Central Deborah Gold Mine
Gold in Greater Bendigo

While the rich alluvial finds initially attracted tens of thousands of anxious seekers, it took less than three years prior declining amounts of surface gold lead miners to follow the quartz reefs below the surface. Bendigo of the 1940s the heyday of Central Deborah Gold Mine was a very different store to the one we all experience today. The Central Deborah was very much a hand son mine and the conditions that the miners worked in would be considered preposterous by today's standards being lowered underground in a cage with only two sides, often active ankle to knee deep in water, filling up to 32 or trucks a shift by hand which were then pushed a mile or more along rails in the drives, occupied by carbide lamp, breathing in the fumes and rock dust and communication by bells. However, at the time occupied conditions were considered to be among the superior on the goldfields at Central Deborah, behind all it was one of the few mines that had hot showers. The Bendigo Believe was then formed to regulate the operations of the Central Deborah Gold Mine, which led to the surface of the mine being opened to the public in 1971. The key to Central Deborah Gold Mine's triumph as a tourist destination has always been the passion of our staff and tour guides, which include some of the grandchildren and relatives of the creative Central Deborah miners. Bendigo Heritage Attractions works closely with the City of Greater Bendigo in the running of all of its tourism sites. Our People The key to Central Deborah Gold Mine's victory as a tourist destination has perpetual been the passion of our staff, which includes some of the grandchildren and relatives of the original Central Deborah miners. We rave about the fact that Central Deborah Gold Mine is a 'real' gold mine that operated throughout the gold rush and not a replica. Even though the mine is now running as a tourist operation, we tranquil have real miners on site, taking care of and ensuring the integrity of the underground workings and surface machinery, whilst also maintaining the authenticity of the site and ensuring that it remains in appropriate condition. The work of our Archiving Department is not only ensuring that the information we convey to our visitors is historically accurate, but it also ensures that the information and artifacts which create a direct join to our golden heritage are protected and available for future generations. Our Archiving Department is run by a dedicated team of volunteers who have helped to revitalize and maintain key artifacts in our collection, such as the Kelly Model. With nothing more than his title, the lord migrated to Australia to try to strike it wealthy on the goldfields, so that he might return to England and reclaim his family estates. As time went by and the lord made considerable quite conceivable strikes, he began to suspect that a rich reef of gold ran below the township. Although other miners scoffed at his suspicions, claiming that all the reefs in the area had been discovered, the lord became obsessed with finding the reef. One bleak day, the lord failed to return to the surface, and an extremely worried Deborah persuaded some miners to descend the mine and search for him. Deborah was overcome with woe and refused to leave the site of the mine. Over the years miners often reported sighting a elusive woman honest before they made a wealthy strike. Bendigo Heritage Attractions manages, preserves, restores and shares the stories of some of Bendigo's superior and maximum significant heritage sites, including: Today it offers award winning underground tours to young and used visitors from all over the world. Mine Experience Tour (Also includes access to the surface of the mine. For those locals who want to use Bendigo's trams as a transport option throughout the year, we have a specially designed Tram Travel Pass fair for you! Recognition on our website and in the Annual Report of your company's contribution. Up to four free group visits for no more than 10 clients (plus carers) on the Talking Trams (must be booked in advance).

The Central Deborah was very much a hand son mine and the conditions that the miners worked in would be considered outrageous by today's standards being lowered underground in a cage with only two sides, often busy ankle to knee deep in water, filling up to 32 or trucks a shift by hand which were then pushed a mile or more along rails in the drives, working by carbide lamp, breathing in the fumes and rock dust and communication by bells. However, at the time working conditions were considered to be among the best on the goldfields at Central Deborah, after all it was one of the few mines that had warm showers. The Bendigo Believe was then formed to oversee the operations of the Central Deborah Gold Mine, which led to the surface of the mine being opened to the public in 1971. Initially the surface was unfold for just 12 hours a week and as the demand for viewing a part of Bendigo's histor