Bendigo Miners

In 1851 gold was first discovered near central Bendigo on a sheep run called the Ravenswood Run – it is said to have been found by the overseer's wife Margaret Kennedy.

Bendigo became known across the world as "Gold Mountain", the goldfields extended over an area roughly 32 kilometres by 11 kilometres and, up until 1954, yielded about 22 million ounces (684,300 kgs) of gold, mostly from underground quartz mine reefs.

The Bendigo Goldfields contain 37 distinct lines of reef; these reefs run more or less parallel, stretching across the city from north to south.

Mine Shaft

There are many hundreds of kilometres of surveyed reefs which have been worked at all depths from the shallow open cuts to mines more than 1400 metres deep.

The Victoria Quartz Mine on the New Chum line, for example, was worked to 1406 metres and was, at the time, the deepest mine in the world.

By the 1950s the three mines on the Deborah line were the last operating mines in Bendigo, with the last two of those - including Central Deborah - closing in 1954.

The Central Deborah Gold Mine was the last commercial mine to operate in Bendigo. In the period from 1939 to 1954 almost one tonne of gold (929kg) was unearthed from the mine, worth around $17,000,000 AUS in today's prices.

Bendigo - the way it was

The mine closed for a number of years until 1986 when it was re-opened for underground tours and miners once again ventured below with visitors to explore the fascinating tunnels below.

Today, the original Central Deborah Gold Mine shares its rich history with visitors and offers the best underground mine tour in Australia. It is still an operational mine with all its equipment working. Miners have developed new underground and surface displays, to inform and entertain visitors.
Fully-trained guides ensure that visitors get maximum value from their experience.