The Little River Quartz Reefs, New South Wales.

A very rare c.19th lithographic view of the quartz and gold diggings at Mongarlowe (near Braidwood) which were known as ‘Little River Gold-Fields’.

These celebrated quartz claims, which have recently been visited by our travelling mining reporter, who has supplied the sketch from which the above engraving is executed, are situated at Broad Gully, on the Mungarlowe [Mongarlowe] or Little River Gold-Field, in the Braidwood District. Since the working of this gold-field many large nuggets have been hit upon, ranging from 39 to 142 ozs., but the utmost excitement was created in Braidwood on the 12th September last by the intelligence of a most extraordinary rich find of gold by the shareholders of the Homeward Bound Claim. The parties themselves, on coming upon it, were quite besides themselves with excitement. In not more than a third of a three-bushel bag full of stone which was raised, it was estimated by some that there was thirty pounds weight of gold, and by some persons it was thought there were nearer forty pounds weight. For one piece of stone alone L80 was offered, but this the claim owners were not inclined to accept, seeing that they had sold a piece a few hours previously for L7 10s., which on being crushed yielded ten ounces of gold. They crushed the stone, which weighed about seventy-five pounds, in a mortar, and having done all they could in this rude way to separate the gold from the stone, they brought it to the Oriental Bank on Monday, when the residue was found to weigh 333 oz. 7 dwts. Of this between 250 and 300 ozs. was estimated to be gold, being about one-third of the weight of stone in which it was found, which was 900 ounces.

From: Original edition of , The Illustrated Sydney News.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 440095
State Library New South Wales: F8/39-40
State Library Victoria: CINF SLVIC=1853-1872-RARENSL N.S.W.