26 
THE DAYLESFORD MINE AND THE CORNISH LINE OF 
REEF, DAYLESFORD. 
(no. 8 ON LOCALITY MAP.) 
By E. J. Dunn , F.G.S., Director , Geological Survey of Victoria. 
Daylesford Mine. 
For over half-a-mile northward from the shaft of the Daylesford mine 
alluvial workings occur. Surfacing connects the alluvial gullies with the 
outcrops of quartz that run along the course of the axial line, or centre- 
country. The sources of this gold appear to be a series of spurs which 
cross the bedding planes of the Ordovician strata, and which have been ex¬ 
tensively worked in the Mauritius lease, immediately north of the Daylesford 
lease. These spurs have a decided pitch southward towards the Dayles¬ 
ford Mine, but between them and the mine is a gully, and quite 
possibly a fault or dislocation, for the continuance in that mine of 
these spurs, which are reported to have been richly auriferous, has not 
been proved. Besides these spurs, which must have been payable, judging 
by the manner in which they have been worked, there is also a strong 
development of quartz directly in the centre-country still further to the 
north, in the Mauritius lease. A considerable bulk of quartz has been won 
along the axial line, but at present nothing is being done on this area. 
It could be tested most advantageously by means of a, shaft sunk near 
centre-country, and by cross-cuts to the east and west, so as to explore all 
developments of quartz from centre-country, as well as to cut any spurry 
formation that may occur to the east or west of the axial line. From the 
amount of work already done in the Mauritius area, there is much encou¬ 
ragement for testing this tract at lower levels. The structure of the 
country rock resembles that at Bendigo, and similar methods of mining 
are recommended. 
300-foot Level .—The shaft of the Daylesford Mine is 550 feet 
deep. At the 300-foot level in the cross-cut to the west—17 feet 
in—a dyke, 1 ft. 3 in. thick, dipping to the west at 68 deg., 
occurs. The cross-cut extends westward for 100 feet, all in west 
country, and appears to be approaching a syncline. The anticline, or 
centre-country, is right in the shaft at this level. In the eastern 
cross-cut, and 100 feet in, is a rise which discloses a width of 20 feet 
of spurry country. West of the rise is hard quartzite. Quartz spurs 
carrying a little gold occur in what appears to be synclinal country. 
The eastern cross-cut is continued for 208 feet to the face. Levels are 
extended to the north and south from the cross-cut at 63 feet along it. 
In the northern level, 36 feet in from the cross-cut, there is a dyke that 
crosses the reef, which is a cross-reef, and dips westerly. The country 
rocks are dipping to the east. Further in, the northern level and its 
branches disclose a great deal of country rock, through which there are 
many quartz spurs (irregular veins of quartz that do not lie between the 
bedding planes). In places a little gold is found in these spurs; but when 
they occur near or in centre-country they appear to be more productive 
of gold. Whether these spurs represent those that have been worked 
further to the north in the Mauritius lease, or not, cannot be determined 
without more data than are available. The southern level has been driven 
from the eastern cross-cut for 1,315 feet on a wall dipping to the west, 
and crossing the country rocks, which dip to the east. Qua'rtz occurs along 
