Contact Webmaster
This page last updated February 2008.
|
Alluvial goldfield Old Jawbone - early 1870's When mining records first started in 1875, the alluvial workings at Jawbone, adjacent to the Wellington, Mudgee road, had already been abandoned. They were described in 1875 as being:-
'-- about 3 miles in length, by 1/4 mile in width; character of deposit, drift at a depth of 33ft to 60ft; gold found in patches; yield from 1 to 12 dwts. per load'.
A small township developed here, not only to service the miners but also the passing traffic on the main road.
In a report in 1900 the Government Geologist, E.F. Pittman, described the old workings;
'In the early seventies an alluvial lead known as the Old Jawbone was worked in the vicinity of the present rush; it was, on the whole, not very productive, the bottom being somewhat uneven and the gold patchy; the auriferous contents were probably derived from the denudation of the Mitchell's Creek reef, which is situated a short distance north of the old lead'.
|
A 2006 image looking past 'Daviesville Well' and across the Common to Bodangora hill. The chimney is visible above the right side of the closest tank. The remains of some diggings from the northern end of the 'Old Jawbone Lead' are still clearly visible. Wellington Times
Find of Gold 'Considerable sensation has been caused lately by the accidental find of gold in the bottom of a shaft sunk for a well at Jawbone, adjacent to the old diggings. There was a large number of miners at Jawbone some six or seven and twenty years ago, but no defined lead was ever found. The gold was very patchy. The present find may lead to the discovery of a lead which must exist somewhere in the neighbourhood, as the place is surrounded by gold-bearing quartz. The well is said to be about 70ft deep, and there are two and a half feet of wash yielding, it is estimated, 7 to 8dwts, to the load. There was no water at first, but now a litle percolates through the drift. There is every prospect of the ground now being thoroughly prospected. |
The old parish map shows a cluster of gold leases around the main road from Wellingon to Mudgee, just south of the Daviesville Well near the Bodangora turnoff. The 'Lechidale' homestead is at the top right of this map. The purple block 104X at the bottom left is the site of the Jawbone Public School. The date of the image titled 'Jawbone - Bodangora' is undated. |
A 2006 image of the site of the settlement at Jawbone. The green trees a good indication of the position of buildings.
|
Shortly after the chance discovery of gold at Jawbone in 1899, there were about 300 men working the field, but by mid 1900 this number was starting to drop off until in 1901:-
'-- some 40 or 50 miners are at work, and some of the claims are giving good returns'.
By 1902 there were a 'good number' and it was reported some £1900 worth of gold was won. And so the trend continued throughout the early 1900's until 1911 when the last report was made in the mining records.
Even though the finds of gold appear to have been patchy, some claims must have paid well enough to keep mining interest in this goldfield, initially for several years in the early 1870's and in around 13 years from 1899 to 1911. Postscript
1925 '-- further prospecting done at Jawbone in an endeavour to locate a reef on the lower ground'. |
|
NSW Dept. Lands - online Parish & Historic Map resource NSW Dept. Mineral Resources - online DIGS resource Wellington Times archives Barbara Preston |