Old Timer's camps

[HipHipDecay]

Not sure if this is the right area to post this topic but ah well...
I'm interested in people's knowledge/experiences when exploring the campsites in bush left by the old timers. My mum has pottered around her 20 acres and up into 10 km's of state forest bush and has found evidence of early campsites with relics, heaps of old workings in the area. Just interested in ideas on how far from diggings they tended to camp, whereabouts they generally dumped their rubbish, that sort of thing. Thought maybe Loamer might have some clues about the telltale signs in the land. Im just so interested in how they lived out there too, the stuff they left behind.

 

[G0lddigg@]

The old timers would often setup camp very close the pits. Whole towns would move around and follow leads as they were opened. Depending on the lenght of the rush potentially schools were opened and closed

Id start with public records mate from there you can get lost in research and away you go

 

[Guest]

The camp could even be on top of the richest area. Mount a heap of neodymiums on a rake and remove all the metal, then swing away.

 

[goldtruck59]

Gidday HHD

I have often sat in the bush trying to conjure up what and where everything might of been when the rush was on.
As per above they often camped on or abutting their claim unless of course it was a large rush and very long lead in which case they still camped as close as they could for security reasons/ protection of their claim. Infact as mentioned the calico tent towns followed the rushes and leads. Dunolly in Vic is in its 4th or 5th location because of this reason.
Often however water determined where they traipsed to and fro from. The diggers would either bag or stockpile their wash and wait for rain or cart the wash to the nearest creek or water hole or puddler. These are the trails and tracks you may wish to look for. Often the wash was in open barrows or carts and it has been proven that the odd nugget fell off the cart.!! Equally relevant in gold areas is where the local council has used the mullock heaps as road bases. It pays to have a walk along the side of roads after a shower of rain with your eyes peeled downwards.
Also look for long drops and types of arranged stones/bases large or small to give indicators of camps.
This part of our heritage is fast disappearing. Even if you read the geologist reports of the areas from the 1970's, they no longer resemble what they described only 40 years ago.
The 1930's gold mining revival/ depression years saw a lot of damage to our heritage particularly with the bloody sluices they used.

GT

 

[GypsyGoldAu]

One thing to also consider about camps. Not all of them were there as a result of a "gold rush" but were in fact old "woodcutters" camps of the 40's and 50's...usually "less" relics but loads of degrading metal "biscuit, tea & flour" tins and "usually" within a small defined area that was used as the "tip"...broken bottles and crockery usually attest to this as in the real "old" times, many folk kept on the move from "rush" to "rush" and as a result LESS "relics" are noticeable.

Not saying this is the case in this instance, just another "possibility" when viewing these "older" sites....

Gypsy