WONDERFUL REEF MINE

OFF MIDLAND HIGHWAY HEPBURN, HEPBURN SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

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  • History

    WONDERFUL REEF MINE - History

    Heritage Inventory History of Site: The reef running along Wonderful Creek was brief worked with considerable success during the mid 1860s. Daylesford's mining register lists the Wonderful Reef Company as one of the main gold producers during 1864-1865. In March 1867 the company was engaged in sinking a pumping and winding shaft, and reported contemplating adding an additional 12-head of stampers to their crushing mill. The company was defunct by 1872, when a new company (bearing the old name) were re-fitting the plant. The re-formed company was short-lived. During the 1880s, Wonderful Reef was being worked by at least two companies; namely, the Morning Light Quartz Mining Company, who erected a 8-head battery; and the Electric Light Quartz Mining Company, who cut a tunnel in some 289 feet from the creek in the hope of intersecting the reef. The reef's last major mining venture was floated in 1889 when the Wonderful Quartz Mining Company was reported issuing 24,000 shares, with the intention of using the capital raised to fix powerful machinery at the mine.

    Heritage Inventory Description

    WONDERFUL REEF MINE - Heritage Inventory Description

    Mullock heap - Large intact mullock heap with two main dumping lines. The shaft has been filled. Machinery site - To the west of the shaft is an excavated platform that is overgrown by thick ferns. On the platform are the remains of a 24ft long boiler setting, some stone engine mounting beds and a scatter of red bricks. The foundations are partly buried and covered by ferns (could not be measured).Battery site - To the south of the mining machinery foundations is another overgrown platform which is associated with a small dam or battery tank. Water dam - A water race runs upstream from the battery tank to a large dry damWonderful Reef workings. Whim platforms - Shallow reef workings run along the west side of Welshmans Reef Gully, either side of mine site. Along the line of workings are at least three well defined whim platforms (all approximately 36ft in diameter and associated with shafts and intact small mullock heaps). Two of the whims are south of the large mullock heap; the other lies to the north. Near the northern whim platform is another large dry water dam./n

    Heritage Inventory Significance: The site has:Scientific significance - well preserved line of quartz reef workings with an range of different features including open cuts, adits, benched tracks, hut site, mining foundations and whim platforms. Archaeological potentialNetwork values - Eureka Reef, Wonderful Reef mine and workings, Perrins Reef workingsù, Fern Hill Lead mineNatural values - Wonderful Reef workings have an evocative abandoned look, with little disturbance.SIGNIFICANCE RANKING: Regional

    Recorded by: David Bannear

    Heritage Inventory Site Features: Mullock heapMachinery siteBattery siteWater dam Whim platforms

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