A sizable ethnic community in Greater Bendigo was the Cornish. They brought with them specialised mining knowledge and methods.
The nineteenth-century migration of the Cornish affected mining operations worldwide, and it was because of this significance that the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape in the United Kingdom was given World Heritage status in 2006.
The first Cornish settlers in South Australia's copper mines, where they had initially emigrated in the late 1830s and early 1840s, arrived on the Victorian goldfields by land. 6,700 aided Cornish immigrants arrived in Australia between 1846 and 1850. Other miners left in large numbers as the Cornish copper mining sector collapsed in 1866.
Almost one in every four households in Sandhurst in 1881 were likely occupied by Cornish people. There were other communities in Ironbark, Golden Square, Sutton, California Gully, and at Huntly, and more than half of the homes in Long Gully were Cornish.
At Harvey Town, a historical district of Eaglehawk, you can still see signs of Cornish habitation. Harvey Town was given its name in honour of the Harvey family members, who received these allotments from the Crown in the 1870s.
Rubblestone-built homes and dry-stone-walled fences are clear indications of the distinctive architectural techniques Cornish settlers brought to the goldfields.
The Harvey Town hamlet, which is close to Pennyweight Gully and the Prince of Wales mining shaft, demonstrates how a community came to be and grew around a source of livelihood.
The tribute system was one of the distinctive Cornish mining methods used on the central Victorian goldfields. The usage of single-pointed picks, bucket pumps, the "hammer and tap" method of boring holes in a rock face, the "Cousin Jack" wheelbarrow, and Cornish-designed whims were among the equipment and methods used by the Cornish.
The Cornish were in high demand in the Sandhurst gold mines for their abilities in water pumping, shaft sinking, and "stopping," which was the procedure of withdrawing ore from underground and leaving behind an open space.
The Ninnes tomb in Maiden Gully illustrates how harsh life was for migrants in the early goldfields, especially for women and children. Maria Ninnes, a Cornish immigrant who passed away in 1852 due to illness, is interred here together with her two children.
After arriving in Australia in 1848, Thomas, his wife Maria, and their children travelled across Australia by wagon from Burra in South Australia. The State Library of Australia has Thomas' travelogue on file.
Tin has been mined in Cornwall since the Roman era, which is thousands of years ago. They were called Cousin Jacks, the Cornish miners. The pioneering miners included them in the Australian Goldfields, which included Bendigo. Many Cousin Jacks travelled to Australia in 1851 as a result of the Great Australian Gold Rush. This beautiful monument serves as a fitting tribute to the pioneering nature of these Cornish miners.
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Also there are a number of 'studs' on the miner's right heel. How many are there? (Answer is greater than ten) Please send your answer to me via my geocaching profile or via this link here.
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Source of Information:
The Cornish in Australia’s most Cornish city – Bendigo | Cornwall24.net