General News
11 August, 2022
Gold Dredging History Uncovered
A WIDELY unknown chapter of Snake Valley’s history has been uncovered in a new book exploring the area’s two gold dredges.
A WIDELY unknown chapter of Snake Valley’s history has been uncovered in a new book exploring the area’s two gold dredges.
Local author and member of the Historical Society, Joan Wilson’s new book ‘Gold Dredging at Snake Valley’ dives into the story behind the Valley’s gold dredges of the early 20th century, as well as the men and technology behind them.
The Russell Flat Dredge, which became known as ‘The Acre’ near the Snake Valley Creek, was the first used in the town but was short-lived due to a lack of funds.
The second, the Electro-Hydraulic Dredging Company, built by John Dawson who also helped install tram lines in Geelong, gained worldwide attention due to it being the first in the country to use electricity.
With little information or local knowledge of the two dredges available, Ms Wilson says she was motivated to get the word out about this chapter of the area’s gold mining history.
“I discovered my kids didn’t even know what it was and that’s when I went that’s it we need to do something about this,” she said.
“I’ve known about it for a long time. When I did the Forgotten Goldfields [book], I spoke to a chap who was the son-in-law of the guy who did the one of the gold dredges. He gave me lots of photos and this has always been in the back of my mind that we need to get more information out there about it.
“The Dawson one was the first in Australia run by electricity, so it got a very big write up whereas the other one was quite normal. People came up from Melbourne and all over the place and was recorded around the world that he had done it.”
The dredges ran simultaneously in the Valley, with the Dawson one shutting down in 1910.
The book is Ms Wilson’s fourth about the town and third on the local Goldfields, with the other focusing on the Snake Valley General Store.
“I wrote the first one because we couldn’t find anything about the Carngham Goldfields. That one took seven years and went over really well,” she said.
“No matter how many books on the goldfields you buy you don’t see anything about the Carngham Goldfields.”
Ms Wilson is currently in the process of producing a book on Preston’s Hill; exploring the history of the old settlement nestled between Carngham and Snake Valley.
Four books on Snake Valley, three on the goldfields and one on the general store.
Gold Dredging at Snake Valley can be purchased at the Snake Valley General Store or via the Snake Valley Historical Society’s Facebook page.
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