Why Did Gold Rush Miners ROAST Their Quartz?

#gold #mining #history #goldrush #quartz
The roasting of ore is an ancient technique, and was brought to the Victorian Goldfields by migrant miners. In this video we're going to take a closer look at the process of quartz roasting, checking out some very cool places along the way.
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Explore the Victorian Goldfields - www.goldfieldsguide.com.au/
Historical Gold Maps - historicalgoldmaps.com.au/
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REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
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Quartz kiln image - Robert Kaufman
De Re Metallica, Georgius Agricola, 1556
Mining models - Carl Nordstrom, 1858. Museums Victoria
Chlorination diagram - SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT NO. 620
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 19, 1887
Historical images - State Library Victoria, Trove
Newspaper articles - Trove
History of the Port Phillip and Colonial Gold Mining Company in connection with the Clunes mine. R. H. Bland. 1888. National Library of Australia
John Woodland, Sixteen Tons of Clunes Gold: A History of the Port Phillip and Colonial Mining Company
The Port Phillip Company's Quartz Works At Clunes, 1858 - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/ar...
Early Developments in Treating Pyritic and Refractory Gold Ores in Australia. KEN McQUEEN
Burning of Poisonous Quartz, 1867 - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/ar...
HISTORIC MINING SITES IN THE MALDON MINING DIVISION, David Bannear. 1993
The History and Archaeology of the North British Mine Site, Maldon, Victoria. CHRISTOPHER J. DAVEY
In-Ground Ore-Roasting Kilns on the Hauraki Goldfield, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand. P.R. MOORE and N.A. RITCHIE
Report of the Royal Commission on Gold Mining, 1891
THE IDENTIFICATION OF MINING RELICS, Peter Milner
GOLD: Its occurrence and extraction. Alfred G. Lock, F.R.G.S. 1882

[@rodneymiddleton1044]

Your knowledge on the gold fields is mind blowing you should have a Doctorate with what you know..................

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Rodney, I’m very very interested in mining history 🙂⚒

[@Askjeffwilliams]

another good example of a practice long gone ...good job and keep'em coming

[@asanamericaninaustralia]

Wow, Jeff watches your videos, awesome!

[@shanedoyle3444]

Very interesting video , keep em coming ! Cheers.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thank you Shane 🙂⚒

[@Dave_Sisson]

Wow, quite brilliant and very informative. As a child growing up on the edge of Castlemaine, I often found mining artifacts and crumbling structures. With the help of this channel, I now understand what they were and how they were used.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Great to hear Dave, Castlemaine is a fascinating place 🙂🌿⚒

[@lanehorsey5053]

Amazing stuff and so well delivered once again

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video 🙂⚒

[@billmorton8790]

Thanks so much for your excellent vids Michelle! I and my fellow Epic Tourists have been visiting Maldon, Fryerstown etc. Your informative presentations are bringing alive for us these fascinating, old Victorian diggings.

[@bono1961]

Well done and very educational as usual 👏 👍

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Bono 🙂⚒

[@tonyarmstrong7933]

Keep the great work up, miss your videos when you don’t put them up

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Tony 🙂

[@theGoldWolf]

Hey she's back! As usual, many thanks for your efforts. I have been past fryerstown plenty, did not know that quartz oven existed.

[@Stormyday-zg7iz]

Great video, so much went into quartz mining I didn't realise back then. It's good to know these structures and what they were used for, thanks for the info.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Cheers, glad you liked the video 🙂

[@eckk7405]

Done well that was a great watch with very informative and interesting information carnt wait for your next one.👍

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks, much appreciated! 🙂⚒

[@motomikebuilder]

Great history. My sister and I explored mines in the Yuba River area as kids and have always had an interest. My son mines nickel and it turns out that my Irish ancestors were miners in Ironton Ohio long ago.

[@MsCarissa007]

Fantastic edition. Well presented indeed 👏👏👍

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks very much 🙂⚒

[@DeeDurand-wm4sf]

New old man sub from shoshone Wyoming u.s.a very good video !

[@noshownugget983]

Great to see you back. Love the video Bruce

[@goldfieldsguide]

Cheers Bruce 🙂⚒

[@lennytime8057]

Cheers for the information your video's always very informative and well put together.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Cheers Lenny 🙂🙂

[@Barbzy]

thank you so much for this information. you are brilliant

[@groundhoggolddetecting6890]

Intensely informative and watchable presentation. Harmonious and seamless (apart from the quartz seams) blending of video and audio. Full marks from me.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂 much appreciated, cheers 🙂⚒

[@ambi3nttech]

What a collection of adjectives. 😂

[@kieran_ciaran_hanley]

Love your videos! As a prospector, I always find them so informative. Amazing visual media that always looks so professionally edited!
Also, can't believe you only have 2.13K subscribers... I think the US audience would really enjoy your channel!

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks for your kind words, very much appreciated! 🙂 Glad you enjoy these videos 🙂⚒ cheers

[@KILBY899]

awesome stuff as always :)

[@goldfieldsguide]

Cheers 🙂⚒

[@paulconnell2385]

Another awesome vid with plenty of great history, and knowledge you have. Love the video rolls and to see you makes it even better......hope to see more.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Paul 🙂⚒ much appreciated

[@jaredmeeks4491]

This content is absolutely friqin awesome 💯

[@goldfieldsguide]

Cheers 🙂

[@paulmibus5383]

Love all your excellent work on exploring and explaining the way it worked and how it worked back in the old timer days, keep up the great work 😊

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks, glad you like the videos 🙂

[@graemeb54]

I love Fryerstown my favorite Gold field, great video. thankyou

[@goldfieldsguide]

It’s a very interesting place, for sure 🙂⚒🌿

[@stevenbateman4353]

another great video and as always very imformative thank you btw great to finally see you cheers

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Steven 🙂

[@idiggold]

Well done. Long format is great. AI voice now has AI body 😂

[@goldfieldsguide]

Haha, thanks 🙂⚒

[@nathan_486]

Very good video. Quite enjoyed that. How cool would it have been to see all that in action. The mine I work at uses a sag and ball mills with cyanide in leach. Pretty neat to see how it was developed. :)

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Nathan, glad you enjoyed the video 🙂

[@petestransit]

great video 👍 🇦🇺

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Pete 🙂

[@abyss2546]

Great video!

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks 🙂

[@chrishorvat5088]

Great video 👍

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks 🙂

[@WillCrimmins-il6wb]

Well said

[@keesrasyid8090]

From Indonesia, subscribed.

[@699hazard]

Love learning all of this kind of stuff, I live near the Goldfields of gippsland Victoria. You should come check them out

[@harrys3518]

I really enjoy your tours around the goldfields, it's enjoyable and educational thank you.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Harry, much appreciated 🙂

[@R.I.D.E]

Such a good video, thanks!!

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks! 🙂⚒

[@Tyler.O]

What a WONDERFUL channel...how do you not have a million subscribers?? Please keep up the good work. God bless

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Tyler, much appreciated 🙂

[@jasonjohnson1178]

Outstanding presentation well done please keep it up.

[@newtimergold7160]

I love your videos, particularly the illustrations of deep ground.
I just posted a short video/glimpse of what it really looks like.
Keep up the good work 😎

[@norsehall309]

G'day, it's been a while, good to see you back on the Goldfields and to you as well commenting live on site, love what you do, keep it up, cheers mate, Neil 🤠.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Neil, glad you enjoyed the video, many more to come 🙂⚒ cheers!

[@davidfisher4546]

Great video! very well researched and presented

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks David, much appreciated 🙂

[@wildfire8341]

Very informative 😮 i subscribed to your channel ❤

[@dmystify1381]

Thanks for this,totally fascinating,Clunes is a beautiful area.

[@andypandyAU.6669]

As always very informative , I have even roasted small samples to crush , it helps big time. Love the longer format, but enjoy them all. It is fantastic that you are so enthusiastic about the gold history in Victoria. ❤❤ it!

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Andy, great to hear 🙂 I plan to continue with the longer format 📸⚒ glad you like the videos 🙂

[@andypandyAU.6669]

I also like the shorts, but do like the longer format more. Like a bedtime story just before sleep time!

[@robshannon6637]

❤❤ fanatic video !!! And I love how your slowly working yourself into video's too 😊

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks Rob, yes, baby steps 🤣🙂⚒

[@darrenmarney8577]

Awesome 👌 Your back 😃

[@goldfieldsguide]

Yes, and lots more videos in the works 🙂⚒ cheers

[@pkgoldopalhunting]

great bit of history well done girl

[@goldfieldsguide]

Cheers, much appreciated 🙂

[@jethrodigger]

Bethanga Goldfield and Dart River Goldfield in the North east of Victoria have some interesting relics of quartz processing. roasting calcining and chlorination.

[@goldfieldsguide]

I’ll have to head up there for a look, cheers 🙂

[@jethrodigger]

@@goldfieldsguide Bethanga is easy to get to Dart River is very remote 4wd only. some nice old machinery in there though. Bethanga had a book written about the early days of mining . I think it was called '' A Poor Mans Diggings '' or something like that.

[@PeterMoore350]

Your narration style is very soothing interestingly!
I love the history of Victoria as im from there and have explored a lot of Vic in my very capable LC100 before I moved to NZ for work. Keep making these great and informative .videos.
Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘
Edit: the music soundtrack from about 6:30 got a bit annoying esp 7:10 onwards.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Hi Peter, thanks much appreciated 🙂⚒

[@PeterMoore350]

@@goldfieldsguide yw. One place you might want to visit is Blackwood, and if you've you've already done a video on this ? Let me know ? and i'll search your vids.
Do a search on "Gold was discovered in Jackson’s Gully, Blackwood on the 14th of November, 1854." and if you do, please - the music soundtrack ? I'd be ok with Spiritbox, some Industrial Goth, other Metal whatever, but none of these over the top orchestral accompaniments which drown out your narration. Acoustic guitar or light strings would be ok too. I used to play in a band, still play here and there, multiple guitars etc, home studio hehehe L8r pt8r !!

[@maureenmillard4241]

I used to play cricket in Fryerstown in the 60s.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Ah cool! It’s a beautiful place, with so much interesting history 🙂

[@Barbzy]

Thanks

[@goldfieldsguide]

Thanks so much Barbzy! Your support is much appreciated 🙂 cheers

[@ninjamoves3642]

heaviest nuggets the world has ever known came off the Clunes district, are they chillies?

[@user-dr5wz5xm1i]

Have you had a look at the Welcome hill Inglewood, dozens of open shafts and tunnels....

[@goldfieldsguide]

No I haven’t, I will have to go check it out, cheers 🙂

[@user-dr5wz5xm1i]

@@goldfieldsguide happy to show you around the welcome hill area of Inglewood....some nice ruin

[@goldfieldsguide]

That would be fantastic, send a message to the Goldfields Guide Facebook page if you’d like and we can chat about it 🙂 I’d love to check it out 🙂 cheers

[@shucksful]

I need to have a cigarette. 😅

[@janewray-mccann2133]

No one on You Tube knows or tells the story of gold better than you. The rest are just boy's in men's undies. You do our nation proud.

[@goldfieldsguide]

Glad you enjoyed the video 🙂 cheers