SCOTTISH AND CORNISH G.M. CO. NO.1

5130 COLAC-BALLARAT ROAD CAMBRIAN HILL, GOLDEN PLAINS SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

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  • History

    SCOTTISH AND CORNISH G.M. CO. NO.1 - History

    Contextual History:History of Place:
    Heritage Inventory History of Site:
    SCOTTISH AND CORNISH COMPANY, Black Lead, (described as being in the vicinity of Sebastopol) and Scottish Lead (discovered in July 1864), No. 4 or Southern Division.
    09.11.1857: the Scottish and Cornish Company commenced last week but have had some accidents with their pumps.
    1857: work started by a cooperative party
    11.1859: on the west side of Yarrowee Creek, have got some very good wash stuff.
    01.1860: bottom water heavy; machinery unable to keep it baled
    04.1860: bottom water heavy; 25 horsepower steam engine and 12 inch pump are inadequate to cope with the water; breakages in machinery, swamping out and bailing has kept them occupied; likely to need a 50 horsepower steam engine and a 15 inch pump
    11.1860: poor dividends because of the inadequate power of the machinery to cope with the water.
    02.1861: after working out 500 or 600 feet of their claim lost the run of the deep ground and have not yet found it after 3 or 4 months.
    03.1861: have found the gutter which had turned south; having difficulties with water, it may be necessary to purchase larger machinery.
    05.1861: worked has stopped because of a break down in part of their machinery; adequate steam power is required to cope with the water.
    06.1861: after 2 years of ineffectively battling with water are getting more powerful machinery including a double column of 12 inch pumps.
    07.1861: erecting new machinery, the old being insufficient to cope with the water.
    26.08.1861: company formed
    08.1861: erecting 50 horsepower steam engine in order to bale out gutter water, which is the heaviest in this claim than any other known to the mining surveyor.
    09.1861: still erecting their plant and equipment, which promises to equal the best in the country.
    10.1861 : erecting machinery
    11.1861: after being swamped for 6 months are baling water with their new powerful machinery; machinery consists of an excellent 50 horse-power engine which bales water with an 8 foot stroke through a column of pumps 17.5 inches in diameter.
    10.1862: 14 inch cylinder horizontal high pressure steam engine for winding and puddling
    24 inch cylinder horizontal high pressure steam engine for pumping
    12 inch double plunger to 240 feet; 12 inch drawlift for remainder; trucks and cages
    23.05.1863: has finally struck the gutter after 5 years work; approximately £6270 has been expended; the company is organised under Pyke's Act in 64 shares, with a limit of £12,800 or £200 per share.
    07.1863: continuing to operate with vigour but as yet have not produced any results.
    10.1863: yield of 400 ozs.
    02.1864: 3 puddling machines
    03.1864: yield of 764 ozs.
    09.1864: yield of 908 ozs, discovered the Scottish Lead in July.
    06.1864: poor yield of 918 ozs.
    03.1865: water light, being drained by neighbouring claims; drawing pumps to fit shaft up with 2 cages instead of one; to draw water with tanks fitted below cages; erecting new poppet heads
    overhauling machinery; tender accepted for 3 new iron puddling machines; new main shaft started 2000 feet south west of the old shaft, 12 feet by 4 feet, down 18 feet; sufficient room for 2 trucks side by side and on an upper and lower landing
    06.1865: alterations at old shaft completed last April; laying down tramway and draining mine; new shaft down 83 feet in basalt; working with horse whim; water increasing: 15 by 26 gallon barrels of water per hour; 80 foot spars on the ground for poppet heads; to erect machinery
    yield of 748 ozs from 2 months work.
    01.08.1865: new shaft down 91 feet; conditional purchase of 20 inch by 48 inch steam engine for winding; on board "White Star" and shortly expected; no washing for 4 days due to breakage of winding engine spiders, and for 14 days due to a piston rod breaking
    15.08.1865: awaiting new steam engine from England
    No. 1 shaft: puddling machines substantially housed; to assist sludge through a fourth puddling machine before treating it in a buddle; erecting the buddle and sludge machine
    12.09.1865 : machinery arrived per "White Star"
    19.09.1865: machinery for new shaft on the ground; calling tenders for erection of stone foundations; erecting poppet heads 80 feet high, largest yet put up
    26.09.1865: tender of £550 accepted for building in boiler and making stone engine foundations
    09.1865: yield of 1759 ozs 16 dwt; putting down a second shaft.
    03.10.1865: preparing to erect machinery
    12.1865: yield of 930 ozs.
    03.1866: yield of 1233 ozs.
    06.1866: continuing to work the Black Lead section of their claim and the yield seems to be improving; No. 2 shaft struck the second rock at 159 feet and is now down 165 feet.
    09.1866: yield of 1131 ozs.
    12.03.1867: 3 compartment main shaft, 12 feet by 4 feet
    24 inch cylinder horizontal steam engine for pumping and puddling; 20 inch cylinder horizontal steam engine for winding; 15 inch pumps, 30,000 gallons per hour on the short stroke; 3 boilers: 28 feet by 6 feet 6 inches; 3 cast iron puddling machines; to complete framing; trucks, cages, kick up; all machinery of a very substantial character
    14.05.1867 : to purchase a fourth cast iron puddling machine
    11.06.1867: No. 2 shaft: down 315 feet; pumping engine started on 15 March 1866
    26.06.1867: dam, surface pumps and No. 4 puddling machine finished
    26.07.1867: 9922 trucks of washdirt and 833 trucks of mullock raised for the fortnight
    15.08.1867:No. 1 shaft bottomed at 60 feet and sunk to 300 feet
    No. 2 shaft 1600 feet south of old workings; bottomed at 315 feet and sunk to 350 feet; water easing to the point where pumps cannot work even at the shortest stroke; water standage constructed underground; 24 inch cylinder steam engine for pumping and puddling; 20 inch cylinder steam engine for winding; 15 inch pumps; 3 boilers: 28 feet by 6 feet 6 inches; 3 puddling machines of usual character; trucks, cages
    11.1868: No. 1 shaft: inburst of water from old workings
    08.1859 to 04.1869: recorded production of 50,266 ozs (or 1563.484 kg).
    02.1870: plant, machinery and materials on claim leased to the Leviathan Company for the past 3 months, lease to run for another 6 months with an option to purchase at the end of that period
    
    Black Lead, Napoleon Lead, Franklin Lead and Wellington Lead,

    Heritage Inventory Description

    SCOTTISH AND CORNISH G.M. CO. NO.1 - Heritage Inventory Description

    At the Scottish and Cornish No.1 the mullock heap, 6m high and in a very prominent position, is the only relatively intact feature at this site. The end of one of the fingers of mullock has been removed. Beginning from a width of 25m at the northern end, the three intact fingers; 25m by 12m, 80m by 20m and 85m by 20m, radiate in a southerly direction. Gorse covers the area north of the mullock where the shaft is likely to be located. A house is sited adjacent to the east side of the mullock heap.

    Heritage Inventory Significance: Local

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