Alluvial Gold Bonanzas Of The Past - Victoria Australia

[geof_junk]

 

Bonanzas gold finds in Victoria from the 1850s. The following is from ProspectingAustraliaForum

   ...........Link........   

 

 

 

[Aureous]

Methinks someone got Bealiba and Kingower mixed up......

[geof_junk]

Only tried Bealiba about 1981 all I got was a small speck from a white clay heap around a deep hole.

 

The Bealiba area was originally known as Cochranes, after John and James Cochrane, who took up a pastoral run in the area in 1853. The diggings, started in the mid 1850s, were originally known as Cochrane’s Diggings.

 

 

The 'Bealiba' gold nugget, 21.5 ounces, discovered at Bealiba, Victoria 26th June 1957 and believed to be the largest in a private collection in Australia at the time.  

THE BEALIBA RUSH. (1860)

The rush to the Bealiba Flat, which has for the last few days been the topic of conversation, is likely to prove a tremendous rush. Gold was first struck there about three weeks ago, since then the number of miners has been gradually increasing, but it was not until the beginning of last week that anything like a great rush took place. The news of the large number of payable holes that were being bottomed soon got wind, and diggers have since been setting in from all directions. The number of claims yielding gold cannot be less than twenty or thirty. I like the appearance of the gold, it is well waterworn, and has the look of gold from a regular lead. Several of the holes are getting from two to three dwts. to the tub. On Monday morning the lead was again struck some distance from the prospecting claim, in the direction of the racecourse, into which it is expected the lead  will run. On Friday or Saturday a fine nugget of a pound and a half weight was found in the next claim but one to the prospector. A large amount of gold was bought in the town last Saturday, and I am informed by the manager of one of the banks that he bought more gold on that day than on any single day for the last twelve months. One small piece he showed me weighed 17 oz. 9 dwt. M. and D. Advertiser. 

[Aureous]

Not generally known for big nuggets like the previous quote. The 'Bealiba' nugget was found by a guy repairing a  bicycle  chain on the side of the road between Bealiba and Gypsy Flat. Just sitting there.... he dug it out of the dirt with his bare hands. A mad rush ensued but little else was found on the spot.

[mn90403]

Australia’s Gold Rush Ended In The 19th Century. So Why Are People Still Finding So Much Gold? | IFLScience

[blackjack]

We all wish we had a backyard like this

[mn90403]

That's a great video!

 

[Aureous]

True story....my Father rode through Wedderburn during the 'Main street Goldrush' around when this video was taken. It was at dusk and he told me he saw a rough sign at the North end of town warning about 'holes' and took no notice....until he rode his motorbike into one of them! He was stuck in Wedderburn for a few days awaiting repairs on his front wheel. He saw some gold at the local pub, dunno how much. Newspaper reports suggest that over 500oz was won by only 10 claimholders alone!

[blackjack]

1 hour ago, mn90403 said:

That's a great video!

 

 

54 minutes ago, Aureous said:

True story....my Father rode through Wedderburn during the 'Main street Goldrush' around when this video was taken. It was at dusk and he told me he saw a rough sign at the North end of town warning about 'holes' and took no notice....until he rode his motorbike into one of them! He was stuck in Wedderburn for a few days awaiting repairs on his front wheel. He saw some gold at the local pub, dunno how much. Newspaper reports suggest that over 500oz was won by only 10 claimholders alone!

That's great Aureous, people were lifting the floor boards in their houses. The shire president said the gold is better in peoples pockets than in the ground, you can dig up the main street as long as you put the dirt back ! Those were the days !