SPECIMEN PARKER REEF MINE AND WORKINGS

5250 MIDLAND HIGHWAY DRY DIGGINGS, HEPBURN SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

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  • History

    SPECIMEN PARKER REEF 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. Parkers Specimen Reef was one of the oldest quartz workings in the Daylesford division. Its main period of mining appears to have spanned the late 1850s to late 1860s:1859 Parker's Specimen Reef, head of Dry Diggings (geological map, No. 1 a, east) Claim No. 1 - said to have produced £3,000 for a length of 80ft. Claim No. 2 - Best on the line, yielded as much as 70 oz. per ton near the surface, and having presented its owners with £10,000 ... tunnel and tramway, and burning kiln. Claim No. 3 - Kiln, tramway to Mr. Wilson's crushing machine on Middletons Creek. Claim is 45ft long and produced £3,000 to £4,000 Parker's Specimen Reef and Sportsman's Reef (probably a continuation of the first 1860 Parkers Specimen Reef ... Mr. Wilson, occupying adjoining claim north, established a sawmill in connection with the engine driving his crushing plant1861 On Parkers, Specimen Reef, the Dry Diggings Company have now made arrangements with a party from Sandy Creek to furnish machinery. Prince Llewellyn Co, Specimen Parker Reef, erecting machinery ... and have purchased Wilson's race, from Wallowbee Creek to Shepherd's Flat, passing through the company's site for machinery, and dam, for the sum of £115. Prince Llewellyn Co ... crushing machine1868 Parkers Specimen Reef Quartz Mining Co. have purchased their plant, consisting of two engine and battery

    Heritage Inventory Description

    SPECIMEN PARKER REEF MINE AND WORKINGS - Heritage Inventory Description

    Specimen Parker Reef - south side of track. Mullock heap - Large intact heap with at least ten dumping lines. The shaft has been filled. Machinery site - to the south, largely obscured by ferns, are the remains of a stone boiler setting and what appears to be a stone chimney stack base. Reef workings - below the mullock heap, running south, are some extensive shallow workings (open cutting, trenching, adits and filled shafts). The workings are very overgrown. Battery site - Directly below the mullock heap is a benched 30ft square platform which has some decaying bedlogs, protruding iron bolts and depression left by decaying of mortar blocks. Most probably was 10-head stamper. Quartz roasting kiln - near the battery site is a small below ground kiln, 7ft wide and about 5ft deep. The kiln has been excavated into bedrock with a stone and mortar front. The kiln's portal has collapsed. Slum pond - in the gully below the battery is a small intact slum pond and remains of large embankment. Water race - a well defined race runs along the spur below the mullock heap and above the battery site. Track - benched track runs along the spur and is linked to several benched house sites, one of which still has a stone fireplace. Specimen Parker Reef - north side of track. Reef workings - line of workings (mainly open cuts, shafts and costean) continue northwards. There is also one collapsed adit with large intact heap. Tracks - at least two levels of benched tracks run along the west side of a gully. Battery - the tracks end at a battery site which has the remains of small loading ramp and adjoining excavated platform with depression left by decayed mortar blocks (5-head of stamps). There is a boiler setting depression on the north side of the battery. Slum pond - below the battery is a small (20 metre wide) intact slum pond./n

    Heritage Inventory Significance: The site has:Scientific significance - range of features associated with quartz miningArchaeological potentialNetwork values - Beehive mine and workings, Parkers Specimen Reef mine and workings, Hunts Dam and raceSIGNIFICANCE RANKING: Regional

    Recorded by: David Bannear

    Heritage Inventory Site Features: South side of track -Mullock heapMachinery siteReef workingsBattery siteQuartz roasting kilnSlum pondWater raceTrackNorth side of track - Reef workingsTracksBattery siteSlum pond

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