Research Goes Beyond Google Earth.. Bulldog Diggings

[karelian]

My research starts with mining reports and articles. Internet searches and downloads which all help a lot. At the end of the day I need to get out of my chair, get in the car and have a look. Google earth images only go so far.

A classic example is the Illabrook area in Victoria, Australia. Outside the Golden Triangle, outside of the packaged map books on offer.

The areas has deep lead mines but also shallow alluvial flats, hill tops and gullies. My interest was focused on the Bulldog Diggings Historical Area. I don't always start off by swinging a detector, sometimes the aim is to simply satisfy my curiosity. You read about an area and you just want to walk the ground and have a look. I know from reports that the area produced nuggets measured in the ounces. The ground varied in depth from two to four feet in the shallowest areas. Large areas were surfaced and that miners were making 'fair wages'.. The Bulldog area showed a lot of surface work, heavy dirty quartz was present mixed with other indicators. Since work provided the opportunity to 'take a look' I did. I was not discouraged. Should thank the boss for the extended lunch break whilst he snoozed in the car. Pity he won't let me take my detector to work..  I will return and see what is hiding in those cracks.. Images show surface workings on the hill top and sides running into the gully. Map shows the areas examined and the Google Earth images also cover the relevant ground, the scars in the landscape clearly visible from space.. Those early miners put in a lot of hard work to alter the landscape to this extent. Hope this has been of some interest, I certainly enjoyed my lunch break. All the best.

[karelian]

This area is easy to miss, at 100 kph if you blink you will miss it. The grass is tall and the season warm, so I was careful about snakes. The ground on the hill and sides was best regarded as shallow, even in areas not surfaced. There was signs of wildlife with one Wallaby giving me a suspicious look. Large trees were absent with only a couple exceptions at most.

Too many small areas of interest hidden away, too easy to blink and you miss them. All the best.

[geof_junk]

You might find this link worth reading and what you are up against. Some good history and photos in the article.

.....LINK.....

 

[Valens Legacy]

Very interesting to see some of the obstacles that you guys have down there. Beautiful area in which you live.

Good luck on your hunts and stay safe form the critters.

[karelian]

Be alert but not alarmed! I believe I will be able to prospect with a metal detector for some time. The ability of a metal detector operator to move earth or alter the landscape is somewhat limited. The areas looked at were altered by motivated men who used picks and shovels combined with sluicing. The lust for gold combined with sweat and tears has reshaped the landscape. The Bulldog Diggings are well over a hundred years old. The 'tone' of the report does not target electronic prospectors directly. Through our membership of relevant prospecting clubs and organizations we can hopefully participate in the discussions and have our voices heard and interests protected. I follow the prospecting code and always attempt to leave an area the way I found it, hopefully leaving no trace behind. There is in Victoria enough public land available  for electronic prospecting to keep us all swinging along for some time. Yes, we need to keep informed and make sure our voices are heard.

Interesting to note the mining methods that would be considered environmental vandalism today, the surfaced areas. Are today rightly considered of historical value and worthy of preservation.

 

[klunker]

Mr. karelian

  Because I have never strayed very far from my tiny little corner of the Sierra Nevada mountains posts like yours with photos, history and personal experiences are my favorite in this forum.

 You Aussies might try passing the law that we have here, which is "All poisonous snakes must have an audible warning device attached to their tails".

[Joe D.]

      Cool area and story! The closer pictures look like the surface of Mars! Maybe in a  hundred years, that will be where the next Gold Rush is to be had! 👍👍

[IronDigger]

Wow, I enjoy seeing photos of your outback in Australia...thanks for sharing some of the history with us.

[karelian]

Just a quick video shot using the Ipad whilst walking around  Bulldog Hill. Apart from the wind it was a nice lunch break.

 

https://youtu.be/2iHnRq-sNRY

 

 

[karelian]

Getting better using Google Earth, better images now. In the future, when not on lunch breaks; I'll attempt to use a better camera, incorporate decent video and audio etc. I've traded for a DJI MAVIC AIR, so after a bit of practice I'll hopefully incorporate drone footage in the not too distant future. Proper video editing remains the final challenge.

The image from Google Earth shows the Bulldog area on the top, Golden Hill diggings visible on the open country below the Bulldog Hill, finally the plantation in the bottom left corner. I drove through the plantation and the ground has been worked with machinery to prepare for the trees. So no old working remain visible.  Neat rows of trees with scattered quartz etc under their shaded canopy. Area is worthy of a revisit.. All the best.