Beechworth

Beechworth’s spectacular Woolshed Falls were once was the centre of the richest Goldfields in Victoria, with more than 8000 Gold Miners or Diggers living along the banks of this small stream. The Falls are 5 kms from Beechworth. Heading from Beechworth to Wodonga veer left at the Chiltern turnoff and left again into McFeeter's Road. Follow the road until in becomes unsealed then look for the Woolshed Falls sign pointing to the right after the bridge. Arriving at the car park one road heads to the left to the observation deck. The toilets are near the entrance to the car park, and the start of the walk is near the information boards. There are also toilet facilities. The images contained on this page depict a small detour to the recommended course. The recommended course is suitable to most people, as opposed to the more adventurous route in the photos.

1. Spring Creek Diversion. Large eroded gullies like this are found throughout the Beechworth goldfields district. They were mostly the result of hydraulic sluicing, a method of mining in which hoses were used to direct water at high pressure on gold bearing stream banks. This method was used here after the waters of the original Spring Creek (Reid’s Creek) were diverted from its course. This gave the miners access to the rich gold bearing creek bed which you will see further along the walk. At this point you are looking at the diverted creek.

The point at which you are standing would have been in the middle of a flat paddock similar to that which is behind you and to the right.

2. Beechworth Silver Stringybark. All of the original stands of trees in the vicinity were cleared by the miners for firewood or shaft props. The growth of trees today is testament to the resilience of the Australian Bush to major disturbance. This Beechworth Silver Stringybark is a rare blue leafed eucalypt that is only recorded here.

3. Diversion Tunnel. Once the tree cover had been depleted, this gully would have eroded quickly following heavy rains. The miners then had to deal with collapsing banks and flooded claims. It is likely that stream banks would collapse when the water undercut the steep banks. The miner's solution was to cut a tunnel directly through the solid granite to provide an outlet for the water, a diversion within a diversion. You should be able to see the end of the tunnel. About 150 metres further along the walk you may be able to see the water entering the tunnel. When you pass number 8 you will walk to the cliff above and opposite number 2, and will have an excellent view of the tunnel.

It is possible to follow the creek down but be ready for a lot of scampering and getting wet. A reasonable level of fitness and closed shoes are required for this. The actual diversion tunnel is narrow and low, you will need to crawl hands and knees to get through. The exit is smaller than the entrance. Do not attempt this tunnel during high waters.

4. Dry Mining. In this area there is evidence of Dry Mining. The miners scraped out gold bearing soil from between the granite boulders and the panned or sluiced it to extract the gold.

5. Reid's Creek Goldfield. This area was the scene of much activity during the 1850's. In 1853 there were 8000 miners on the Reid's Creek field and the original settlement was just upstream from here. It had a post office, stores and police camp. Reids Creek was the scene of several riots, when disputes arose over the ownership of claims. At the time there was no proper legislation to ensure fair and orderly granting of claims.

William Howitt, an English Author wrote of Reids Creek in 1853: For nearly two miles, a wide valley is completely covered by tents and the soil turned upside down by diggers. A more rowdy and uninviting scene I never saw..... All the trees were cut down; the ground where it was not actually dug up was eaten perfectly bare by lean horses... more shabbiness and apparent wretchedness it would be difficult to conceive. Reids Creek has the character of being a disorderly and dangerous place. There have been no less than fifteen murders committed at it..."

The miners, or diggers as they were called formed themselves into two groups; the Punchers and the Monkeys. The punchers worked the dry banks and gullies and generally wore moleskins. The monkeys worked the stream and considered themselves superior. Those who had struck it rich wore black woollen trousers and Napoleon boots, and sported silk sashes and gaily coloured handkerchiefs.

6. Old Creek Course. You can see some differences between the original course of Spring Creek seen here, and the new Spring Creek, which you saw at the start of the walk. Here, the creek is much shallower and less eroded. After the creek diversion (Stop 1) was completed, the areas around here were opened up for mining. The alluvial gold was found in three layers of wash dirt, 250 to 300 millimetres deep, deposited in three distinct geological periods. Some miners were lucky enough to win as much as 800 ounces from a single claim, originally 8 foot by 8 foot (2.4 metres) square.

7. Water Race. The track here crosses an old water race, one of the many long trenches dug by miners to bring water to their claims. Races were used for sluicing, a method of mining imported from the Californian goldfields, which became more highly developed in the Beechworth district than elsewhere in Victoria. Water was carried to a point where it flowed into sluices, either a series of inclined, interlocking boxes made of sawn board and usually standing on trestles, or channels dug in the ground. Box sluices usually had a series of riffles or narrow slats across the base to catch gold. When the wash dirt was placed in the sluice, the lighter gravels were washed away by the force of the water and the heavier gold particles were left behind.

Nearby are the ruins of a small hut in which Walter Ballart lived in the late 1920's. A recluse, Ballart scraped a meagre living from rabbit trapping and performing odd jobs for local farmers.

8. Raised Water Race. This water race is different from the one at the previous stop. Its wall has been built up and the channel is above ground level, whereas the other race was a channel cut into the ground. To provide this gravity fed water supply the miners had to work very hard with picks and shovels, but usually it was easier to bring water to the claim rather than carry wash dirt to water. If you follow this race you will find that it is cut by the creek diversion. Presumably the race was used before the diversion was constructed.

9. Granite Race. This race was cut through solid granite to complete the creek diversion. If you look closely you will see the drill holes in which the explosive charges were placed to remove the rock. The water above the bridge is about one metre deep, and below, up to two metres deep. The new creek was carefully graded to ensure a steady flow of water.

10. Woolshed Falls Pool and Viewing Platform. The Woolshed Falls Viewing Platform is above the car park to the north. Nearly 2000 ounces (57 kilograms) was extracted from the pool below the platform during the years of 1918-1920, much later than other areas around Beechworth.

Near the bottom of the falls, on the left hand side, some steel rods can be seen fixed in the rock wall. These rods supported a steel pipe or flume, which extended from the top of the falls to a point downstream. Miners diverted water past the pool, which was pumped dry to expose gold bearing material in the sand