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SPECIMEN GULLY FLAGSTONE QUARRY
162 SPECIMEN GULLY ROAD BARKERS CREEK, MOUNT ALEXANDER SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Register
SPECIMEN GULLY FLAGSTONE QUARRY SOHE 2008
SPECIMEN GULLY FLAGSTONE QUARRY SOHE 2008
SPECIMEN GULLY FLAGSTONE QUARRY SOHE 2008
1 specimen gully flagstone quarry barkers creek castlemaine side view
specimen gully flagstone quarry plan
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Statement of Significance

The quarrying of stone, gravel and sand for building and construction purposes was widely carried out on all Victorian goldfields. Some localities become notable for a particular material, such as granite and slate. The first gold discovery in the Mount Alexander district was made by John Worley and Christopher Thomas Peters at Specimen Gully in July 1851. Subsequently, the gully was extensively worked for both alluvial and reef gold. Stone quarrying was undertaken in the gully from the late 1850s, with the original slate flagstone quarry being situated quite close to Worley and Peters' claim. The original quarry was extensively worked for more than 40 years. By 1870, it was by far the largest producer of flagstone in Victoria. The stone obtained was found to be highly suitable for paving and was widely used throughout Victoria and in the streets of Melbourne. The belt of the valuable flagstones was about 23 feet wide, and was worked at intervals for a length of 20 chains (400 metres). At the south end, a fault broke up the rocks, rendering them of little value. At its deepest point, the quarry was sunk to a depth of 220 feet (67 metres). When abandoned at about the turn of the century, the quarry filled with water to within 30 feet of the surface. In its heyday, the quarry was equipped with a 25-horsepower engine, a planing and sawing plant, and a railway siding.

The Specimen Gully Flagstone Quarry is of historical, archaeological and scientific importance to the State of Victoria.

The Specimen Gully Flagstone Quarry is historically important, as one of the State's major nineteenth-century stone quarries.

The Specimen Gully Flagstone Quarry is scientifically important for its illustration of nineteenth century quarrying technology. Despite being partly filled, the quarry remains a fine representative of the State's early stone quarrying industry. The quarry plays a special role in the district, as an early artefact of an industry that continues in the district today.

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    • Permit Exemptions

      SPECIMEN GULLY FLAGSTONE QUARRY - 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
      Revegetation

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