Gold Mining in Gundagai

Gold Rush: The first gold rush hit Gundagai in the early 1860’s, with the second gold rush happening in the 1890’s

Gold Mining and agriculture made Gundagai both prosperous and a centre for bushranging, which is immortalised through poems and songs such as Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox, and Along the Road to Gundagai that has gave the town a romantic bush appeal.

1860’s - The First Gold Boom: As early as 1858 the town was thrown into fever of excitement by the reported discovery of gold. There had been various other discoveries of the yellow metal during the 1850s but nothing major eventuated from any of these finds. But in May 1861 two shafts were sunk at Spring Flat, just near the present North Gundagai Cemetery.

Gold had been discovered by Gaspard Billardi, an Italian. Billardi was one of a party of miners who were making their way from Lambing Flat, near Young, to the Kiandra Goldfields. On reaching Gundagai they found themselves stranded on the northern side of the flooded Murrumbidgee River. During their enforced stay, they decided to prospect the gullies surrounding the town, believing the hills to be yielding gold. In June, an area of Gundagai was declared when Dr Lynch, the Goldfields Commission, visited the town and fixed the boundaries of the prospector’s claims. Billardi promptly hoisted an Italian Flag which floated conspicuously over his claim.

A rush set in immediately. The population swelled from some six hundred to five thousand over the following 12 months. An eleven ounce nugget was taken from Billardis Claim. Two Victorian miners were supposed to have discovered a reef on the very crown of Mount Parnassus. This hill today bears evidence of the intense mining that took place during those few years.

A lull followed until 1864, when a new rush developed with a fresh influx of population from Lambing Flat. Building sprang up everywhere and before another year was out, Gundagai was a booming town. At Spring Flat a settlement of tents mushroomed, pitched close by the mounds of earth which grew daily as eager miners worked furiously, lifting rock and soil out of the hundreds of holes from which came gold.

During the years of gold population at Spring Flat countless nuggets were found, varying in weight from one or two ounces to forty or fifty ounces, but the largest ever found in the area was the sixty six ounce nugget picked up in July 1861. The Spring Flat mines boomed for about eight years.

There was little mining activity in the Gundagai District from the time the Spring Flat boom died at the end of the 1860s.

 1890’s - A second Gold Boom

With the passing of the Mining on Private Property Act, under which miners could lease a greater area of land than had previously been possible under their Miner’s Right title, a number of mines sprang into existence near Gundagai.

In October 1894, a reef had been opened by George Rice on the Kimo property then owned by James Robinson. Robinson and Rice were partners in this mine, which was originally known as the Long Flat Mine, then as the Long Tunnel Mine. This mine was about seven miles from Gundagai on the Nangus Road, three miles from the Kimo Homestead

George Rice was experienced in mining operations and knew that traces of gold has been found at Kimo Station even before Spring Flat discoveries. After examining many rocky crevices and fining more colours, Rice was confident that gold could be found. Finally, on digging near an old shaft, he discovered the gold for which he had been searching. The first crushing yielded 16 ounces to the ton.

Very little work was done on the Long Flat Mine over the next twelve months as Rice and Robinson concentrated on trying to locate a property defined line of reef. With this in view a new shaft was sunk to a depth of 70 feet. On the 22nd and 23rd of July 1897 they discovered specimens with a total weight of 60 lbs, which yielded 203 ounces of smelted gold.

Towards the end of 1897 a tunned was driven through the hill below the shafts at about the 180 foot level to allow better access to the reef. This tunnel, which was about 400 yards long, gave the mine its new name of Long Tunnel Mine. At this time ten men were employed on each strip.

There was now proof of the existence of a large body of gold-bearing country carrying the same quality of stone throughout. The tunnel stone eventually proved to be the richest yet found of the lease. During Rice and Robinson’s ownership of the claim, some very rich patches were discovered. One of these, found at a depth of one hundred feet, yielded – at the price then paid – about 4 00 pound worth of gold. The reef was worked for about a quarter of a mile and patches of rich gold were discovered at intervals of about three or four chains. After the owners had shared them some 20 000 pound, which was the value of gold won during their joint possession of the claim, the mine was closed down for about ten years, as it was felt that the remaining gold was not worth the cost of extraction.

In 1910 a syndicate of five local men, George Rice, J M Dodd, Arthur Elworthy, D Kenny, E E Weekes, recommended operations on the reef. George Rice afterwards sold his share to James Robinson.

The Prince of Wales mine at Reno was another well-known operation. This mine was discovered by Edward Battye in 1894. The Prince of Wales Mine became the biggest and best known mine in the Gundagai area and was big impetus to the sudden burst of population at Reno. Gold won from this mine was valued at 86, 786 pounds for the period 1897-1901. A rough census taken at Reno and surroundings in 1899 showed its population to be around 700, or roughly half that of Gundagai itself.

These mines are located on private property and cannot be accessed by the public. The nearest prospecting is Adelong, most commonly at the Adelong Gold Mine Ruins.