Hargraves goldfield

In July 1851 an Aboriginal stockman in the employ of Dr Kerr found a large mass of gold and quartz, weighing about 136kg and containing a hundred weight of gold (50.8kg) on the western side of the village of Hargraves.

This began a ‘rush’ to the area and the subsequent discovery of many rich alluvial deposits along the creeks and gullies in the area, especially Meroo Creek, Louisa Creek, Long Creek, Dalys Creek, Clarkes Creek, Campbells Creek, and Oaky Creek.

In the early 1850s between 124kg and 156kg of gold are said to have been sent away from the field every fortnight under police escort. Topics covered in this Primefact include:

• general geology and structural setting
• gold occurrences
• alluvial gold
• the mines
• Hargraves group of mines
• Tuckers Hill group of mines
• Windeyer area mines.