Gold Mining in Byron Bay Area May 2015 Gold Mining Gold discovered March 1870 Richmond River mouthbeaches ID: 627657
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BYRON BAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Gold Mining in Byron Bay Area
May 2015Slide2
Gold MiningGold discovered March 1870 - Richmond River mouth/beachesFine alluvial gold (flour-salt size) in black sand, one ounce/dayThen at Seven Mile and Tallow Beach by September 1870Main Beach later, all coast proclaimed a “Gold Field” Mined beach slicks and strands, old strand lines and leads“Black sanders” generally worked in groups of threeAll collected and transported sand to treatment siteOne shovelled black sand into hopper at top of sluice
One pumped water to wash sand over mercury-coated copper plates and down sluiceOne shovelled treated black sand away Hard, monotonous, unrelenting, physical workSlide3
Gold Mining
Black sand slicks on active strand line – Tallow Beach. (Photo – Main)Slide4
Gold Mining
Thick black sand “lead” – Seven Mile Beach. (Photo – Main)Slide5
Gold Mining
Horses carrying black sand to treatment site - 1935. (Photo – Morley)Slide6
Gold Mining
Three man team (The Danes) sluicing black sand – Seven Mile Beach 1935. (Photo – Morley)Slide7
Gold MiningMercury-gold amalgam (putty-like) scraped off copper platesPlaced in potato or pumpkin, retorted/roasted on a shovel in fireGold remained as grains or “button” on shovel, mercury vapour captured as droplets in charcoaled vegetable, recovered, re-used Richer workings depleted quickly; most miners gone before 1890Known as the “poor mans diggings” as everyone found some gold but no one made a fortune, no big operatorsGood earnings were half to one ounce per man per weekTotal production unknown – estimate 20-30,000 ounces In hard times (1930’s Depression) miners returned Ironically the discarded black sand worth more than goldSlide8
Gold MiningFine alluvial gold recovered after retorting. (Photo Main)Slide9
Gold MiningGOLDEN BEACHES OF BYRON BAY I dreamt of gold - how I craved it In the rivers of this new land On Byron’s beaches I found it Grains shining there in the sand
I panned the gold - how I saved it Sluiced tonnes of black sand ev’ry day Disease or hunger I fought it For an ounce a week was good pay
Gone is the gold - how I spent it
Years working myself like a slave
Gold grips my heart how I hate it
Alone at the edge of my grave.
Main – 2015.