New Australasian Gold Mine disaster facts for kids
The New Australasian No.2 Deep Lead Gold Mine was a gold mine located in Creswick, Victoria, Australia. It is sadly famous for being Australia's worst gold mining disaster that happened underground.
On Tuesday, December 12, 1882, at 4:45 AM, a terrible accident occurred. Water from a nearby flooded mine shaft suddenly rushed into the No.2 mine. This trapped 29 miners deep underground. Despite quick efforts, only five miners managed to escape and reach the surface safely.
For two days, people worked frantically to pump the water out. Even special equipment from the warship HMVS Cerberus was brought in to help. However, the water kept rising and eventually filled the mine shaft. The trapped miners knew they were in great danger. They wrote their last messages to their families on their metal water bottles, called billy cans. Some of these billy cans have been saved and are now on display. One, at the Creswick Museum, has the moving message, "We are all happy." The miners who died left behind 18 widows and 75 children who depended on them.
Remembering the Miners
Funerals and Memorial
The funerals for the miners took place on December 15, 1882. A very large procession, with about 4,000 people, stretched for about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) between the mine and the Creswick cemetery. Many of the miners who died were originally from Cornwall, England, or had Cornish family roots.
Soon after the disaster, people raised a lot of money to help the families. About £13,000 was collected for a special relief fund. This showed how much the community cared and wanted to support those affected.
In 1982, exactly 100 years after the disaster, a memorial was unveiled. The Premier of Victoria, John Cain, who was the leader of the state government at the time, revealed the New Australasian No.2 Deep Lead Gold Mining Memorial. This memorial has a plaque that tells the sad story of what happened.
Today, the site of the mine is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. This means it is recognized as an important historical place that needs to be protected and remembered.
