286 
There is no evidence in the upper portion of the valley of Tertian 
deposits. The terraces are probably of Post-Pliocene age. In the lower 
portion of the valley, where it joins the Ovens River valley, Tertiary 
deposits most likely occur, but there are no shafts or bores to prove this. 
The drift deposits above the old auriferous lead, which runs down the 
valley to within a couple of miles of the junction of the rivers, does not 
carry much gold, but the Recent gravels along the course of the stream were 
rich in gold, especially where they were enriched by the stream cutting 
through the old lead. 
It is a striking feature that there are no lateral feeders of the alluvial 
gold gravels from either the east or west sides of the valley until the 
Junction or Upper Buckland is reached. At this point both branches of 
the stream have been worked for alluvial gold. The deduction is that the 
alluvial gold right down the valley has been transported from a source 
higher up the river than Upper Buckland. What little reefing has been 
done commences at the junction of the two branches of the river and 
continues southward, but auriferous quartz mining has never assumed 
important dimensions even there, and this poverty in productive quartz 
reefs leads to the inference that denudation has long since swept away the 
zones of Ordovician rock which supplied the abnormally rich alluvial 
deposits of this valley with gold. 
Gold workings began about 1853 at the Buckland. and as a field it was 
noted for splendid and regular yields. It was worked by sluicing, &c., 
for half a century, but now, except for dredging, only a few fossickers 
are left. The dredging industry will continue for a few years longer 
and then this valley will practically cease to contribute to the annual gold 
yidd. For agriculture and fruit-growing it is well adapted, and the 
abundant supply of water could be converted into power most readily 
Mr. Easton has completed a survey of this valley. 
[23.7.09.] 
REMINISCENCES OF THE EARLY DIGGINGS. 
The following notes were taken by Mr. E. J. Dunn, late Director of 
the Geological Survey, during conversations with some of the early 
pioneers :— 
The First Discovery of Gold at Hiscocks, near Buninyong. 
I was born in London on 8th July, 1832, came to Australia in Feb¬ 
ruary, 1849, remained in Melbourne for some months, came to Buninyong 
on 15th May, 1850, and lived near Mr. Hiscocks’ blacksmith’s forge. 
On the 2nd August, 1851, Thomas Hiscocks sen., Thomas Hiscocks jun., 
Edward Thomas, and myself set out to search for a stray cow belonging 
to Mr. Hiscocks sen. We spread out near where the Buninyong ceme¬ 
tery now stands. Mr. Hiscocks sen. went up the hill, the others 
remaining in the gully. Shortly afterwards there was a cry froni Mr. 
Hiscocks, “ I’ve got gold at last.” We did not believe this until he 
brought down a piece of quartz 6 or 8 inches across, which was splashed 
over with gold. The next day we went to the same spot and found 
