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SURFACE HILL HYDRAULIC GOLD SLUICING PIT
SURFACE HILL ROAD SMYTHESDALE, GOLDEN PLAINS SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Register
1 surface hill hydraulic gold sluicing pit smythesdale cliff face
1 surface hill hydraulic gold sluicing pit smythesdale cliff face
1 surface hill hydraulic gold sluicing pit smythesdale cliff face
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Statement of Significance

The Surface Hill Hydraulic Gold Sluicing Pit consists of a large excavation containing a network of pebble dumps, tail races and drainage adits. Water for sluicing would have been delivered to the site by water races and then directed at the gold bearing deposits. The technology was introduced into Victoria in about 1855. The main period for hydraulic sluicing at Surface Hill was the 1870s.

The Surface Hill Hydraulic Gold Sluicing Pit is of historical, archaeological and scientific importance to the State of Victoria.

The Surface Hill Hydraulic Gold Sluicing Pit is historically and scientifically important as a characteristic and well preserved example of an early form of gold mining. Gold mining sites are of crucial importance for the pivotal role they have played since 1851 in the development of Victoria.

Hydraulic sluicing of alluvial gold deposits is an important key ingredient in an understanding of gold mining technology as it was employed in country where water was plentiful and perennial.

The Surface Hill Hydraulic Gold Sluicing Pit is archaeologically important for its potential to yield artefacts and evidence which will be able to provide significant information about the cultural history of gold mining and the gold seekers themselves.

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    • Permit Exemptions

      SURFACE HILL HYDRAULIC GOLD SLUICING PIT - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

Public contributions

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