Victoria River Goldfields
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The text & images on these pages are from the book
GHOSTS & GOLD IN THE VICTORIAN HIGH COUNTRY by R. W. Christie © 1993 ISBN No: 0 646 16946 7 They are reproduced on these pages, with some changes in layout, with his kind permission. |
 Signage in The Victoria River Area. Mining in the Australian Alps was always a costly exercise, once a reef had been found it had to be proved. In the initial stages this meant taking a good sized sample of ore, usually by packhorse to the nearest mill for crushing and treatment. If the results proved satisfactory then work would progress on the mine and perhaps capital would be outlaid for the construction of a treatment plant. In most small operations this did not happen. An individual did not have the available capital to set himself up, with either an engine or water wheel to drive a battery and the associated tables with which to treat the concentrates. Instead he continued carting his ore to the nearest battery and paying for its treatment and cartage. To make such a venture profitable, the mine would have had to pay at least one ounce to the ton if the owner was to make reasonable wages and pay his expenses. Even the larger mines with well established plants had numerous problems and overheads had to he continually monitored. Water was an essential part of any mining venture whether large or small. The stone could not be treated without it and water was necessary for the operation of either a steam engine or water wheel. Prior to setting up a plant which was situated away from a creek or stream, miles of water race had to be cut to bring water onto the site. When the plant was established, the races had to be maintained, |
keeping them free of debris. No matter what the season there was always a problem with a race. In winter they often froze over and in summer they dried up leaving the machinery at a standstill. The steam engine in a large operation was doubly expensive as it consumed vast quantities of wood. After several years of work the hills around a large mine would be stripped of timber, just to keep the boilers fired. Teams of wood cutters were employed to keep enough fuel on hand at all times, but even they had trouble finding good hot burning wood. In some areas tramways were specially built to carry wood from outlying areas to the machinery site. All these options however increased the costs and reduced the profitability of the mine.
 The bullock team which generating equipment From Bairnsdale 110 miles to Cassilis. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century the Cassilis Mining Co. was faced by just these problems. They found that the deeper they went into the ground, the more power was required to run the plant-drive the winders and keep the drilling machines operating. Initially their desire for more power was met by an increase in steam power, however this was only a short term solution. If the reliance on steam power was to continue then more boilers and compressors would be needed, this would involve a cost of some £3,500. Also there would be a much greater demand for fuel, which was becoming more and more difficult to acquire. The additional timber required to fire any larger or greater number of boilers meant an increase in the cost of the fuel bill from £400 to £650 per month. At the time the mine was only producing 17dwt ore and crushing one thousand tons per month so the increased costs would soon have forced its closure. |
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