For more information or bookings contact our booking office
on 6332 2022 or
EMAIL

BATHURST GOLDFIELDS
428 CONROD STRAIGHT BATHURST NSW 2795
Tel: 02 6332 2022
Fax: 02 6332 3441

BATHURST GOLDFIELDS HOME PAGE

Professionally guided on site
Bathurst Goldfields
HSIE EDUCATION TOURS

The enthusiastic professional tour guides are a fountain of knowledge and know how to entertain and educate at the same time. They love their subject and it shows.

Tours to discover HSIE Gold

Tour 1
Gold Tour - 2 hours

To begin the scene is set as you learn of the history of gold discovery in NSW. Then as you enter the dark platt, quartz seams can be observed in the walls of the shaft. The platt is a communal area of a mine. You hear about the miner’s spider and the importance of the talking timbers to the safety of miners.

The geology room you learn the difference between fools gold, reef gold and alluvial gold. Various methods of mining are presented moving from man power, horse power to steam power. Visitors get to handle mining tools used, see the mineral display and have a photo taken with a life size model of the Holterman nugget.

The history room presents an extensive collection of general household items that were used in the Victorian home, along with a display of real gold allowing the guide to discuss the wide variety of uses for gold.

The tour then moves outside to the Chinese gatehouse through the temple housing artefacts and a pictorial display of the Chinese presence on the goldfields. You hear of the problems and prejudices they encountered and are able to see how the Chinese work practises and lifestyle varied from the European miners.

There are many hands on activities with people asked to pump the bellows or operate the horse drawn machines, like the Californian bucket pump, whim and poppet head. When operating the poppet head one kibble is hauled up the shaft as the other disappears into mine to be refilled.

The steam shed offers sounds and smells of the authentic wood fired boiler. This which drives the skip, and a demonstration of quartz being crushed by the 3 head stamper before the whistle blows sending a warning signal to the surrounding area.

In the traditional blacksmith shop the guides demonstration involves using volunteers to be apprentices for the blacksmith as they pump the bellows. Here a piece of black steel rod is transformed into a fire poker.

Tour 2
Gold Tour and Panning - 2.5 hours

Gold Tour as above.

Gold Panning . Our tour guide demonstrates the skills of panning to find real alluvial gold in the ponds. Starting with a gold pan full of gravel effort and patience is required to pan down to the fine sand where the gold is separated from fools gold. As the gold is revealed care is needed to remove it from the pan before placing it safely in the bottle provided. This is often the time licences are checked so be prepared for a visit from the police.

Tour 3
Gold Tour and Life in the Goldfields
4 hours

Gold tour as above

Life in the Goldfields.
Is is hands on and lots of fun. The Life in the Goldfields tour is set amongst the wattle and daub hut, rammed earth house and tent sites. The tour guide and assistant set the scene allowing your imagination to take you back in time to the gold rush days. The focus is on the role of women and children, how they arrived and established their homes on the goldfields. They hear of the chores children were responsible for, as compared to those today. Groups are divided into four and rotate so as to participate in mud brick making, damper cooking, bush games and putting up tents.

Tour 4
Gold Tour and Life in the Goldfields
and Panning
4.5 hours

All covered above

Other recommended Bathurst Tours

Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum -
home of the Somerville Collection

Bring earth history alive for your students.
The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum is the home of the internationally renowned Somerville Collection, the lifetime work of Professor Warren Somerville.  In an exquisite setting, right in the heart of Bathurst, you will see a fascinating range of rare fossils and minerals from around the world and scientifically significant specimens from Australia.
See Australia’s only Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and learn about
• Gold
• History of life on earth
• Geological timeline and structure of the earth
• Minerals and their uses
• Dinosaurs

Our guided or self guided tours are tailored to your syllabus need and cater for all age groups and learning styles.             

Further information and details including syllabus links, fees and education material can be found on the website:  www.somervillecollection.com.au
or contact 02 63315511 to discuss your visit.

Admission charges apply.

224 Howick Street, Bathurst, NSW 2795
Ph: 02 63315511
Email: somerville@bathurst.nsw.gov.au
Web: www.somervillecollection.com.au