34 
5 > 
The various shafts and their respective depths, so far as I can ascertain, 
are " Feet. 
South Clunes No. 4 (Lothair) .. .. 960 
No. 3 .. .. .. 850 
No. 2 .. .. 900 
„ No. 1 .. .-. .. 440 
Central .. .. .. .. 500 
Clunes United Company •. . • .. 700 
Criterion . . .. .. .. 700 
Port Phillip South Shaft .. .. .. 890 
Port Phillip North Shaft .. .. .. 1,745 
Yankee . . ' .. . . . 730 
Victoria . . .. .. . . 1,000 
New North Clunes (winding) .. . . 1,400 
New North Clunes (pumping) .. .. 1,000 
From the surface to a depth of about 600 feet appears to have been largely 
worked, but below that depth the workings are more or less irregular, and 
although the shafts reached greater depths prospecting was not by any 
means thorough. Future work on the field lies below 600 feet. The total 
value of gold won from The mines above mentioned amounts to nearly 
£5,000,000, while the extensions both north and south may prove important. 
From information gathered, the reefs at the northern end pitched 30° N., 
while at the southern end of the Lothair workings payable reefs were reported 
to have been worked right up to a crosscourse. 
Consideration of the geological structure revealed by cross-cutting should 
have led to the discovery of the reefs on parallel folds, but little appears to 
have been done in that direction. Eastward of the main line through the 
workings a parallel anticline probably passes through the main portion of 
the town. On this line prospecting may reveal payable stone, since reefs 
have been unearthed in the gardens attached to private houses in the town. 
A line of reef worthy of trial exists on the east side of the main road to North 
Clunes; from this, according to local report, gold was obtained, although 
not in payable quantity. The character of this reef, unless it is a large spur, 
suggests that it is in folded strata. 
Owing to the overlying basalt few exposures are available for a comparison 
of the structure of the adjoining strata with that proved favorable for gold 
deposition. 
The alluvial workings from the main line of reef run under the basalt in 
a north-easterly direction, and proved remunerative in the upper portions. 
At the south end of the area surveyed the Ballarat and Clunes and the 
Bute and Downs companies worked alluvial trending easterly. This was in 
the deeper ground, very wet and heavy. The gutter was narrow, but 
auriferous. 
The causes of the stoppage of the Clunes mines may be ascribed to financial 
difficulty in some mines, which, not being able to take their share in pumping, 
flooded the mines on payable stone, as the latter were not in a position to 
erect larger pumps. An amalgamation scheme was proposed, but, negotia¬ 
tions falling through, the companies were wound up,' notwithstanding the 
recorded fact that large bodies of stone were opened up from which payable 
crushings had been obtained. 
To reopen the old workings would require a considerable initial outlay, 
while continuous pumping would be subsequently required. The surface 
frames jof most of the shafts have collapsed, but the repair of these is only a 
small matter. 
