item details
NameGold Workings at the Blue Spur, Gabriel's Gully
ProductionHerbert Deveril; photographer; 1873-1891; Otago
Classificationphotographic prints, black-and-white prints, albumen prints
Materialssilver, paper, albumen
Materials Summaryblack and white photograph, albumen silver print
Techniquesblack-and-white photography
DimensionsImage: 272mm (height), 362mm (length)
Registration NumberO.001459
Credit linePurchased 1990
Overview
A large portion of the Blue Spur, at the head of Gabriel's Gully, is simply sluiced with water brought by means of races for a distance of 29 miles. As much as 3 tons of powder is often used at a time for blasting and shaking the ground previous to the water being brought on to it. Some of the stuff is crushed, and there are several batteries of stampers worked by turbine wheels. The tailings from the Blue Spur washing have already covered the bottom of Gabriel's Gully, one of the first and richest diggings in Otago, with upwards of 100 feet depth of gravel.