The Central Deborah Gold Mine is a non-active gold mine and tourist attraction in Bendigo, Australia. It was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register on 18 November 1999. [1]
The mine was opened in 1939 by the Central Deborah Gold Mining Company during a 1930s revival of the gold industry, extending an existing 108 ft shaft from many years earlier with new machinery. It was one of the last mines to open on the Bendigo goldfields and one of the few to stay open during World War II. It was expanded during 1945–46, with extensions and new machinery. It reached its maximum depth (now recorded as 412m) during the 1940s. It closed in November 1954, having produced 29,865 ounces of gold in its lifetime; the closure of the North Deborah Mine two weeks later marked the last mine in Bendigo to close. [2] [3] [1] [4] [5]
It was reopened in 1986 as a tourist attraction for underground tours, with its shaft being widened to allow for larger lifts. [3] [2] It was preserved and restored by a local heritage organisation, the Bendigo Trust, which also restored the city's tramways. It still retains its original buildings and much of its fittings and mining machinery. [1] [6]
The Violet Street tram stop of the Bendigo Tramways route connects the mine to Lake Weeroona, the Bendigo Joss House Temple and other local tourist attractions, with the route's western end terminating at the mine. [7]
Bendigo is a city in Victoria, Australia, located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) north-west of Melbourne, the state capital.
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia, approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. It led to a period of extreme prosperity for the Australian colony, and an influx of population growth and financial capital for Melbourne, which was dubbed "Marvellous Melbourne" as a result of the procurement of wealth.
Stawell, is an Australian town in the Wimmera region of Victoria 237 kilometres (147 mi) west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne. Located within the Shire of Northern Grampians local government area, it is a seat of local government for the shire and its main administrative centre. At the 2021 census, Stawell had a population of 6,220.
Sovereign Hill is an open-air museum in Golden Point, a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Sovereign Hill depicts Ballarat's first ten years after the discovery of gold there in 1851. It was officially opened on 29 November 1970 and has become a nationally acclaimed tourist attraction. It is one of Victoria's most popular attractions and Ballarat's most famous.
Maldon is a town in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of Mount Alexander local government area. It has been designated "Australia's first notable town" and is notable for its 19th-century appearance, maintained since gold-rush days. At the 2016 census, Maldon had a population of 1,513.
Walhalla is a town in Victoria, Australia, founded as a gold-mining community in late 1862, and at its peak, home to around 4,000 residents. As of 2016, the town has a population of 35 permanent residents, though it has a large proportion of houses owned as holiday properties. It attracts large numbers of tourists and is a major focus of the regional tourism industry. The town's name is taken from an early gold mine in the area, named for the German hall of fame, the Walhalla temple.
Gwalia is a former gold-mining town located 233 kilometres (145 mi) north of Kalgoorlie and 828 kilometres (514 mi) east of Perth in Western Australia's Great Victoria Desert. Today, Gwalia is essentially a ghost town, having been largely deserted since the main source of employment, the Sons of Gwalia gold mine, closed in 1963. Just 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north is the town of Leonora, which remains the hub for the area's mining and pastoral industries.
The Walhalla railway line was a 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge railway located in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The line ran from Moe to the former gold-mining town and popular tourist destination of Walhalla. Construction began in 1904. The line closed in sections from 1944 to 1954.
Quartz reef mining is a type of gold mining in "reefs" (veins) of quartz. Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the earth's crust, and most quartz veins do not carry gold, but those that have gold are avidly hunted by prospectors. In the shallow, oxidized zones of quartz reef deposits, the gold occurs in its metallic state, and is easily recovered with simple equipment. Quartz reef mining played an important role in 19th century gold-mining districts such as Bendigo, Victoria in Australia, Central Otago in New Zealand, and the California mother lode.
The Shire of Huntly was a local government area immediately to the northeast of the regional city of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of 878 square kilometres (339.0 sq mi), and existed from 1866 until 1994.
Moolort is a locality in central Victoria, Australia approximately halfway between the major rural cities of Ballarat and Bendigo.
Trams in Bendigo have operated since 1890. They ceased to operate as a means of public transport in 1972 but part of the main network continues to operate today as a tourist attraction. Limited trials have also been made in 2009 with operating commuter service, but with minimal usage by the public.
Warrandyte State Park is a state park, located in Warrandyte, east of Melbourne, Victoria on the banks of the Yarra River and surroundings. The park comprises 586 hectares of remnant bushland in various locations throughout Warrandyte and Wonga Park around Pound Bend, Fourth Hill, Black Flat, Yarra Brae and various other locations in the area. It hosts many significant geographical, environmental, archaeological and historical sites, such as the site of the first gold discovery in Victoria in 1851 and preserves the sites of former gold mines and tunnels. It is a popular destination for school and community groups and is frequented by local bush walkers and hikers.
The Goldfields region of Victoria is a region commonly used but typically defined in both historical geography and tourism geography. The region is also known as the Victorian Golden Triangle.
Violet Street is the first tram stop in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, on the Vintage "Talking" Tram network, which is operated by Bendigo Tramways, under the supervision of The Bendigo Trust.
Charing Cross is the second tram stop in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, on the Vintage 'Talking' Tram network which is operated by Bendigo Tramways, under the supervision of The Bendigo Trust.
Great Northern Mine is a heritage-listed mine off Jacks Road, Herberton, Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1880 to 1940s. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
The Bendigo Goldfields region of Central Otago is an historic area comprising several former mining settlements in the southern South Island of New Zealand. It was part of the Otago Gold Rush that occurred during the 1860s, leading to an influx of miners from rushes in California and Victoria, Australia. These miners brought with them a rich diversity of cultures from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Sweden, China, Australia, Canada, and the United States. The area was named after the goldfield by the same name in Victoria.