BEEHIVE MINE AND WORKINGS

DRY DIGGINGS TRACK DRY DIGGINGS, HEPBURN SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

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  • History

    BEEHIVE MINE AND WORKINGS - History

    Heritage Inventory History of Site: Alluvial mining in the headwaters of Middletons Creek (known as the Dry Diggings) during the late 1850s led to several shallow quartz reefs - including Beehive, Sportsman, and Parkers Specimen - being opened up. Several shafts sunk on these reefs found extremely rich gold down to 100 feet. Mining beyond this depth proved to be unprofitable. Beehive Reef was being worked by Thomas and Company in 1860. This company did not erect its own crushing mill, but were carting ore to Mr. Wilson's machine on Middletons Creek. The only relatively large scale attempt at mining Beehive Reef was undertaken during the early 1900s. In 1906. the Mikado Company, installed a steam-powered winding winch and erected a poppet head over an old shaft. This shaft was de-watered and cleaned out to 150 feet. The company could not mine profitably; and in 1909, the Beehive Company took over the lease and erected a crushing battery. This company were equally unsuccessful.

    Heritage Inventory Description

    BEEHIVE MINE AND WORKINGS - Heritage Inventory Description

    Shallow workings - North side of Beehive Gully is an open shaft, intact mullock paddock and a shallow open cut. The ground either side of the open cut has been deeply surfaced.Mining machinery site - On opposite side of the gully is a large intact mullock heap with three dumping lines. Associated with the heap is a benched platform which has a filled (partly subsided) shaft, traces of decayed bedlogs and a spread of red bricks. Near the heap is a partly filled stope.Battery - 50 metres to the south of the mine is a benched platform (36ft x 30ft) which contains a collapsed wooden battery framework, set of standing wooden horses or pedestals (wooden engine mounting bed), and a partly demolished stone boiler setting. The wooden horses are each 13ft long and stand 3ft. The surviving wall of the stone boiler setting is 30ft long and 2ft thick. Tailings dump - Partly quarried dump in the gully below the battery site.Hut sites - To the east of the battery, on a small flat, are the remains of at least three stone fireplaces.Beehive Gully adit - north side of Beehive Gully [7723-3-1: 472.692]Adit - Open adit with large intact dump with three 50 metre long dumping lines. The adit connects to an air shaft.Hut site - To the west of the adit, on a low spur is a stone fireplace-hut platform, open shaft and intact mullock paddock. Alluvial workings - Beehive Gully has been deeply sluiced.

    Heritage Inventory Significance: The site has:Scientific significance - range of features, including some wooden framework and relatively well preserved boiler setting. Archaeological potential.Network values - Beehive mine and workings, Parkers Specimen Reef mine and workings, Hunts Dam and race.SIGNIFICANCE RANKING: Regional

    Recorded by: David Bannear

    Heritage Inventory Site Features: Shallow workingsMining machinery siteBattery siteTailings dumpHut sitesBeehive Gully aditHut site (west of the adit)Alluvial workings

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  • BEEHIVE MINE AND WORKINGS

    

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  • SPECIMEN PARKER REEF MINE AND WORKINGS

    

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  • HUNTS DAM AND RACE

    

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