South of this site, the Canadian and Prince Regent Gullies proved fabulously rich in alluvial gold when they were worked in 1853. At the junction of these leads near the Canadian Creek, (just to the east of Geelong Road) ere the famed 'jeweller's shops', which yielded up to 500 oz (14kg) of bright nuggety gold for every foot (30cm) mined. This was perhaps the richest patch of alluvial gold the world has known. The crudely-sunk blacksmith's hole nearby produced more than a ton of gold from a claim only 24 feet (7.2m) square.
About 1870, when many of the deep lead alluvial mines had been worked out and Ballarat mining was in a depressed state, a new clue was discovered. Where thin bands of dark-coloured slates crossed the quartz veins, the quartz was often unusually rich in gold. By following these lines of slate, miners were able to find these rich spots with a minimum of 'dead' work. Since the slates indicated the direction that mining should proceed, they became known as The Indicator.
The Indicator line ran north-south virtually through this site, and the quartz mines labelled in the photograph were some of the most spectacular examples of the success of adopting this method. The Woah Hawp Canton (Co-operative Association of Canton), for example, was a company of Chinese originally engaged in alluvial mining. They were persuaded to sink for quartz veins, but knew nothing of quartz mining and brought in a compatriot from Bendigo to manage operations. In one shallow vein alone on the Indicator, several patches of solid gold up to 300oz (9.5kg) were found. The shaft was eventually sunk to 1100 feet (335m), with similar finds repeated many times. The Chinese were said to have been able to return to Canton 'to end their days in affluence'.
This is the site of the Speedwell mine which was owned by " Madame Midas ", Alice Cornwall, a very successful mining entrepreneur who was involved in a number of large projects around Ballarat.
This site is part of Ballarat's Gold Trail.
For further information please contact the Visitor Information Centre - 39 Sturt Street - 1800 44 66 33 www.ballarat.com
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