Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it. It was literally just filmed this afternoon when my wife asked if we should film that mine, it's a pretty amazing working.
It is truly amazing how much work was done with picks shovels, hand drills, blasting etc. It must have produced a shit load of gold back in the day. Thanks for the adventure, cheers Andy PPA 👍
Grew up in this area, our house backing onto the workings. From memory, the house was on the site of one of the deeper shafts, where the engineering and machine shops would have stood. Digging in the back yard, you'd unearth relics, including large amounts of metal turnings, graphite foundry pots etc. As kids, growing up in the 70s, we spent a lot of time exploring the underground workings. In the late 70s, early 80s combed a lot of those slopes and gullies with a Garrett Deepseeker detector. Found many interesting things and some very pretty gold.
That's a brilliant way to grow up mate, would have been a fantastic back yard to play in. I'd imagine you would have found some great stuff detecting in there in those days. I started with a Garrett Groundhog ;-)
@billingmetals Definitely. Our house was in Clissold St, just above the creek. Dad extended the house and found a small amount of gold when he was digging the footings. Footings were deep as there was a lot of mullock. As kids, we'd dig dugouts on the top of the taller mullock heaps and defend them like forts. You'd throw chunks of mullock at others and they'd explode in a cloud of white dust. Good times. Still got the Deepseeker. It's heavy and old tech but very nostalgic. Can still find things with it.
Thanks for the comment, it is indeed, I don't think a lot of people in Ballarat realise how lucky they are having places like this right in the middle of the city.
My grandparents lived in Hummfray street Toby, and when we would visit from Pakenham, I used to go for walks up to that mine. Never had the guts to venture down one of those tunnels though. Great part of the world
I lived in Mount Burnett near Cockatoo and visited from there til we moved to Berringa, we travelled the same route! Some of them are not that safe so it was a good decision to stay out, they are mighty cool though ;-)
Thanks for the comment. It would have been great to see it then, a lot more would have been open and in much better condition in those days. There is at least one more longer adit open near the creek I've not found yet apparently, more exploring to do!
Yes I believe that it was a contender for it in the early planning stages. It would have been the Black Hill Historical park, not quite the same ring to it I don't think ;-) I'd imagine it was the steepness of the Black Hill site that made them choose it's current location.
@@lindsaybrown7357 True, it was much more open and less houses back then too, actually I think a lot of the houses up the North side have been built since those days so it would have been a decent area.
@billingmetals When we lived there, it was very wild and overgrown with a lot of blackberry and gorse. At some point, the council brought in bulldozers and cleared a lot on the western side, including the construction of an access track at the back of our place. After the clearing work which also levelled a lot of heaps, a lot of interesting ground was uncovered. An older chap who lived up in Nicholson St, did very well with his Whites Detector. I recall him telling me, he'd unearthed a lot of specimen gold which he was selling to American collectors. Made enough to buy a new Holden. I found a few pieces, but not much. The small pieces have a crystal shape. Definitely of some geometric form.
@@lindsaybrown7357 It would have been good to see before the council wrecked a lot of the history there. Sounds like it would have been amazing detecting! There is a lot of crystal gold around Ballarat and the whole greater district too, can you just imagine what sort of specimens the old time reef miners must have seen!
That area looks eerily similar to the mining area in the pines behind the Woady Yaloak camping area. You will know which one i mean . Have a safe new year Toby . Cheers . FOZ
the last time I was there there was some old foundations near the creek on the right of the foundations there was a tunnel about 50 meters deep straight into the hill it had an exit on the other end as i said the last time i was there it had a steel gate on the front of the tunnel there used to be plenty of tunnels and shafts to explore on the right of the foundations up on a shelf was another tunnel with a big round slab in front good to camp in which we did
@@billingmetals. these tunnels were on the south side of black hill by what you are saying about the small tunnel this was our short cut from one valley to the other on top of the open cut was a shaft we tried to explore but every time we did it was full of water as i said there was plenty of shafts and tunnels to explore at black hill and in the pine plantation out at Sebastopol where there was dozens more we used to climb down and hide in, some we couldnt because they were too deep
@@dennismarek3167 They must be the same ones then, a lot of it has been degraded and filled in over the past couple of decades, the bike track people have changed it a fair bit too recently.
Good on you Toby. Another great video. Thank you.
Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it. It was literally just filmed this afternoon when my wife asked if we should film that mine, it's a pretty amazing working.
It is truly amazing how much work was done with picks shovels, hand drills, blasting etc. It must have produced a shit load of gold back in the day. Thanks for the adventure, cheers Andy PPA 👍
It really is incredible isn't it, they worked so incredibly hard all their lives the old time miners!
Grew up in this area, our house backing onto the workings.
From memory, the house was on the site of one of the deeper shafts, where the engineering and machine shops would have stood.
Digging in the back yard, you'd unearth relics, including large amounts of metal turnings, graphite foundry pots etc.
As kids, growing up in the 70s, we spent a lot of time exploring the underground workings.
In the late 70s, early 80s combed a lot of those slopes and gullies with a Garrett Deepseeker detector. Found many interesting things and some very pretty gold.
That's a brilliant way to grow up mate, would have been a fantastic back yard to play in.
I'd imagine you would have found some great stuff detecting in there in those days. I started with a Garrett Groundhog ;-)
@billingmetals
Definitely.
Our house was in Clissold St, just above the creek.
Dad extended the house and found a small amount of gold when he was digging the footings. Footings were deep as there was a lot of mullock.
As kids, we'd dig dugouts on the top of the taller mullock heaps and defend them like forts.
You'd throw chunks of mullock at others and they'd explode in a cloud of white dust. Good times.
Still got the Deepseeker.
It's heavy and old tech but very nostalgic. Can still find things with it.
@@lindsaybrown7357 Amazing memories mate. My kids love playing in the old diggings here at home, so much better for them than computer games!
@billingmetals
Totally agree, let them grow up and play in the bush before more of it gets locked away.
@@lindsaybrown7357 Indeed, mine are wild country kids but very careful and responsible mature kids, it make a big difference growing up like that.
Nice one. Always had a soft spot for Ballarat and it’s history. The Eureka flag sticker is always on my car some place .👍❤️✌️
It's a great part of the world with an incredible history. Thanks for the comment, I'll be doing a few more video's soon from Ballarat ;-)
Wow what a beautiful place
Thanks for the comment, it is indeed, I don't think a lot of people in Ballarat realise how lucky they are having places like this right in the middle of the city.
great work mate
Thanks mate, it was a fun video to make, great part of Ballarat it is.
Great upload indeed NSW here remote rural opal miner.
Thanks mate, it was fun to make too. I'd love to get out to the NSW opal fields in the near future, there is an adventure waiting there soon ;-)
My grandparents lived in Hummfray street Toby, and when we would visit from Pakenham, I used to go for walks up to that mine. Never had the guts to venture down one of those tunnels though. Great part of the world
I lived in Mount Burnett near Cockatoo and visited from there til we moved to Berringa, we travelled the same route!
Some of them are not that safe so it was a good decision to stay out, they are mighty cool though ;-)
Epic! Subscribed!
Thanks mate, I just had a look at your channel, love it and I've subscribed to you as well ;-)
When we were kids in the 50sand 60s we used to go through all the old mines at black Hill with torches and candles
Thanks for the comment. It would have been great to see it then, a lot more would have been open and in much better condition in those days. There is at least one more longer adit open near the creek I've not found yet apparently, more exploring to do!
As an interesting aside, I seem to recall the Blackhill workings were considered as a site for the Sovereign Hill historical park.
Yes I believe that it was a contender for it in the early planning stages. It would have been the Black Hill Historical park, not quite the same ring to it I don't think ;-) I'd imagine it was the steepness of the Black Hill site that made them choose it's current location.
@billingmetals
Yes, would have entailed a different design but maybe they could have incorporated the BlackHill flat and Yarrawee creek.
@@lindsaybrown7357 True, it was much more open and less houses back then too, actually I think a lot of the houses up the North side have been built since those days so it would have been a decent area.
@billingmetals
When we lived there, it was very wild and overgrown with a lot of blackberry and gorse.
At some point, the council brought in bulldozers and cleared a lot on the western side, including the construction of an access track at the back of our place.
After the clearing work which also levelled a lot of heaps, a lot of interesting ground was uncovered.
An older chap who lived up in Nicholson St, did very well with his Whites Detector.
I recall him telling me, he'd unearthed a lot of specimen gold which he was selling to American collectors.
Made enough to buy a new Holden.
I found a few pieces, but not much.
The small pieces have a crystal shape. Definitely of some geometric form.
@@lindsaybrown7357 It would have been good to see before the council wrecked a lot of the history there. Sounds like it would have been amazing detecting!
There is a lot of crystal gold around Ballarat and the whole greater district too, can you just imagine what sort of specimens the old time reef miners must have seen!
Amazing what the ole boys did.
There are surfacings in NSW where the ground was up to 8 mtrs deep and many acres have been removed by wheelbarrow.
It really is mindblowing what they could do! Grit and determination mixed with a strong desire to not starve can do amazing things.
@@billingmetals haha no doubt, and alcohol or opium helped dull the pain & strain.
@@adzoutnabout888 Very much so, the amount of grog bottles buried out in the goldfields is amazing!
That area looks eerily similar to the mining area in the pines behind the Woady Yaloak camping area. You will know which one i mean . Have a safe new year Toby . Cheers . FOZ
the last time I was there there was some old foundations near the creek on the right of the foundations there was a tunnel about 50 meters deep straight into the hill it had an exit on the other end as i said the last time i was there it had a steel gate on the front of the tunnel there used to be plenty of tunnels and shafts to explore on the right of the foundations up on a shelf was another tunnel with a big round slab in front good to camp in which we did
What side of the hill was that? This is the South side, many of them seem to have been filled over the years sadly.
@@billingmetals. these tunnels were on the south side of black hill by what you are saying about the small tunnel this was our short cut from one valley to the other on top of the open cut was a shaft we tried to explore but every time we did it was full of water as i said there was plenty of shafts and tunnels to explore at black hill and in the pine plantation out at Sebastopol where there was dozens more we used to climb down and hide in, some we couldnt because they were too deep
@@dennismarek3167 They must be the same ones then, a lot of it has been degraded and filled in over the past couple of decades, the bike track people have changed it a fair bit too recently.
That's a very impressive hole in the ground considering it was all done with boom sticks and shovels
What kind of westie leaves cans of aerosol and tissues in a tunnel like this! ruins the beauty and historical significance to the area!!
Yeh it's disappointing isn't it! There are, sadly, a lot of them hence why we don't generally give away locations.
@@billingmetals I live in the area and im gonna go there and investigate come back in a month or so yourself
youtube.com/@dagoldguy?si=cfJAyMrW7Ykhsf9J
Nice work mate, very different over there, I'll get over to the US one of these days ;-)