BERRY CONSOLS NO.2 MINE

402 BEACONSFIELD ROAD LAWRENCE, HEPBURN SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

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  • History

    BERRY CONSOLS NO.2 MINE - History

    Heritage Inventory History of Site: The following history was extracted from The Berry Deep Leads: an historical assessment, CF&L, October 1986, Charles Fahey. The Berry Consols mine was established by five of the more prominent Creswick speculators: John Parkin, John Leishman, Henry Gore, TJ Dibdin and Joseph English. After exploratory bores had been sunk, the shaft site was determined. In April 1882, the directors reported that tenders for 100,000 bricks and a quantity of sawn timber had been called for, and that John Hickman's Union Foundry in Ballarat was constructing a pump. Six months later they reported that: a 40 foot chimney had been erected that the double action winding gear was in a forward state; and that the boilers were being built. By April 1883, Hickman had delivered a pumping engine of 26 inch cylinder and 6 inch stroke; and a 15 inch pump was at work in the shaft. The poppet head had also been completed.Unfortunately for shareholders of the Berry Consols, problems were encountered when attempts were made to sink the shaft. Shaft sinking commenced in late 1882, but at the depth of 247 feet a burst of water was encountered. Work was suspended pending the erection of more powerful machinery. By June 1883 tenders had been let to sink the shaft with cylinders, and by September 1883 five sections of the iron shaft had been fixed in place. In the following year the problem with drift had become so acute that sinking of No. 1 shaft was abandoned. As this had exhausted the company's capital, shares were raised from £1-10-0 to £3-0-0 in July 1884. With this new capital, a new shaft was commenced.By April 1885 the second shaft (No. 2) had reached a depth of 263 feet, and by the following April had bottomed at 403 feet. Work on the new shaft depleted company funds and the price of shares was increased to £5-0-0. By 1887 no gold had been won and over £85,000 had been spent.The fortunes of the company changed in 1888, when 9,766 ounces of gold were won. For the next decade the mine continued to be one of the leading - and often the leading - mine in Creswick. The company produced - from 1888 to 1901 - 319,874 ounces of gold. During this time the company paid out over £350,00 in dividends. Significance After the Madame Berry, the Berry Consols was the most productive mine on the Berry Deep Lead System. Its troubled early history graphically illustrates the technological problems involved in recovering gold from 'hidden rivers' of gold.

    Heritage Inventory Description

    BERRY CONSOLS NO.2 MINE - Heritage Inventory Description

    Mullock - Intact small heap with single dumping line. Pebble - Dump largely intact but currently being quarried. Sand - Large intact pond. Machinery foundations - remains of tank-like bed measuring approximately 60ft x 10ft, standing 8ft. The bed has stepped brickwork at its base and has 2 inch mounting bolts. Two other small brick beds, the largest of which measures 28ft x 41/2ft./n

    Heritage Inventory Significance: The site has: Historical significance - Second largest gold producer on the Creswick field Scientific significance - Size of foundations Social value - mullock heap is a landscape feature Possible archaeological potential Network values - part of the Berry network of significant sites SIGNIFICANCE RANKING: Regional

    Recorded by: J. Harrington & David Bannear Date Recorded: 00SEP1994

    Heritage Inventory Site Features: - mullock heap - pebble - sand - machinery foundations

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