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Herons Reef Historic Gold Diggings - Photo Album - |
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| Central Deborah Gold Mine ... |
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The Central Deborah Gold Mine is an original quartz reef gold mine that was operating commercially from 1939 up until 1954. It is located on Bendigo Flat, along the original course of the Bendigo Creek. This area was first worked for alluvial gold during 1851 and has been mined continuously for 103 years. The first shaft was sunk in this area in 1909 and was then abandoned. The newly formed Central Deborah Gold Mining Company reconditioned, and started extending, this shaft in 1939 and was the last major deep reef gold mine to close on the Bendigo reefs. During its working life the mine yeilded approximately 1 tonne of gold from 60,000 tonnes of ore. It was purchased by the City of Bendigo for $6,000 in 1970 then restored and re-opened to the public in 1972.
The mine has 17 levels under the ground and the main shaft goes down 422m. Tours are run 61m below ground on the second level. Visitors get to wear hard hats and torches and travel down the mine shaft in a large industrial lift capable of carrying 20 passengers. They are shown around the tunnels and see mining equipment and short demonstrations of its use. They also see fools' gold and real gold still in the quartz reef exposed in the tunnel walls.
There are also extensive mining exhibits located above ground. Visitors can see something of what life was like for the miners, see mining machinery, see how the gold was won and even have a go at gold panning.
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© Herons Reef Historic Gold Diggings Please email comments to hrgold@genesis.net.au |