Creswick - New Australasian No 2 Gold Mine
New Australasian No 2 Gold Mine is the site of Australia's most tragic underground mining accident. Without warning on 12 December 1882, water began flooding the No 2 drive, trapping 29 miners deep below. As the water rose higher, the miners scratched messages to their families on billycans and sang the hymn 'In the sweet bye and bye'. 22 miners died in the tragedy, leaving behind 17 widows and 67 children.
Deep Lead mining began after the surface (alluvial) gold was exhausted. The Berry Deep Lead, which the mines here tapped, is part of an ancient system of rivers buried by lava from volcanoes.
During nine years of operation, New Australasian yielded about 87,000 ounces of gold - worth about 38 million dollars at 1997 prices.
Closing in 1887, the land was then used by the Forests Branch as a tree nursery for the area. Remains of the hawthorn hedges can still be seen today.
The site has educational signs and a miner's memorial.
Australasian No. 2 Deep Lead Mine Historic Area Visitor Guide
A quiet pensive place, little remains today above ground to indicate the industry, wealth and tragedy that unfolded here at the site of the 'new' No. 2 mine shaft. Miners risked the dangers of injury or death daily and the New Australasian Gold Mining Company, number two shaft disaster claimed the lives of 22 miners remains as Australia's worst gold mining disaster.
Speculation and prosperity
The Australasian Mining Company (sometimes called Australasia Mining Company) began prospecting in 1867 and soon discovered the Australasian Lead. Within twelve months returns were being paid to investors. The lead was rich but this first shaft (Australasia No.1) was abandoned after nearly ten years due to mine shafts flooding.
A new company, the New Australasian Gold Mining Company, was formed in 1878 and a second 'new' shaft (Australasian No.2) was sank 80m down and about 200m away from No1.
Disaster strikes
In the early hours of December 12, 1882 work was progressing in a drive connected to the second shaft. Without warning water began flooding the drive - the miners had accidently broken into abandoned workings full of water.
The miners ran back along the drive towards the shaft, frantically tapping on the air pipes to warn others and trying to beat the black torrent of water rushing behind them. Only five miners could out-race the rising water, and climbed the ladder of the shaft more than 80 metres to the surface to raise the alarm.
The boiler men sprung into action and stoked their boilers to the maximum, as much power was needed now to pump the water out quickly, or the twenty-seven miners below would drown.
Rescue
News of the tragedy spread quickly. Men, women and children flocked to the site. The Creswick Advertiser reported at least two thousand people stood around the shaft and on the mullock heap, anxiously waiting for any news from below.
Divers from the HMS Cerberus at Williamstown were rushed to the site by train only to find their air pipes were far too short. After one of the fastest train journeys on record more air pipes were ferried to the site but to the large crowd's dismay, the diver's suits were too small, and so early rescue hopes were dashed. On the third day, the level of the water was finally low enough for a rescue team to enter the mine.
They found twenty-two of the miners drowned. Some had left messages scratched on their Billy cans to their loved ones above. The five survivors told how they stayed clinging to the sides of a 'jump up' in darkness. The 'bad' air was too low in oxygen to keep candles alight. They had sung hymns to lift each other's spirits, but could not stop their colleagues slipping into unconsciousness and sliding into the dark water.
Laid to rest
The funeral for the 22 lost was the biggest ever seen in Creswick. More than 4,000 people took part in the procession, including 2,000 from the Miners Association. Another 15,000 people lined the road from the New Australasian Mine to the Creswick Cemetery to pay their respects.
Mining in the area
Gold was discovered at Clunes in 1851. Alluvial (surface mining) began immediately - with earnest in the Creswick area. The alluvial gold was exhausted within the first few years.
Some mining terms explained
Shafts (holes dug vertically from the surface to the stream bed) were sunk to depths of up to 200 metres through the basalt.
Drives (tunnels dug horizontally along the underground streams) were then worked by the miners to recover the gold. Drives could be up to 3 kilometres long.
Jump Ups were spaces dug beside the drive like a small cave, so miners could avoid machinery.
Deep Lead Mining
This method began around the 1860's in this area. Volcanic activity in this area had covered many rivers and streams under a thick layer of basalt rock. Using massive equipment and a lot of investment, mining companies would drill down through the basalt to find the gold lead (the buried river of gold). Shafts were sunk once gold bearing reefs were located. Water had to be pumped out continually to allow miners' access to these deep, gold-bearing river beds.
Visiting the Reserve
The winding gear, poppet head and boilers have long gone. The depression of the No.2 shaft can be seen beside the mullock heap. A cairn and oak trees mark the tragic site. There are several kilometres of tunnels beneath you.
Try to imagine the noise of the engines, the shouting of the men, the confusion and panic and anxiety of the miners and two thousand strong crowds waiting over those fateful days.
Location and access
The Mine is reached from route C291. Left turn onto Australasian Road on the north side of Creswick just past the cemetery. Continue on past the Australasia No 1 Mine Historic Area site to the Australasian No.2 D.L.M.H.A carpark.
Location
Australasia Drive, Creswick 3363 View Map
Web Links
→ New Australasia Mine No.2 Accident
→ New Australasian No 2 Mine (Heritage Council Database)
