1965 CANADIAN SILVER DOLLAR

Similar angle to:
Smeaton. Remains of former mine. Berry No. 1? Clunes Road.
Date(s) of creation: [Oct. 8, 1983]
2 photographs : gelatin silver ; 12.5 x 8.8 cm. approx.
Reproduction rights owned by the State Library of Victoria
Accession No: H98.251/675
Image No: jc015382

Victorian Heritage Register Statement of Significance

The State's richest deep alluvial gold lead system, known as the Berry Lead System, run north from Creswick, slightly to the west of Smeaton. Mining of lead system took place from early 1870s. The Berry No. 1 mine was floated in 1881 and by the end of 1884, the company's main shaft had been sunk 494 feet. Confronted with large flows of water, the company erected some of the most extensive pumping machinery in the State, including a 70-inch cylinder Cornish engine. The engine was locally manufactured at John Hichman's Union Foundry Ballarat and was capable of lifting 60,000 gallons of water per hour. The engine was housed in a brick engine house. The Berry No.1 mine was not one of the field's major gold producers. In fact it was spectacularly unprofitable: in twenty years its record was 50,000 ounces of gold, dividends of less than ?5,000, and operating costs of ?278,764.

The Berry No.1 Deep Lead Gold Mine is of historical, archaeological and scientific importance to the State of Victoria.

The Berry No.1 Deep Lead Gold Mine is historically and scientifically important as a characteristic example of an important form of gold mining. Gold mining sites are of crucial importance for the pivotal role they have played since 1851 in the development of Victoria. As well as being a significant producer of Victoria's nineteenth century wealth, deep lead mining, with its intensive use of machinery, played an important role in the development of Victorian manufacturing industry. The engine house at the Berry No.1 mine is a crucial reminder of the move by the mining industry from the use of imported Cornish pumping engines to locally produced engines.

Victorian Heritage Register Statement of Significance
The Berry No.1 Deep Lead Gold Mine is scientifically important for its illustration of Cornish pumping technology and building design. The site is archaeologically important for its potential to yield artefacts and evidence which will be able to provide significant information about the technological history of gold mining.

*This photo has no relation with the news mentioned below*

8/8/05
The National

By Yehiura Hriehwazi

The signing of the Hidden Valley gold project memorandum of agreement (MOA) paves the way for Harmony Gold of South Africa to start mine construction at the cost of A$220 million (about K500 million).

Thousands of villagers trekked into Wau to participate in traditional dances and witness the occasion.

The mine would generate K70 million annually in export earnings when it comes on stream in early 2007.

At the ceremony was National Planning Minister Arthur Somare, who presented K100,000 to landowners as part payment of a K500,000 that will act as "seed money" for spin-off business activities.

Mining Minister Sam Akoitai said this was the first PNG mining project where the MOA, mining lease, mining easement agreement, compensation agreement and supplementary arrangements were all signed on the same day - a demonstration of excellent efforts by his staff, the negotiating parties, the provincial administration, the company and landowners.

Mr Briggs told The National the mine would produce 300,000 ounces of gold and 4.5 million ounces of silver annually and employ up to 600 people.

He said Harmony would build a K45km road from Bulolo through the PNG Forest Products pine plantations and through the small-scale Eddie Creek mine to Hidden Valley.

"This will take about three months. When the road is complete, we will bring in machinery using the road and start mine construction. It will take 18 months to complete the mine."

Information made available to The National showed that up to K6m a year will be paid in royalties to landowners and the provincial government with the project's wages bill totalling K12m a year.