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From: "R + L Fletcher" <>
Subject: [AUS-VIC-GIPPSLAND-L] Re: Club Terrace, Errinundra, Bendock history & people
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 17:08:54 +1100


-----Original Message-----
From: Victoria Dunlop <>
To: <>
Date: Friday, 22 January 1999 1:43
Subject: Club Terrace, Errinundra, Bendock history & people

Hi Victoria

The following is from 'East Gippsland Past and Present' by F Amendola 1987.

Bendoc: Geologists and mining surveyors carried out exploratory work for
gold through areas along the southern borders of New South Wales. Their
search took them into a flat valley at the foot of Mt Bendoc on the Bendoc
River.
Before 1850, Bendoc was settled by a few Chinese. Cattlemen used to water
their cattle thereon the way through the area. The first discovery of gold
was made in 1855.
Prospectors came from NSW to find gold at the new fields. Bark shanties,
tents and anything that could be erected quickly went into forming the first
township at Bendoc. An hotel was built within a few weeks and could
accomodate over 60 guests.
Clarkeville was discovered about 1860 and was named after the geologist W
Clarke. A similar rapid growth was made at Clarkeville as rich alluvial
patchesof gold were found at Back Creek and the Quimburrah River and
prospectors moved into the area. A boarding house, billiard saloon, hotel,
school and hall were established as the population increased.
Prospectors working the alluvial leases used most of the standard practices
of the Victorian diggers; the pan, tub and cradle, water wheel and bank
sluicing by water races. Early mining reports mentioned the primitive
methods used here for extracting the gold and claimed that if up to date
machinery was introduced, the yields would be higher.
As the alluvial fields were worked out, several rich reefs were found and
these discoveries attracted many miners. Life on the Bendoc - Clarkeville
fields presented many hardships not encountered in other Victorian
goldfields, the foremost being the isolation of the area. All supplies and
trade came from NSW which added enormous amounts in freight charges to the
costs of living.
There was no road from Bairnsdale to Bendoc and travellers journeyed up
through Bruthen, Buchan and Gelantipy, across the Deddick River and down
through Bonang. The journey was continued on foot, and all the camping gear
and tools had to be carried in packs through dense bush in the Croajingalong
hills. There were no bridges across the Snowy and Deddick Rivers then, and
sometimes, when sudden floods occured, people could be forced to return to
Bairnsdale.
When the large syndicates took over the ownership of the mines, the miners
worked for wages only. A large number of Chinese worked on the gold fields
but they confined themselves to alluvial workings and often reworked the
mullock heaps of the European prospectors.
The reef mining finished around the 1900's and companies went into
liquidation, and equipment was sold or abandoned in the bush.

Club Terrace was named after a cattle brand 'The Ace of Clubs'. The brand
belonged to Ted James who held grazing rights to all the bush land from
Tonghi to Cabbage Tree Creek.
The first gold taken out of the area was at the junction of the Bemm River
and Pyramid Creek by John Farquhar. This was the first gold worked north of
the Snowy River. The first battery to be built in East G/land was used on
the Club Terrace fields, and was made of wood, and driven by a steam engine.
Results of the crushed ore was very promising and an Englisg Mining Co took
over the mine and spent a considerable amount of money on machinery and
buildings.
Many miners came to the area and a school, store, hotel and Post Office were
established. As the mine deepened, the water seeping into it became so bad,
the mine had to be closed down.

## The author must have blinked when he went through Erinundra as it doesn't
get a mention. I do have another book printed by the Land Conservation
Council but it deals with the scientific aspects of the area - nothing of
history. I must have something on it somewhere so I will keep it in mind.

Regards
Lori

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