Oriental Claims
Encyclopedia
The Oriental Claims are a former gold
mining
operation, or claim, located 2 km south of Omeo, Victoria
, Australia
. The Oriental Claims are named in reference to The Oriental Company which mined in the area from 1876 to 1904, and also in memory of the many Chinese
miner
s ('Orient
als') that worked the area for over 50 years.
During the main years of operation it is estimated that 58000 ounces (1,644.3 kg) of gold was extracted from the area, which would equate to over A$
75 million at the 2010 gold price
of over A$1,300 an ounce. The Oriental Claims are currently preserved as a Parks Victoria
Historic Area covering about 202 hectares (499.2 acre).
al (Asia
n) company
, The Oriental Company was a Europe
an company that mined
the area from 1876 to 1904, chiefly working its Oriental Claim. The Oriental Company was established by five shareholder
s and altogether the company leased two areas containing 43 hectares and rightfully owned another 25 hectares of prime mining land.
The Oriental Company efficiently used hydraulic sluicing
to carve the land for precious alluvial
gold
and gouged the land with a network of water
races
specifically designed for maximum water pressure. However towards the last years of the company's operations disputes occurred between shareholders. Mining was eventually halted in 1904 when environmental
issues drew concern for the state of the Livingstone Creek and the Oriental Company went out of business. A solution was found in 1911 involving placing the mining waste or tailings
on already worked ground and a new Oriental Company took up the claim, but this proved unprofitable and all mining pursuits essentially stopped in the Oriental Claims area by 1912.
and then soon after it was mined by small companies. One of the more established was the Pioneer Company who worked the Pioneer Claim for 25 years from 1856-1881, before selling to the Chinese Co-operative who continued mining the claim with relatively little success until 1888. This company was composed of no more than fifty men, and they were some of the first miners to use sluicing in the claims, creating water races and hydraulic systems to accommodate the hydraulic sluicing methods. Other companies also invested interest in the area at this time as did a number of individual miners.
Chinese miners also made the best of the promised gold at the claims. Ah Fong and his small group of about four miners proved the most successful of the Asian miners and managed to extract 6000 ounces (170.1 kg) of gold from their small claim between 1875 and 1883. Currently there is a loop track that views Ah Fong's Claim, and there is still evidence of the hydraulic system used to remove the gold.
there were plenty of criminals
eager to rob a miner of his hard earned gold. The few troopers
assigned to the area were too busy settling mining disputes and enforcing permits
that crimes outside the claims were neglected. Murder
ers, con men and women
and professional gamblers
all utilized the gold rush to their own ends. However these criminals were a minority in the Omeo district, the majority of the people being hardworking miners. Magistrate
s were brought into the area to help minimize crime. One of the magistrates Mr. Brown is said to have described Omeo as the roughest and toughest goldfield in Australia as recorded in A.M Pearson’s historical recording ‘Echoes From The Mountains’.
clan numbering at approximately two hundred and fifty. There is little reported of these people in the years that the district was settled, although it is said that they were somewhat territorial and could be violent towards neighbouring tribes
. However they had an alliance with the Bongillo clan who occupied the Wodonga district. The two tribes met annually to engage wives to the young men of the tribe at the Bogong High Plains
. Here they also indulged in the Bogong moth
s that hatched at the High Plains in great number which served as a delicacy in their diets. The environment was changed massively with the settlement of Europeans and the introduction of pests such as rabbit
s. The competition and danger associated with European settlement drove the Omeo tribe practically to extinction
. The last known survivor was employed as a stockman
on Bindi station, south of Omeo. It is not known whether there are any present descendants.
in the 1930s and the 1939 fires that claimed half the town, remarkably only killing two people.
, Riley’s Creek, Brookville, Stirling, New Rush, Swifts Creek
, Bald Hill Creek, The Gibbo, Wombat, Brandy Creek, The Big River, Cribbage Creek, Swindlers Creek and other small rivers that served as an attraction for eager miners. Today most of these areas are practically deserted with few houses or farming, however Swifts Creek still supports 281 residents and a number of small businesses and government agencies.
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
operation, or claim, located 2 km south of Omeo, Victoria
Omeo, Victoria
Omeo is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Alpine Road, east of Mount Hotham, in the Shire of East Gippsland. At the 2006 census, Omeo had a population of 452. The name is derived from the Aboriginal word for 'mountains' or 'hills'...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The Oriental Claims are named in reference to The Oriental Company which mined in the area from 1876 to 1904, and also in memory of the many Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
miner
Miner
A miner is a person whose work or business is to extract ore or minerals from the earth. Mining is one of the most dangerous trades in the world. In some countries miners lack social guarantees and in case of injury may be left to cope without assistance....
s ('Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
als') that worked the area for over 50 years.
During the main years of operation it is estimated that 58000 ounces (1,644.3 kg) of gold was extracted from the area, which would equate to over A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
75 million at the 2010 gold price
Gold as an investment
Of all the precious metals, gold is the most popular as an investment. Investors generally buy gold as a hedge or harbor against economic, political, or social fiat currency crises...
of over A$1,300 an ounce. The Oriental Claims are currently preserved as a Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria
-Department:Parks Victoria was established in December 1996 as a statutory authority, reporting to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change. The Parks Victoria Act 1998 makes Parks Victoria responsible for managing national parks, reserves and other land under the control of the state,...
Historic Area covering about 202 hectares (499.2 acre).
History
The Oriental Company
Contrary to the popular belief due to its name that it was an orientOrient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
al (Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n) company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
, The Oriental Company was a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an company that mined
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
the area from 1876 to 1904, chiefly working its Oriental Claim. The Oriental Company was established by five shareholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
s and altogether the company leased two areas containing 43 hectares and rightfully owned another 25 hectares of prime mining land.
The Oriental Company efficiently used hydraulic sluicing
Hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining, or hydraulicking, is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold.-Precursor - ground...
to carve the land for precious alluvial
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and gouged the land with a network of water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
races
Mill race
A mill race, raceway or mill lade is the current or channel of a stream, especially one for conducting water to or from a water wheel or other device for utilizing its energy...
specifically designed for maximum water pressure. However towards the last years of the company's operations disputes occurred between shareholders. Mining was eventually halted in 1904 when environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
issues drew concern for the state of the Livingstone Creek and the Oriental Company went out of business. A solution was found in 1911 involving placing the mining waste or tailings
Tailings
Tailings, also called mine dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or slickens, are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore...
on already worked ground and a new Oriental Company took up the claim, but this proved unprofitable and all mining pursuits essentially stopped in the Oriental Claims area by 1912.
Other miners
Prior to 1876 when the Oriental Company started to mine the claims the area was first mined by early squattersSquatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
and then soon after it was mined by small companies. One of the more established was the Pioneer Company who worked the Pioneer Claim for 25 years from 1856-1881, before selling to the Chinese Co-operative who continued mining the claim with relatively little success until 1888. This company was composed of no more than fifty men, and they were some of the first miners to use sluicing in the claims, creating water races and hydraulic systems to accommodate the hydraulic sluicing methods. Other companies also invested interest in the area at this time as did a number of individual miners.
Chinese miners also made the best of the promised gold at the claims. Ah Fong and his small group of about four miners proved the most successful of the Asian miners and managed to extract 6000 ounces (170.1 kg) of gold from their small claim between 1875 and 1883. Currently there is a loop track that views Ah Fong's Claim, and there is still evidence of the hydraulic system used to remove the gold.
Criminal activity
As a result of the gold rushGold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
there were plenty of criminals
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
eager to rob a miner of his hard earned gold. The few troopers
Trooper (police rank)
Trooper is a rank used by several civilian police forces in the United States. In its plural form, troopers, it generally refers to members of state highway patrol or state police agencies, even though those officers may not necessarily be of the rank of trooper.For example, in the Louisiana State...
assigned to the area were too busy settling mining disputes and enforcing permits
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
that crimes outside the claims were neglected. Murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ers, con men and women
Confidence trick
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
and professional gamblers
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
all utilized the gold rush to their own ends. However these criminals were a minority in the Omeo district, the majority of the people being hardworking miners. Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s were brought into the area to help minimize crime. One of the magistrates Mr. Brown is said to have described Omeo as the roughest and toughest goldfield in Australia as recorded in A.M Pearson’s historical recording ‘Echoes From The Mountains’.
Aboriginal heritage
Before the European settlement of the Omeo district it was inhabited by an AboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
clan numbering at approximately two hundred and fifty. There is little reported of these people in the years that the district was settled, although it is said that they were somewhat territorial and could be violent towards neighbouring tribes
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
. However they had an alliance with the Bongillo clan who occupied the Wodonga district. The two tribes met annually to engage wives to the young men of the tribe at the Bogong High Plains
Bogong High Plains
The Bogong High Plains are a section of the Alpine National Park in the Australian state of Victoria and are situated south of Mount Bogong. This area forms part of Australia's Great Dividing Range and in winter is one of the largest snow covered areas in the country. It can be easily accessed from...
. Here they also indulged in the Bogong moth
Bogong moth
The Bogong moth is a temperate species of night-flying moth notable for appearing in large numbers around major public buildings in Canberra, the capital city of Australia, during spring as it migrates to the High Plains. The moth's name 'Bogong' is the same as the mountain ranges on the High...
s that hatched at the High Plains in great number which served as a delicacy in their diets. The environment was changed massively with the settlement of Europeans and the introduction of pests such as rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s. The competition and danger associated with European settlement drove the Omeo tribe practically to extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
. The last known survivor was employed as a stockman
Stockman
In Australia a stockman is a person who looks after the livestock on a large property known as a station, which is owned by a grazier or a grazing company...
on Bindi station, south of Omeo. It is not known whether there are any present descendants.
Settlement
The first stations were founded in Omeo in December 1835. The area was originally settled by Livingstone. Livingstone Creek and Mount Livingstone were named after the first squatter in the area.Omeo
Omeo when translated means mountains. This is relevant for the area that forms Omeo is surrounded by mountains. During the peak of the gold rush the town accommodated thousands of miners, farmers and businessmen however in 2006 statistics showed that it had a population of 452. This population decline was mainly due to the end of the gold rush but was also affected by the depressionDepression (economics)
In economics, a depression is a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity in one or more economies. It is a more severe downturn than a recession, which is seen by some economists as part of the modern business cycle....
in the 1930s and the 1939 fires that claimed half the town, remarkably only killing two people.
Local area
During the gold rush period, gold was found throughout the surrounding district and it supported lots of small communities clustered around the gold strikes. These included CassilisCassilis, Victoria
Cassilis is a ghost town in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. It was named after a district and castle in Ayrshire, Scotland. In the late 19th century, at the peak of the gold boom, it was a thriving mining centre and home to more than 500 people.-History:...
, Riley’s Creek, Brookville, Stirling, New Rush, Swifts Creek
Swifts Creek, Victoria
Swifts Creek is a rural community located between Omeo and Ensay on the Great Alpine Road in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, east of the state capital Melbourne. Swifts Creek is at an altitude of 300 m above sea level. The area was originally settled by Europeans in the gold rushes of the mid...
, Bald Hill Creek, The Gibbo, Wombat, Brandy Creek, The Big River, Cribbage Creek, Swindlers Creek and other small rivers that served as an attraction for eager miners. Today most of these areas are practically deserted with few houses or farming, however Swifts Creek still supports 281 residents and a number of small businesses and government agencies.