine at head of Tierney's creek. Not High Country, but reasonably easy access to battery and workings.

Good Hope Battery. Includes photographic record of the damage caused to this site by flood debris. Large file to keep the best quality photographs

Life and times about Victoria's Wentworth River. 287 pages. Story of mining, agriculture, visions, and Camms Top Place. Large analysis of the Baldhead road, proposed alternative road to Omeo. A ton of variety, including unpublished material, with something for every interest. (170 Meg /130 Meg files)

A detailed reference document on reef mining activity at DEPTFORD, East Gippsland. Maps, and a comprehensive set of newspaper references that have a social history value as well as mining references. Includes a transcript of Horrie Donnolly's oral deposition with his early memories of life at Deptford, made in the early 1900's.

Because the PDF above loses some definition in the maps, you can download this Zip of Gavin Keating's original Bullumwaal maps in high definition.

My personal compilation of sequential "Gippsland Times" extracts relating to mining on the Crooked River and Grant, East Gippsland, for the period 1861 to 1890, as downloaded from the National Library of Australia Newspapers Online (TROVE). Interesting background reading of nearly six hundred pages. These are my personal study notes, and not all have their "scans" yet fully corrected, but most are now readable. A work in progress, and a very grateful public acknowledgment goes to the anonymous "Wendy" who had already corrected a large number of the earlier extracts.
Six sections of an early map is now added to allow you to have some idea of locations of mines alluded to. Not all are as legible as the one to right.
Fred Sargent's location map for almost every mine is now included

Project: Supplementary reading. Clippings on the Crooked River Goldfield, and the township of Grant

Fern Hill mine. Opened by Traill Bros, on sold to a Mirboo North syndicate, who I speculate may have been after a quick turnover to overseas interests.
'Pump and dump' ?

Globe battery and mine. Includes Prince of Wales, Rose of Australia

Glenora mine. Sits under McMillan's track, just before Bulltown Spur track.

Tubba Rubba (Tubbarubba) and Bulldog Creek goldfield, including a pointer to the mysterious Tuerong gold. A deviation from my "High Country" theme, but a small and interesting goldfield close to Melbourne that deserves some acknowledgment. The starting place for my lifelong interest in mining.

Victoria mine and Battery. Listed early as one of Grant's main mines, but
faded quickly. Battery was destroyed by fire but interesting artifacts and remains were evident.

Stonework at the Victoria Battery

Time Will Tell mine, on Jungle Creek, reached off the Hibernia track. Involvement of Horatio Hartley who left Crooked River, returned to NZ, and dredged gold by the ton!

Nelson mine. Remote, Access via Good Luck Ridge, which was the earliest access track to Stonewall and Jeff Davis

Extensive reflection arising from a curious old letter sent to Mary Donovan, passed on by a stamp collector. Franking on the rear indicating it passed through the Bulgaback PO. It immediately brought to mind the vision of a community, long gone, along the Bairnsdale to Dargo road, where only paddocks are to be seen today (Mary Donovan married James Phelan of Dargo in 1913).

Project Castleburn: A reflection canvassing life at Bulgaback and Castleburn, on the Bairnsdale to Dargo road in East Gippsland, in a period around the end of the 19th century, initiated by the finding an envelope addressed to "Miss Mary Donovan, c/o Bulgaback P.O.

The Bulgaback Post Office was located just above the Bulgaback Creek, on a now closed section of road, at Castleburn.

In the Christmas Jubilee mine a wooden guide pulley directed the ropes lifting ore from the steeply descending stope as it followed the reef under Perseverance track

Heavy rains following the bushfires of 2006-7 gouged the gully directly below the Beehive, exposing the previously buried remains of a portable steam engine.

Damage to historic machinery at the Good Hope battery site, caused by mud slides after the 2006/7 bush fires

Mappings and locations of some of the lesser known mines of the Grant Historic Area.

The Luck's All, also worked as the Teddington and the Columbia

The Grimross, also worked as the Barnsfield and the Star of Hope

Tubba Rubba goldfield.

Complete Tuerong Park history, plus a look at two families, Nutchey and Ward, farming "Tuerong Park", "Tuerong", and "Hadlow" covering the years 1938 thru 1975. Includes notes of interest to all Tuerong researchers. Includes early maps and ownership details.
Ownership of every portion as Tuerong Park was subdivided is clarified. Includes material based on contemporaneous notes of the Dawson and Ruddell occupancy, and give a previously unseen view of life on Tuerong from the late 1840's. Scholars of the Boon Wurrung will be amazed to learn that these people returned and lived as an organised tribe around the Tuerong (Pre-emptive right) homestead for many years in the 1850's after their diaspora in Aug 1840.
These notes put a human perspective into one era of its constantly changing ownership list. Those eulogising advertisements as far back as 1880 declaring Tuerong land to be "rich", "ideal for dairying" were, in fact, total falsehoods, real only to the purveying agents. The truth is, Tuerong land consists of the poorest of sandy, washed out podzols. This country has bankrupted more than it has prospered, even enlightened hard working families that knew farming. Instead of just an ownership list, meet Nutchey, Niall and Ward. And a lot of material on Ruddell, Wilson(s),Crooks, Pitt, Matthews, Andrews, Dobie, Clarke, Moore, Richardson, Paton, Edgar, and Kirton, all genuine people who struggled with the money sink that was the Tuerong pre- emptive right.
There is commentary on the1890 proposed railway extension through Tuerong, and a whiff of suspicion that land speculation may have been the reason for the chosen route. This "center of the Peninsula" railway extension, Baxter's Flat to Merricks has been neglected by Peninsula historians, and deserves more study. This controversial proposal set the location of Merricks well to the west of its actual position.
Includes a small original poem "Sheepsick and Hungry, Exhausted and Dry" touching on the lives of those who battled the Tuerong.

The original "Tuerong" (not "Tuerong Park") homestead as purchased by Ward from the Ken Niall estate. S.L.V photo.

Rev 9
29 Mar 2023

Tuerong Park. A memorial to all those who broke their hearts on that “wretchedly poor” country that was Tuerong. And, a look at the "centre of Mornington Peninsula" rail extension. (large file)

My published notes may contain extracts from copyright material, and are provided for private study purposes only.
They may not be re-published for gain or reward, and family History and other Historical Societies, are welcome to add
any material from my historic research to their collections.

Tuerong Railway Station. Covering the highly controversial Baxter's Flat to Merricks railway extension, 1888-1902, a full expansion of material briefly covered in my Tuerong notes above. The "down the center" Mornington Peninsula rail proposal envisioned a station at Tuerong, an extension so far unexplored by local historians.

Rev 1.6 27/03/2023

A n important contribution to Mornington Peninsula's railway history. This rail extension was never built, but was costed and submitted in the first tabling of the Railway Construction Bill of 1890.
Citizens of the Tuerong district were thrilled, others realised this was an unworkable solution to the Mornington Peninsula's rail needs.Taken from the bill in an unparlimentary manner, it was only finally abandoned in April 1902.
I set this research in terms of the corruption of the times, well expounded on in an Age editorial for 9 Oct 1888.

Note: 31 May 2016
The walk track to the Good Hope battery and No. 4 adit, is not maintained, and trees and slips have to be negotiated. The track to the car park is badly overgrown.I expect the blackberries to have engulfed the remains of the battery. In summary, you will have very little enjoyment in visiting the Good Hope complex at this time. (Most sites mentioned in these notes are again overgrown and inaccessible)

Brother Jonathan. Declared as first reef discovered on the Crooked River.

Bank of England. Early reef at Hogg Town, short lived.

Compilation #1 A compilation of lesser known mines, not large enough for a separate journal, but important in the historical record.

Compilation #2 Yet more of the leser known mines.

The Pioneer, earliest reef mine at Crooked River / Grant, close to Talbotville

Notes re. location of early Protectorate related dwellings on "Tuerong" and "Tuerong Park / Estate"

These pages are extracted from the Nutchey and Ward file above and concern locating the hut of William Thomas, buildings of William Jackson Thomas, improvements on the 640 acre Tuerong "pre-emptive" right, home of J.B Wilson. Jacksons hut formed an important place in the Aboriginal Protectorate and the later Boonwurring history

Harry Treasure. A life forged on King's Spur (Upper Dargo) (Large file, 62 Meg)

Notes produced by Fred Sargent, based on field work and research of both himself and that of fellow historian, Andrew Swift. Made available with permission, this is a valuable resource, and as far as I can find, the only comprehensive compilation of material on mines of the Upper Dargo. Covers Evening Star, Morning Star, Mammoth, Homeward Bound, and every other referenced mine on or about the Upper Dargo.

Reef Mines of the Upper Dargo Rev Jan 2020

Mapping of the Golden Ridge mine by Fred Sargent

Happy Home battery site, illustrated by Andrew Swift

Locations of Golden King, Morning Star, and Eureka batteries precisely located by fieldwork of Fred Sargent and Andrew Swift .

"A report covering the reef mines (gold) in the Harrietville district, including the Mongrel Creek area at the head of Morse’s Creek, Smoko, the Alpine area from the head of the Kiewa to the head of the Dargo (Partial)". These notes have been produced by Fred Sargent, based on the field work and research of both himself and that of fellow historian, Andrew Swift. Made available with permission. The Champion, Blue Speck, Southern Cross, Good Hope (Harrietville), Chance and all known mines have been visited, mapped, and documented.

Reef Mines of Harrietville and surrounding districts (Rev. May 2018) Huge file, 300 Meg, 2100+ p

"Unknown 4284" meticulously mapped by Fred Sargent.
As well as known mines, Fred has found and documented over 4000 mines located in Victoria's North East, for which no contemporary reference exists.

Fred Sargent's compilation based on his field visits and research at
Stringer Ridge. (located between Stanley and Yackandandah) Includes the Pride and Stringer (Including the Pride, Stringer, Comäsino and Kangaroo reefs). The Caledonian, Topaz, Albion and Bangor Mosquito, Hayes’, South Pride, Craig’s, Folster’s, Crawford & Folster’s.

Reef mines of Stringer Ridge

Fred Sargent compilation based on his field visits and research covering reefs on the western side of the Dargo High Plains. Includes Golconda, Queen's Jubilee/Criterion, Ever Welcome, Cumberland, Little Venture

Right: Two dingo pups on the Merrijig Track, West of Bullumwaal, 2008. Fortunately "Official advice" is that there are no pure bred dingoes in this area, and baiting programs will only be killing cross breeds!

Left. A dog snapped from the "cruiser" alongside the Dargo road at Castleburn. Those descriptive words in Banjo Patterson's famous "Bush Christening" come to mind- "plump, healthy and stoutly conditioned."

Reef Mines of Victoria's North East.
Fred Sargent's Research Reports.

Apart from the fieldwork and research Fred has conducted on the reef mines of the Crooked River, his passion has been to document reef mines of Victoria's North East. Currently residing in Myrtleford, Fred is continually updating his extensive research reports, which are now available for download below. Whilst Andrew Swift is not currently active in this field, portions of his earlier research have been incorporated into Fred's notes, making them a unique resource for those interested in Victoria's early mining history. As time, weather, and bulldozers quietly destroy our mining heritage, we are thankful for the work of Fred and Andrew for their "snapshot in time" of an industry that brought wealth and a diverse population to "the Colony"

Fred Sargent (left) and Andrew Swift at the "Fern Hill", Grant. Gavin Keating photograph.

Stoping in the middle adit, "Christmas Gift", Myrtleford

Reef mines of Thirteen, Twenty-five and Thirty Mile Creeks (Dargo High Plains)

Reef mines of Myrtleford
Large file, 138 Meg, (Rev. Feb 2021)

Reef mines of Wandiligong
Large file, 215 Meg, 2700p (Rev 3. Jul 2019)

Cousin's battery, Bowman's Forest.
Source. Alpine Shire, Heritage Overlay Notes

Reef mines of Bowman's Forest
Large file, 143 Meg, 1100p (Rev Feb 2021)

Reef mines of Mt Elmo
Large file, 92 Meg, 625p (Rev Feb 2021)

Reef mines of the Buckland
Large file, 80 Meg, 940p (Rev. Feb 2021)

Reef mines of Tallandoon
Large file, 50 Meg, 535p (Rev. Feb 2018)

Reef mines of Bright
Large file, 36 Meg (Rev. Feb 2020)

Reef mines of King River

Reef mines of Dorchap (Rev. May 2018)

Reef mines of Benalla

Reef mines of El Dorado (Rev. Feb 2018)

Donovans and Longs. A brief history of two families at Castleburn and Waterford

Summary notes on these families supplied by Chris McQuillen will extend understandings of Donovan and Long families sojurn at Castleburn and Bulgaback.

Donovans and Longs.

More comprehensive Long / Donovan family notes, with lots of anecdotal material, prepared by Louise McQuillen. Hosted with permission

Reef mines of Albury (New. May 2018)
Large file, 64 Meg

Reef mines of the Crooked River (New. May 2018)
Large file, 100 Meg

Reef mines of Eurobin-Porpunkah (New. May 2018)

Reef mines of the Hillsborough (New. May 2018)
Large file, 45 Meg

Reef mines of the Hurdle Flat-Clear Creek (New. May 2018)
Large file, 52 Meg

Red Rose battery, east of Grant.
Gavin Keating Photograph

Reef mines of Wodonga (New. Jun. 2018)

Reef mines of the Twists Creek (New. Jun. 2018)

Reef mines of Tatong (New. Jun. 2018)

Reef mines of Sandy Creek 279pp (Rev. Feb 2021)

Reef mines of Running Creek (New. Jun 2018)

Mud now covers the engine at the Good Hope battery.

Reef mines of Stanley and Beechworth (New. Oct 2018)

To Honour Pte Alan Sinnott, VX92319, Tabberabbera

Reef mines of Chiltern (New. Jul 2019)

Seventy pictorial slides (Libre Office) of Uncle Tom and Good Hope visits.

HiDef

MedDef

'The Remarkable Crooks Brothers' prepared by William's GG Grandson Wayne Crooks, bears testimony to William Crooks remarkable career as a leading businessman, industrialist,and philanthropist, covering his time in British Columbia, S.A and Victoria. This more complete picture of William Crooks, will enable his, I believe, underestimated contribution to both Tuerong and Mornington Peninsula life be better appreciated.
This file also sketches the most interesting story of William's brother, Alexander Crooks, and the scandal associated with the demise of The Commercial Bank of South Australia.

'The Remarkable Crooks Brothers' A fuller story of an amazing man who tenured Tuerong Park

Harry Treasure's personal recollections have already been used by several authors,
but here I put Harry's story in a context as should help bring the story alive to a next generation of family who will have no real concept of the “King Spur”, its grandeur, its hostility or its remoteness, nor of a time it held a busy mining community in which his father laboured with no benefit of City Capital. Includes a lot of interesting contemporary material, and a closer look at the George Treasure's mining ventures.
Includes "The Squatter's Daughter" (or "The Old Man stands at Bay"), a James Miller poem that Harry recited, and which contains a sobering description of the damage an Old Man Kangaroo can inflict.
The work of early newspaper correspondents is drawn upon,with their refreshing honesty. Early life at Noone's Halfway House was delightfully described by an early correspondent.
"After the piece de resistance (salt pork and damper) had been duly discussed, a bonne bouche was presented on a plate in the shape of a slice of "roley poley," on its passage to the Rev. gentleman, the "neat handed Phyllis" held the plate at too acute an angle, and the "duff" found its way to the ground. A scuffle then ensued between pigs, poultry and Phyllis, the latter ultimately triumphing. The eighteen stone attendant having rescued the mangled remains of the duff, lifted up her dress, made a dive for the lower rim of an old woollen petticoat she had on, making a liberal display of slipshod down at heel stockings in so doing, carefully wiped the now appetising morsel with it, dabbed it on the plate once more, and presented it to the astonished guest with the remark, " pudden hasn't lost nothin; wouldn't let pigs beat I."

The dogs rushed in to seize his throat,
He squeezed them out of breath :
And ripping them from stem to stern,
He laid them stiff in death."

Extract from James Miller's "The Squatter's Daughter"

Greg Bloom photo.

Harry Treasure.
"A Life Forged on King's Spur"

The untold story of Alan Sinnott. The details of his ambush and fatal wounding are fleshed out from the 2/24th Battalion War Diary, Peter Stanley's "Tarakan, an Australian Tragedy' and Gavin Long's official history of Aust. In WW2

Tubbarubba zircons

OSBORNE PRIMARY SCHOOL 2655, Schooldays. A look back 75 years to Primary School, to assist reflection on an education world now passed. A booklet put together in the year of Osborne Primary's 150th.
The author attended the then Osborne State School 2655 (Victoria) between 1948 and 1953. These notes look at Osborne of the day, its education, per memories and a little research. Notes are growing as others add experiences.

Some Social Histories, including some 'Not High Country'

Rev 1.1
11 Mar 2023

"WENTWORTH NOTES" provide essential material on the world above Bullumwaal, including an analysis of the battle that doomed Bullumwaal 'post mining' . Story of mining, agriculture, visions, and Camm's Top Place. Location of Camm's 'lower' place. Three hundred pages on an area you may have thought 'wasteland'

Double oven stove, Stirling. Hotel or lodging house?

Osborne Primary, Vic. Grade 5-6, 1953

Above. Adit on the Wentworth.

Below. Specimen from reef east of Dargo shaft bulldozed, inaccessible.