In reply to Dennis Strangman and to others with an interest in goldfields ... Thank you, I do have the Historic Kiandra book. Many of those diggers disillusioned with their finds on the Victorian goldfields took off for Kiandra, in south western New South Wales, over extremely rugged mountain country, to reach the new 'Kiandra' rush. Out of necessity, a surveyor named Ligar devised a route via the Upper Murray and Happy Jack into Kiandra. The track was named Ligar's Route. In the Alpine Pioneer 27 November 1860 advertisements were run by the Australasian Steam Navigation Company for passages from Sydney to Eden (Twofold Bay) twice weekly for a fare with provisions was 35/-. Merimbula was also a port of call for miners arriving by sea on "SS The Hunter" and houses of accommodation were advertised "en route to the [Kiandra]diggings". I am currently completing a paper on the mining operations on New Chum Hill which examines methods of mining used on the on the Kiandra Goldfield, particularly those used on the Kiandra Deep Lead, New Chum Hill, during the period 1860 - 1883. These included various applications of tunnelling and finally hydraulic sluicing. Further, it investigates a stamper battery, officially reported to be 'forty-head', erected to crush the auriferous conglomerate alluvium extracted from the Great Emperor Tunnel. Reports of this battery's operation are scarce and anomalies in the description of the battery exist in the historical record. The extent of the hydraulic sluicing claims has eradicated much of the archaeological evidence of the earlier workings and the battery site. The battery operated for only four years before being sold to the Perseverance Gold Mining Company. It was transported by bullock teams over the mountains to the Adelong Goldfield [near Tumut, NSW] where it was re-erected on the banks of Adelong Creek. There it was used to crush auriferous quartz from the reef mines on Victoria Hill. If there is anyone on the list with an interest in mining in southern NSW, north eastern Victoria, or the mining fields of North Queensland, I would appreciate discussion with you. Best Wishes for 1999! Jennifer *********************************************************************** Jennifer Lambert Tracey Historical Archaeologist Cultural Heritage Research Centre UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA Tel. / Fax (02) 6295 6795 Mobile Tel. 0419 011 860 e-mail: jtracey@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~jtracey/ *********************************************************************** -----Original Message----- From: Strangman family [mailto:string@canberra.starway.net.au] Sent: Thursday, 31 December 1998 15:57 To: Jennifer Lambert Tracey Subject: Goldfields You might like to file in your memory banks the fact that the Kiandra rush came about the time that the Lamplough (Vic) rush was winding down. I have a theory that a number of miners went from Vic to Kiandra. Have you retained many documents relating to the Kiandra rush? I have a publication put out by the Cooma Historical people.