Maldon - The New Beehive Mine - North Central

Maldon - The New Beehive Mine

The New Beehive Mine - "One day the men working in the shaft came up for 'crib' and they noticed a swarm of bees on a post. Up to this time the mine had not been named. One of the miners said "we'll call the mine The Beehive", aptly named as it turned out, as it was one of the best 'golden honey pots' in the town."

Founded in the late 1850's, all the early work carried out was in an open cutting, between where the main shaft and the engine house stood. Miners were granted claims 30 feet square, and out of these claims much gold must have been taken, but the amount will never be known. Very little of this gold was sold to Maldon banks, but out of town. The miners kept their finds to themselves so that their neighbours would not know what gold they were finding.

The method of hauling dirt and stone was by means of a windlass. This was slow and hard work so it was decided to call a meeting of the claim holders to pool resources.

The outcome of the meeting was to form a company and to purchase a winding machine. A new shaft was sunk while the engine, engine house and poppet legs were being erected. With installation of the machinery, the ground was worked, with varying returns, for about 3 years. Then, at the 300 foot level a heavy flow of water was met. The plant was not capable of dealing with it so another meeting was held to form a more powerful company. This was called the 'New Beehive Company' and comprised 30,000 shares. New engines, boilers, large pumping plant and quartz crushing battery were purchased. There was now a need for a bricklayer to build foundations for the engines, boilers and the chimney stack to take smoke from the boilers.

The Beehive Chimney - One day a man carrying a swag arrived at the mine seeking a job as a bricklayer. The answer was 'yes' to him building a chimney. The plans were drawn up by Mr D. R. Drape, who also designed the Maldon Hospital. The chimney was to be 10ft square at the base, 12ft to the coping, the walls of the stack to be 3ft thick at the bottom. The round part of the chimney, starting from the coping, was to be 8ft 6ins in diameter, tapering to 3ft 6ins at the top. It is roughly 100ft high. The brickwork is 2ft thick almost to the top. There is a layer of bricks on the outside to give it a finish. The inside of the chimney is rather small in a stack of this size.

'The din and noise of its engines tell of something far more lasting, while the number of its chimney stacks - with their dense smoke and steam whistles -remind me of a small manufacturing town in England." Ararat Advertiser, June 17,1862

The building of the stack was completed in 1863, during which time the bricklayer camped in the engine house. On completion, he left for England, returning some time later to camp again in the engine house. He then left for New Zealand, returned to England, then came back to the engine house in Maldon. From then on all trace of him is lost, even his name. But a record of his skill as a chimney builder still stands, despite the ravages of time and weather.

Total known gold yields were 210,00 ounces - one of Victoria's richest gold producers. The mine was sold at public auction in 1918. The rich bass whistle (also used for a fire alarm) raised 50 cents. The chimney stack was sold to T. B. Brooks and W. E. Preece as a monument to the gold won in Maldon. The men paid 19 pounds for it. There was to be a plaque placed on it, but this was never done.

The Maldon Museum has much more information, stories and photos of this mine and is well worth a visit.

The location is east of the Bendigo-Maldon Road (opposite 1 Reef St, Maldon). You can park nearby and walk up a slight incline toward the chimney.

Beehive Gold Mine Site Map

Review:

The main feature remaining is the large chimney, completed in 1863, which stands 30 metres high and is the only one of its age and size still standing in Victoria. Two metres were removed from the top after damage from a lightning strike in 1923 and there has been some repair work at the base.

Adjacent to the chimney there are some stone and brick substructures for the boilers and steam engine that provided the power for the mine.