Branching out - mining on Woodbourne Creek

Recently I had the chance to examine a little more of the goldmining history of the Bamganie/Woodbourne Creek region with a trip to see a mine not too dissimilar to that at Mt Doran which I wrote about previously. Mining in this area dates back to the 1870s, with gold discoveries first at Bamganie in 1874 and then along Woodbourne and Cargerie Creeks in the following year as I have discussed in a previous post. Over the following decades, well into the 20th century, miners came to try their hand at striking gold in the area, working both on the surface (the subject of a my next post) and below ground.
This mine was not only interesting for the tunnel which, like the other mine, ran back into a hillside, but also for the vestiges of the mining process which could be seen scattered around the site. The first object pointed out was a metal boiler lying partway up the slope.

Discarded boiler

Lower down the slope, below both the boiler and the mine, there was also evidence that the creek had been dammed to provide water for various mining processes, whilst up the slope was a brick structure which our guide pointed out was constructed from Hoffman bricks.

Brick structure above the mine entrance

Hoffman brick

The Hoffman Brickworks was a Brunswick-based company established in 1870, which used various innovative brickmaking techniques over the years before finally closing its doors in 2005. These artefacts suggest that the site must have shown some potential and been backed by investors.
The interior of this mine was in many ways similar to that I viewed at Mount Doran and described in this post. It had timber support structures and according to our guide, showed evidence of some engineering skill in its construction.


Tunnel near the entrance

Tunnel with timber supports

To my inexperienced eye however, the composition of the rocks and soil seemed somewhat different and the presence of fine tree roots dangling through from the roof in this mine was also a point of difference.

Tree roots hanging from the roof of the tunnel

Commonly, gold-bearing quartz is found in the presence of iron ore. This was certainly the case across the goldfields of the Moorabool and Leigh Rivers. At the foot of Bungal Dam, not far from the mine I investigated near Mt Doran, commercial quantities of iron were mined during the late 1870s and early 1880s.
Likewise, the land around Bamganie and Woodbourne Creek contains iron. Geological survey maps from the 1860s show areas between Cargerie and Woodbourne Creeks where the soil is composed of  "ferruginous conglomerate containing [an] abundance of rounded quartz pebbles" and "thick beds of ironstone cement & quartz gravel the later containing rounded quartz boulders...where these occur payable gold has been obtained". The maps also indicate that "gold has been found in many places along Reid's [Woodbourne] Creek and in some spots payable". Unlike the gold, the iron ore was presumably not deemed payable however it was clearly present as evidenced by the rusted colour of some of the quartz.

Quartz showing rust stains caused by the presence of iron

A quartz vein showing staining

In addition to the tell-tale rust stains which would alert miners to the presence of iron and the potential for gold, another indicator was the appearance of a black line running through the rock. Such a line can also indicate the presence of iron and therefore gold. I am told that this is a result of the oxidation which can occur where soils of different mineral types come in contact and my research suggests that the black colouration may be haematite, a type of iron oxide.

Black oxide running along the rock face

An example of this was clearly present here (as can be seen in a number of the above pictures) where the line would have dictated the direction of excavation.
At the mouth of another nearby shaft, marks in the rock left by the miners' picks can still be seen as they explored what may have been another promising lead.


Pick marks still visible on the rock surface

A little further away still, the signs of surface prospecting are clearly evident also, but that will be discussed in my next post.

Branching out - Cargerie Creek

Recently I had an opportunity to walk the course of a part of the Barwon River catchment which I had not seen before: Cargerie Creek. This little creek rises outside of Elaine and runs down through local farmland to confluence with the Leigh River on private land almost 3km south west of the Meredith-Mount Mercer Road.


Cargerie Creek

For the first few kilometres, the watercourse is shallow, however it soon becomes quite steep and rocky.

Cargerie Creek looking south from below the Mt Mercer-Meredith Road

Cargerie Creek, further south

This history of this little creek is similar to that of much of the district. Prior to European settlement, the creek flowed through the lands of the Wathaurong people who lived, hunted and gathered their food along its banks. This is attested to in the Journal and proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales (1877-1884) where the presence of indigenous cooking mounds (described in some detail) were noted along the banks of Cargerie and Woodbourne Creeks. Whether any indication of their existence still remains, I do not know.
The arrival of European settlers in the area saw Cargerie Creek incorporated into the large squatting runs which were taken up in the area. I have not been able to determine exact boundaries however the creek itself may well have formed the dividing line between the more northerly run of George F. Read Jnr known as Cargerie and the more southerly Woodbourne No. 2 Run held initially by the Wilson brothers and then by William James Reid.

The track leading down to the confluence of Cargerie Creek and the Leigh River

In the wake of the squatters, selectors moved into the district during the 1870s. It was at this time that much of the land along the west bank of Cargerie Creek was purchased by the Nolan family whose descendants remain on the property to the present day but whose initial purchase appears to have been a small block of land on the banks of the creek several decades earlier in 1839. East of the creek, things were a little slower to get moving, with that land (including the property I grew up on) not selected until the last few decades of the 19th century.
The lower end of Cargerie Creek is similar to the Leigh and Moorabool Rivers in that it runs through a deep channel which I assume would cause the water level to rise quickly in times of flood which is certainly the case for the Leigh a little further downstream.


Looking up the Leigh River near the confluence with Cargerie Creek

Looking down the Leigh River just above the confluence with Cargerie Creek

Below the confluence of creek and river, the channel remains steep and rocky whilst the land around is relatively flat.


The Leigh below Cargerie Creek

Walking beside the river, there are expansive views across the surrounding farmland and the occasional sign of the earlier days of European settlement.


Abandoned hut on the Leigh River below Cargerie Creek

Below the creek, the Leigh meanders first south and then south east to meet Wilsons/Woodbourne Creek several kilometres downstream. Our walk on this occasion, took us almost 3km past Cargerie Creek along the Leigh to a little ford which lead us to the property of our guide for the day (Marg Cooper) on the opposite side of the river.


Ford on the Leigh River

Looking upstream from the ford

Downstream of the ford

Whilst the ford marked the extent of our walk, the conjunction with Wilsons Creek is  further 10km downstream following the watercourse or a distance of less than 7km via the direct route, but that walk will have to wait for another day.