WALHALLA SPUR HISTORIC SITE

WALHALLA HISTORIC AREA WALHALLA, BAW BAW SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • History

    WALHALLA SPUR HISTORIC SITE - History

    The history of the buildings formerly contained on this site is not known. Level ground for housing was at a premium in the tight valley of Stringers Creek and as a consequence housing extended up onto the steep surrounding hills. Small hut sites were benched into the hillsides and connected to the town below and to nearby mines by a network of precipitous tracks,

    The age of the site and its proximity to the Long Tunnel Extended Mine suggests a link to that operation as it rose to prominence in the late] 800s, either as a worker's house or single men 's accommodation. The Long Tunnel Extended GM Co was founded in 1874. After driving an adit,constructing a large winding chamber and sinking a shaft, the company began producing gold in the early 18805. It was the largest gold producer at Walhalla in the 1890s and early 1900s. In 1903, operations were expanded with the installation of tile company's own crushing mill, after decades of crushing at plant owned by the Long Tunnel Company. The Long Tunnel Extended Co ceased operations in 1911 after producing a total of 431 ,399 ounces of gold from 353,907 tons of quartz, and paying £788,640 in dividends.

    Interpretation of Site

    WALHALLA SPUR HISTORIC SITE - Interpretation of Site

    The landing is a large one and may have been the site of a substantial building, or a group of buildings. The spill from the bench excavation appears to have once been retained by a log wall, since rotted out. A cursory search was made for historical photography that may shed light on the previous use. A low resolution image dated cl900 obtained on-line from the National Library of Australia shows two former buildings in the vicinity of this site although the relationship of either to the surveyed site has not been established. Higher resolution versions or further searches through archival photography may reveal more detail or information.

    Archaeological Significance

    WALHALLA SPUR HISTORIC SITE - Archaeological Significance

    The artefacts scattered down the hillside from the landing are domestic in nature and no objects suggestive of industrial use were found. The bottle glass is not early, probably indicative of late 1800s to early 1900s origins. The crockery fragments are almost exclusively highly-glazed and plain white.
    The site is dissimilar to the small benches that characterise hut and house sites on the steep hill slopes of the area. The size of the site and the nature and abundance of the artefacts suggest a boarding house or barracks-style single men's accommodation, or perhaps a larger house with a garden terrace. The absence of any visible building footings (eg stone wall-footings) suggests that the building was constructed on wooden stumps. The age of the artefacts (c I900) and the location of the site may indicate a link with the Long Tunnel Extended Mine.

    Historical Significance

    WALHALLA SPUR HISTORIC SITE - Historical Significance

    The site is of local cultural heritage significance.

    Heritage Inventory Description

    WALHALLA SPUR HISTORIC SITE - Heritage Inventory Description

    The site, 32m long, is situated on a steep forested spur high above and to the west of the old Rotunda in Walhalla township. A track has been bulldozed through the site. The most obvious feature is on the west side and consists of a roughly rectangular bench (approx. 8.5m) cut into the hill, with an open, water-filled shaft (perhaps a well) at its southern end. To the north of the bench is a scatter of broken bricks which may have come from a fireplace/chimney. There is a considerable scatter of artefacts on the ground surface. The batter has a long straight section with an unretained vertical face of earth, and was probably retained by logs which have since rotted out.
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