The South Gundagai Diggings

Goulburn Herald

29 July 1863

These diggings are situated about three miles from South Gundagai at Stony Creek, on the direct road to 'Tumut. There are about sixty or seventy miners at work. The sinking is from fifty-seven to seventy feet, through alternate layers of gravel and false bottoms; the latter being composed of a soft stiff clay, from two to ten feet in thickness. In the gravel on the top from a few fine specks to half a grain can be obtained to the dish.

There is about two feet of washdirt, interspersed with innumerable quartz and granite boulders, of immense size, the bottom being formed of decomposed slate. The gold is of a very coarse description, the return being from five to fifteen dwts. to the load.

The run, or load, is running nearly north and south, the ground being all taken up on the south side of the prospectors. It is all dry with the exception of the prospecting claim, where continual bailing is necessary.

There is not one shaft bottomed north of the prospectors, owing to the great quantity of water to contend with; the load running down to the main creek or large flat below. In this flat is where the main deposit of gold is supposed to exist, as it would receive any that may have come down from the Kangaroo Creek, and also the main creek from the old diggings, discovered some fifteen months since.

There are in the immediate vicinity several fine quartz reefs, and some fine samples of copper ore. I hear there are some steps being taken by the diggers to have the frontage system adopted here from the depth, and especially the wet ground at the north end, I think it would be of great advantage to the miners in general.

On the ground now there are two butchers shops, one store, and a public house, and there is a puddling machine in the course of erection. In conclusion I may her remark of disinterestedness and indifference which is evinced by the good people of Gundagai in mining matters. They ought at once, considering the great advantage it would be to Gundagai and the district generally, to form a prospecting association, and aid in opening up some of the fresh ground which assuredly exists in this district, and not leave it to the poor man of but limited means to accomplish.

Correspondent of the Yass Courier