Cudgewa, Lucyvale, Shelly, The Legend of the Lost and Forgotten Gold

[greencheeks77]

As a young fella working in spotmills and living deep in the scrub only to return home every now and then I would sit around a fire and listen to stories and legends of an old man that spent his whole life in the Victorian bush as a woodcutter and one story I was told and always remember is that an old prospector from Corryong would walk the creeks and the mountain's in his search for his Eldorado and be gone for weeks before returning to his home in Corryong at the end of every search, well apparently he returned to his quest one time and found a place in a creek somewhere between Cudgewa and shelly he found a reef of gold but suddenly took ill and returned to the hospital I cant remember what he said was wrong with him but lets just say he was in a very bad way for almost 2 weeks when taking his last moments to reveal to a nurse a leather pouch containing about 12 ounces of pure gold and told her the location now the legend is that when he left his Eldorado he placed an axe in a large gumtree along the side of the creek but nobody has ever found the reef or the axe.....

If you have heard of this story please let us know as I believe it to be true or I could of just been played :lol: but I believe that he believed and I guess that's what makes it memorable..

 

[cecc]

Hi greencheeks I lived in Cudgewa for 8 yrs before going into the Army, we had the Cudgewa Pub for 9 1/2 yrs from 1966 1975. I remember some old timers mentioning about gold up near Shelly, used to work in the pine forest at Shelly.

I seem to remember something about an axe in a tree, but very vague now. As a kid I was mesmerized by such stories and always wanted to look for gold in those creeks, but never knew how.

So yeah not real sure, amazing someone here is talking about Cudgewa and Shelly, so many good memories.

 

[jethro]

Hey greencheeks

I think you may have been told a combination of 2 stories that orginated from up that way. The first is the legend of the tomahawk reef that was supposedly discovered on the dart river or zulu creek watershed sometime in the 1870s. Its pretty well documented (as a legend) in John Morrows book, "Tales of Gibbo Gold" .
The second part about the nuggets / specimens being produced I heard from a third party that an old fellow from corryong who spent a lot of time prospecting had a collection ovf specimens in his old landrover that he used to show those he trusted. I was able to verify the name given to me through some records I had access to at the time. But not the story about the landrover & his stash.

 

[cecc]

Hey jethro that's great stuff, I knew John Morrow. That book sounds interesting. There is one old fellow I used to know, he is no longer with us, we had some great talks about when he and his brother used to mine up at Kiandra. Told me about the hydraulic sluicing and 'New Chum Hill'.

Don't know anything about the landrover or that story.

 

[greencheeks77]

That is pretty amazing guys to hear others have maybe heard the same legend :lol: the bush telegraph at its best. I used to drink and play pool at the Koetong pub Faye and Kevin (rip) the owners used put on a great spread and there was always fresh hot mini spuds in mint sauce on the bar Glory Days.. we had a log cabin at once stage out the back of the shelly camp way in up near the power lines and I remember we were riding our motorbikes pretty deep in on some old snigging tracks and we came upon a lush little creek with tree ferns it was just breath taking like you were kinda home feeling one gets and there was these old steam engines in the creek with all the ferns growing around them, only 16 at the time I always vowed to return but never did and I would possibly have trouble locating it again.... does anyone know what were they mining for up behind the shelly camp like 20 km in from the main road and to the left a tiny bit if you were to look at it on a map...

 

[jethro]

sounds like you were in at glendart

 

[Havinago]

Theres a similar story of a fellow over in Canada from the 1800's forgot his name but it was a cool watch on youtube, also sounds a bit like lasseters hmmm, i'd like to think those legends are real it keeps the dream alive

 

[greencheeks77]

sounds like you were in at glendart

If I look at it on google maps its pretty much where the Lucyvale creek reference area is somewhere there, Glendart is a lot further in and looking at it now it could of even been a creek running into Lucyvale creek by the looks of it and the log cabin was on Lucyvale creek..

Don't worry havinago Legends Never Die....

 

[jethro]

I havent done any prospecting in Lucyvale ck but i believe that there were alluvial tin deposits mined at koetong area and they mined gold in log bridge ck which is the next one to the east. Its now covered by a wilderness park so not even allowed to drive a vehicle in there & its too far to walk in just for a day.

 

[Mungoman]

G'day Greencheeks.

Up on the Southern tablelands, we have the legend of Billy Blue and his missus.

Billy Blue, a local fellow of the Gundungarra Mob, lived around Goulburn with his Missus and would come into town when he got a bit low on provisions. Billy always paid for his provisions with gold that he reckoned was from the Shoalhaven.

The problem was that that gold, that he paid with, had been cut with an axe of a larger piece. some of the locals tried to follow him but Billy's Missus always let him know when he was being followed.

Anyway, the story goes that Billy Blue had known of a reef of gold that was concealed behind a waterfall (He was always wet when He came to town, as if He'd just swam across a river), and when Billy needed some provisions, he'd go up there with his axe, and cut a little piece off.

 

[ozziii]

Nice place up there, I might be up there over xmas, not sure just yet though. My family are good friends with an old farmer out Lucyvale, his family has lived in the same place for probably over 100 years & we used to help his brother (who passed away a few years ago) run his farm up the top end of the Lucyvale valley. If I get up there I will have to see if I can get out there & have a chat with him, he knows pretty much everything there is to know about the Lucyvale area.
I know there's a few mines near Corryong, one of the better known ones is on private property, my parents spoke to the owners not long back, they actually do a little prospecting themselves, not sure if they have found much though. Would be nice to get on there for a look around.
I never looked into prospecting while I was living there, I did get into the bush a bit while deer hunting but just wasn't looking for anything gold related, have been looking into it recently though.

 

[greencheeks77]

I havent done any prospecting in Lucyvale ck but i believe that there were alluvial tin deposits mined at koetong area and they mined gold in log bridge ck which is the next one to the east. Its now covered by a wilderness park so not even allowed to drive a vehicle in there & its too far to walk in just for a day.

I haven't heard of log bridge creek or cant recall though I do remember a few log bridges, I remember we had a camp between Koetong and Burrowye some where in there and I remember this one day the old boy came back for the day and told us of a quartz reef like he had never seen b4 and all that night he would say through out the conversations was I will have to go back there one day and have a better look me being young and not yet caught the fever never thought much of it. I have always remembered where it was there was a natural spring high up in a gully and east facing so its defiantly on my bucket list and to take the kids to Mount Lawson lookout..

 

[greencheeks77]

Nice place up there, I might be up there over xmas, not sure just yet though. My family are good friends with an old farmer out Lucyvale, his family has lived in the same place for probably over 100 years & we used to help his brother (who passed away a few years ago) run his farm up the top end of the Lucyvale valley. If I get up there I will have to see if I can get out there & have a chat with him, he knows pretty much everything there is to know about the Lucyvale area.
I know there's a few mines near Corryong, one of the better known ones is on private property, my parents spoke to the owners not long back, they actually do a little prospecting themselves, not sure if they have found much though. Would be nice to get on there for a look around.
I never looked into prospecting while I was living there, I did get into the bush a bit while deer hunting but just wasn't looking for anything gold related, have been looking into it recently though.

Sounds like the same family I knew back then if it is then you are sure to enjoy your stay, I used to know an old German bloke who worked on the snowy scheme and I remember some stories that he told me about blokes from the camps often found gold and kept their treasure's close and told no one.. the only treasures I ever found up there was at Khancoban playing the one armed bandits Good Times..

That's a pretty kewl story Mungoman
I always love to here about legends they always gets one thinking (I reckon I could find it) you see heaps about American lost gold mines that still have tons of gold still waiting but not very many here in Australia unless your buying books that is but not much on the computer so thanx for that..

 

[ozziii]

I have some geology maps of the area showing where some diggings were done, have actually been to a couple of the places there but not for prospecting, just 4wd touring, & the farm we used to do the deer & wild dog hunting, cattle & sheep work on up the Lucyvale valley had tin mines & going by the maps also had some shallow working for gold in the creek. I can also remember my old man telling me about the old mining equipment in the bush up the back, they showed me photo's a while back, think there was a boiler type tank & maybe an old stamping machine. There were diggings near Shelley camp as well, not sure on the extent but it shows on the geology maps, as well as Nariel, & a few other spots.
From what I have found, the area had some gold deposits but nothing really rich, although I know of a mine near Corryong that was called The Jewelers Shop, because the walls glistened with gold, that isn't the actual mine name though, just what locals supposedly called it, can see where it was as you drive past if you know where to look, on private property I mentioned earlier though where the owners do a little prospecting.
I had my parents speak to them not that long ago.

 

[greencheeks77]

I really think I have heard about that mine cant remember the story but the way you describe it The Jewellers shop I believe I have heard of it, I wonder I it was the same boiler that I stumbled upon?? very kewl.. wild dogs were always a huge problem up the back of lucyvale as I remember it and often we spoke with the dog trapper (shooter) in fact out the back of shelly is where I first seen a pack of dogs running an emu down and not all the dogs at once mind you they were very calculated and spread out and as the emu was chased further down the road another dog would appear entering from the bush and continuing the chase it was the most incredible experience as I remember it and a white fox another time. cant remember reading or hearing a story that a creek just out of Corryong where people pan and they find nuggets that 3 to 5 grams are found and could of even been an old mine or some type of structure where they worked and there was apparently an old race or something that is there?

 

[limpalot]

Have a look on Geo Vic, zoom in to 1 Km, spots all over the area.
Cheers LL.

 

[jethro]

I remember reading or hearing a story that a creek just out of Corryong where people pan and they find nuggets that 3 to 5 grams are found and could of even been an old mine or some type of structure where they worked and there was apparently an old race or something that is there?

Hey Greencheeks I think I know the creek you are talking about.

A few years ago Myself and prospecting partner decided to check out a few of the creeks around corryong. One in particular showed signs of being dredged very thouroughly over most of its accessible length. I found one large flake of gold just sitting on top of a large rock bar, but nothing else, until our second trip where my partner got 3.5grms of course shotty gold out of a crevise that had been overlooked by dredgers and myself included.

I havent been back since, partly out of respect for my prospecting partner who had a stroke and cant get about like he used to. 8.( Perhaps its time to have another go at the upper murray.

 

[greencheeks77]

I remember reading or hearing a story that a creek just out of Corryong where people pan and they find nuggets that 3 to 5 grams are found and could of even been an old mine or some type of structure where they worked and there was apparently an old race or something that is there?

Hey Greencheeks I think I know the creek you are talking about.

A few years ago Myself and prospecting partner decided to check out a few of the creeks around corryong. One in particular showed signs of being dredged very thouroughly over most of its accessible length. I found one large flake of gold just sitting on top of a large rock bar, but nothing else, until our second trip where my partner got 3.5grms of course shotty gold out of a crevise that had been overlooked by dredgers and myself included.

I havent been back since, partly out of respect for my prospecting partner who had a stroke and cant get about like he used to. 8.( Perhaps its time to have another go at the upper murray.

it is a great spot up there I wish I was more aware at the time I was there , I say 3.5 g is not a bad from the previous 1 large flake sorry to hear about ya bud its never really the same when its just one of you, well sometimes it good to get out alone.. it does look like some of the area I was referring to like the log cabin may have bulldozed for pine.. the upper Murray hmm as in like the buchland :lol: .. as my brain ticks away.... thanx jethro

 

[ozziii]

Well, looks like I'll be heading up there Thursday if all goes too plan. My brother should have his new SSV ute turn up at his work tomorrow (Tuesday), then he just has to do a pre-delivery on it, have it detailed, windows tinted & rego done & it will be right for him to take it home Wednesday, first trip will be to Corryong for a few days over xmas. Probably won't be able to get out for much of a prospect but will see what info I can find out while I'm up there. Might check out a few park area's & see if I can find a few coins, might help pay the 1000+ km fuel bill there & back from Ballarat,haha.
Might take the pans as well, might be able to check out the Cudgee creek or head out Thowgla or Nariel way. Just realised where Log Bridge creek is as well, I knew I had seen it but just couldn't remember where it was.
I'm not much of a xmassy type person so panning would be a good way to spend xmas day, just won't be able to go on dirt roads in the brother ute.

 

[jethro]

Hey ozzie
Have a pan in the creek at Staceys Bridge I got a bit of colour there yrs ago. Youre a bit limited if you cant go on dirt rds.