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FOREST CREEK TOURIST GOLD MINE
DUKE STREET CASTLEMAINE AND HITCHCOCK STREET CASTLEMAINE, MOUNT ALEXANDER SHIRE

All information on this page is maintained by Heritage Victoria. Click below for their website and contact details.
Victorian Heritage Register
FOREST CREEK TOURIST GOLD MINE SOHE 2008
FOREST CREEK TOURIST GOLD MINE SOHE 2008
FOREST CREEK TOURIST GOLD MINE SOHE 2008
h01322 1 forest creek tourist gold mine castlemaine and chewton road castlemaine engine shed side elevation she project 2003
forest creek tourist gold mine castlemaine and chewton road castlemaine engine shed front elevation she project 2003
forest creek tourist gold mine castlemaine and chewton road castlemaine engine shed close up she project 2003
forest creek tourist gold mine castlemaine chewton road castlemaine rear view of building
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Statement of Significance

The Forest Creek Tourist Gold Mine possesses a complete and functional hydraulic sluicing plant. The machinery, including a 200hp gas engine and gas-producing plant was installed in 1936. The hydraulic sluicing plant operated from 1948-54, and again in 1957. On both occasions, payable gold was obtained from sluicing cemented gravels of an ancient river bed. The mining lease is now held under a Tourist Mine Authority.

The Forest Creek Tourist Gold Mine is of historical, archaeological and scientific importance to the State of Victoria.

The Forest Creek Tourist Gold Mine is historically and scientifically important as a characteristic and well preserved example of a major 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. The Forest Creek Tourist Gold Mine is important because it possesses the oldest functional hydraulic sluicing works in Victoria. The old gold mining machinery, including the Ruston & Hornsby engine and gas-producing plant, are also significant in their own right, as extremely rare industrial artefacts.

The Forest Creek Tourist Gold Mine 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

      FOREST CREEK TOURIST GOLD MINE - 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.

      Specific Exemptions:

      EXEMPTIONS FROM PERMITS:
      (Classes of works or activities which may be undertaken without a permit
      under Part 4 of the Heritage Act 1995)

      No permits are required for the following classes of works provided they are
      carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Conservation Plan For
      Historic Mining Sites prepared by David Bannear in 1996.

      Mineral Exploration
      Fire suppression duties
      Timber production
      Weed and vermin control
      Public safety
      Rehabilitation
      Works covered by existing Tourist Mine Authority and Occupation licences for
      the land.

Public contributions

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