MORE GOLD
(www.northeastvictoria.online)
After the ’easy pickings’ of floodplain alluvial gold started to peter out, sluicing operations began at many places in the North-east, for example at Woolshed Falls, closely followed by dredging operations.
This followed a world-wide trend, as foreboding looking, spread-eagled dredges were used world-wide in glacial river valleys from Colorado to New Zealand.
They were introduced to Victoria at the end of the nineteenth century, after which time, rich flood plains were churned up in the search for gold, with a lasting legacy of land degradation.
Even though there were rigid environmental guidelines, dredges continued to be a land management problem. In many areas the wastelands left behind were turned into plantations of North American conifers.
Despite a ’no new leases’ policy to combat the degradation, some leases continued to run. For example the Tronoh dredge was installed at Harrietville in the early 1940s on an existing lease, and remained in operation for 15 years.
Dredging also occurred at Eldorado (west of Beechworth) where sluicing for gold began in 1900, and continued until 1942. A large floating dredge began operations at Eldorado in 1936, and continued until 1954; it is still an impressive sight today. See the Wangaratta - Beechworth (via Eldorado) Tour for more details.
WANGARATTA to BEECHWORTH (via Eldorado and Woolshed Valley)
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