Gold Mining in Reedy Creek

Alluvial gold was found along Reedy Creek in 1858 and alluvial mining peaked in 1864 when there was a large rush to a tributary called Nuggetty Gully. About 400 miners were said to have attended this rush. After the initial frenzy of the rush, alluvial miners settled along the creek constructing a number of water races to facilitate banks sluicing.

The alluvial mining population along Reedy Creek dramatically increased in 1866 when some 300 Chinese miners arrived, rising to 450 by the end of year. The Chinese miners erected stores and many huts. By 1868, most of the Chinese miners had deserted Reedy Creek, those that stayed were reported working for European puddling machine owners.

The Reedy Creek field experienced a revival during the late 1870s when prospectors proved a payable resource in the defunct Doyles Reef mine. The erection of a crushing battery at the mine led to other abandoned mines in the vicinity being taken up. By 1881 the field had six batteries and the larger mines were reported as being well-capitalised and fully equipped with rock drills, pumping and winding gear, etc. Average yields from the Reedy Creek reefs in 1881 were from 1oz to 10 ounces per ton.

The three principal Reedy Creek mines on the field during the 1880s were the Langridge, Crown, and Doyle’s. Doyle’s had the deepest shaft, down 610ft by 1884. By 1888, these three claims had worked out their shallow ground and needed to prove deeper ground, and the mining registrar suggested that the companies would do better to amalgamate and sink one main shaft, as the three lines of reef were only about 400ft apart. ‘At present,’ he wrote, ‘there are nine enginedrivers, three legal managers, and three mining managers, besides firewood for three engines required.’ Amalgamation took place soon after, and Langridge & Doyle’s United GMC was formed.
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Further attempts to develop the Reedy Creek reefs did not bear fruit after 1890.