Panning
Panning is a simple technique that is still used today. Panning is used to find alluvial gold. Alluvial gold is specks or flakes of gold the is found in creek bed, shallow streams, and in shallow dirt.
To pan, a miner would take small amount of soil or gravel that is thought to contain gold, the miner would also add a significant amount of water into a steel pan, then the miner would move the pan in a swirling motion, this motion would then 'swirl' out the mud and water leaving the gold behind.
Image: Panning for gold.
from: http://tysaustralia.com/images/2hist-goldgpanningforgold.jpg
To pan, a miner would take small amount of soil or gravel that is thought to contain gold, the miner would also add a significant amount of water into a steel pan, then the miner would move the pan in a swirling motion, this motion would then 'swirl' out the mud and water leaving the gold behind.
Image: Panning for gold.
from: http://tysaustralia.com/images/2hist-goldgpanningforgold.jpg
Cradle
A cradle was a stool that was used by miners to wash through large amounts of soil, rock or sand.
The miner would shovel pay-dirt (dirt thats thought to be containing gold) into the hopper of the cradle, the hopper had wire mesh to separate the large rocks and sometimes gold nuggets from the finer sediment or gold flakes. While one of the miners is shovelling dirt into the hopper, another would be pouring water down into the hopper and another miner would be gently rocking the cradle, the finer gold would then pass through the riffles and the gold, being heavier than the rest of the sediments would sink into these riffles while the other materials were washed away.
Image: gold rocker. http://c3e308.medialib.glogster.com/media/48/48c5f33cc95fe1270ee0a60ad05091d0b74795b9d3962e3c62a0c3a64a09b160/gold-rocker-jpeg.jpg
The miner would shovel pay-dirt (dirt thats thought to be containing gold) into the hopper of the cradle, the hopper had wire mesh to separate the large rocks and sometimes gold nuggets from the finer sediment or gold flakes. While one of the miners is shovelling dirt into the hopper, another would be pouring water down into the hopper and another miner would be gently rocking the cradle, the finer gold would then pass through the riffles and the gold, being heavier than the rest of the sediments would sink into these riffles while the other materials were washed away.
Image: gold rocker. http://c3e308.medialib.glogster.com/media/48/48c5f33cc95fe1270ee0a60ad05091d0b74795b9d3962e3c62a0c3a64a09b160/gold-rocker-jpeg.jpg
Puddling
Puddling was a technique used to separate gold from clay. A miner would use a large bucket or container and shovel clay into the container, the miner would then add water and stir making the clay dissolve, the gold and sand would be left in the bottom of the container, the mix would then be panned or cradled or sometimes both.
Image: Tub Puddling Source: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/43027/43027-h/images/ill-036.jpg
Image: Tub Puddling Source: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/43027/43027-h/images/ill-036.jpg
Miners Pick
The miners pick was a pick axe used to separate pieces of rock or soil so that the material would be small enough to fit in a cradle or bucket. The miners pick was also used to dig shafts or tunnels when the ground became to hard to dig using a shovel.
Image: Ballarat gold miners pick
Source: http://img.antiquesreporter.com.au/110525CLME/205.jpg
Image: Ballarat gold miners pick
Source: http://img.antiquesreporter.com.au/110525CLME/205.jpg
Shovel
The shovel was used by miners through the dirt also used to shovel material into buckets and cradles.
Image: Gold miners pick, shovel and pan
Source: http://www.lornet.com/prospector/images/shovel-pick-pan_col_L.jpg
Image: Gold miners pick, shovel and pan
Source: http://www.lornet.com/prospector/images/shovel-pick-pan_col_L.jpg
Shaft Mining
When alluvial gold became scarce, miners turned to shaft mining. Shaft mining is a technique used by miners where miners would use picks and shovels to dig shafts or tunnels underground. These shafts were 1 metre squared and were up to fifty metres deep. Miners used propped wood up against the walls and roof of the shaft/tunnel to make sure that they were not buried alive. Chinese miners would dig cylindrical tunnels because cylindrical tunnels were more structurally sound then the square tunnels other miners dug out.
Shaft mining was at least a 3 man operation, one miner digging in the shaft, shovelling the soil into a bucket, another miner would be above the shaft using a winch or a windlass and the third miner would be washing the material dug up with the cradle.
Image: Mine Shaft Beechworth
Source: http://www.fitzy.id.au/trips/2003/images/Mine%20Shaft%20Beechworth.jpg
Shaft mining was at least a 3 man operation, one miner digging in the shaft, shovelling the soil into a bucket, another miner would be above the shaft using a winch or a windlass and the third miner would be washing the material dug up with the cradle.
Image: Mine Shaft Beechworth
Source: http://www.fitzy.id.au/trips/2003/images/Mine%20Shaft%20Beechworth.jpg