Old Gold Mine Shafts
by Lexa Harpell
Title
Old Gold Mine Shafts
Artist
Lexa Harpell
Medium
Photograph - Photographs
Description
Hill End Series by Lexa Harpell.
The 'Golden Gully' is an old alluvial goldfield from the 1850's near Hill End.
Over time the soft clay like soils have eroded with collapsing mine shafts along the creek bed exposing the 'rabbit warren' of old gold mining shafts.
People from many nations lived and mined in this area.
The Chinese dug circular shafts as opposed to the European square shafts. Legend has it that they believed no 'ghosts' could 'live' in the corners of a circular shaft. With this exposure you can see the remnants of these shafts.
I could not begin to imagine what it would have been like to dig here in the wet winter periods panning for gold. The river base is clay like, sticky...and this river would have been full at times after the rains.
Some people still go out to old gold sites to try their luck for fun to find that elusive piece of gold.
Uploaded
August 2nd, 2016
Statistics
Viewed 821 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/21/2024 at 3:17 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Similar Images
Comments (10)
Amy Sorvillo
Amazing capture and this place has such an interesting history! While I love the looks of the little mining entrances (if that's what they are), the though of spending time inside one of those little tunnels freaks me out! It had to have been such a hard life...
Lexa Harpell replied:
Thanks Amy - Yes they are tunnels - I am so with you on the tunnels thing - no way!!! haha
Recently Viewed
