User:Billingd/Gold rush diversions

This page is to track work on Victorian gold rush river diversions. "Where an auriferous river or creek formed a peninsula, it was common for alluvial miners to cut a tunnel or an open channel through the isthmus, at a level to divert the water course and lay bare the goldbearing gravels of the steam bed.'

Literature
The key references are the Victorian Heritage Register and reports from 1998-1999 of the Victorian Goldfields Project.

There are also local history books, which are often privately printed and difficult to obtain.

Many of the tunnels are considered tourist attractions, and are included in bush walks or scenic drives. When the tunnel site is in an area controlled by Parks Victoria, the park notes usually provide maps and descriptions. These are not listed here, but are referenced on the individual tunnel pages.

There should be references to diversion tunnels in gold rush era literature, encylopedias, etc.

Research
According to the Victorian Goldfields Project
 * "Some thirteen such diversions have been recorded in Victoria, including the New Adventure tunnel, Omeo; Tunnel bend diversion, Gaffneys Creek; Thomson River tunnel, Platina; Jericho tunnel, Jordan River; Goulburn River tunnel, Flourbag Creek; Gibbo River tunnel, Benambra; Houghtons or McKoys Flat tunnel, Nicholson River; Big Peninsula tunnel, Upper Yarra; Blow Holes tunnel, Daylesford; Lerderderg tunnel, Blackwood; Evelyn tunnel, Pound Bend, Warrandyte; Delegate River tunnel, Bendoc; and Harrison’s Cut, Dargo. Historical information has been found about only six of these diversions. In all cases, European miners and rangers constructed the diversions dating from 1868 to 1889."

This is not necessarily correct, as the Thomson River Diversion Tunnel was dug in 1912.

Known tunnels
So we need to identify and document:
 * New Adventure tunnel, Omeo - New Adventure Diversion Tunnel
 * Tunnel bend diversion, Gaffneys Creek - Tunnel Bend diversion tunnel
 * Thomson River tunnel, Platina - Thomson River Diversion Tunnel
 * Jericho tunnel, Jordan River - Jordan River Diversion Tunnel
 * Goulburn River tunnel, Flourbag Creek. This is almost certainly the Tunnel Bend diversion tunnel
 * Gibbo River tunnel, Benambra - No record found yet
 * Houghtons or McKoys Flat tunnel, Nicholson River - Haughtons Flat Diversion Tunnel
 * Big Peninsula Tunnel, Upper Yarra - Big Peninsula Tunnel
 * Blow Holes tunnel, Daylesford - Blowhole Diversion Tunnel
 * Lerderderg tunnel, Blackwood - Lerderderg River diversion tunnel
 * Evelyn tunnel, Pound Bend, Warrandyte - Pound Bend Tunnel
 * Delegate River tunnel, Bendoc - Delegate River Diversion Tunnel
 * Harrison’s Cut, Dargo - Harrisons Cut gold diversion

The above list isn't complete, as we have
 * Little Peninsula Tunnel, Upper Yarra
 * The Island, Thompson Bend, Warrandyte
 * Tunnel Bend diversion tunnel, Howqua River, although this is a headrace tunnel
 * Aberfeldy River tunnel, which is mentioned in a bushwalking club trip report

Aberfeldy River tunnel
An Aberfeldy River tunnel is mentioned in a bushwalking club trip report. This walk started from Beardmore (VICNAMES -37.82917°N, 146.41833°W) and progressed along the Low Saddle Track to Low Saddle -37.86556°N, 146.41167°W. The tunnel location is probably close to -37.86861°N, 146.41806°W

Gibbo River tunnel
The Victorian Goldfields Project mentions a Gibbo River tunnel near Benambra. There is no mention in the Gippsland volume and I couldn't find it in the Victorian Heritage Database.

Goulburn River tunnel
The Victorian Goldfields Project mentions both Tunnel bend diversion, Gaffneys Creek and Goulburn River tunnel, Flourbag Creek. Most likely these both refer to the Tunnel Bend diversion tunnel on the Goulburn River.

Work within wikipedia
Need to look at the cross-linking of articles, as some of the alluvial mining articles, such as Placer mining have a US focus.