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Lammerlaws treasures - relics of the Goldfields...plus Gold finds.

NUGGY		Posted : Tuesday, 9 October 2012 12:07:57 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 20/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 267 Location: greymouth Thanks: 85 times Was thanked: 76 time(s) in 58 post(s)		No, I won't give any more info or yes/nos, but if you do figure it out - leave that shit alone, it's unstable as hell, and will bite you with more power than it should have, even in small quantities. Got to thinking about some of the stuff I have found out in the scrub over the years today; A mint small 4 head stamper battery, just left on a bank beside a large creek. God knows what else was stashed nearby, I was running late and didn't poke around, never got back there, probably won't now it's a fairly tough spot and a 2 hour walk. I very much doubt that access would be granted now either, from where I went in. I found an old copper amalgam plate, about 4 feet wide by around 6 feet long. It was in the bush not far from an old stamping battery site. Folded, crumpled and in very poor condition it still had mercury on it in patches and was holey and scabby, green/blue corroded even though it was quite thick. About 10 years later I put a lot of effort into trying to re-find it in case it still had gold on it - no luck, it had either disintegrated into the leaf litter, or I missed the spot somehow. I favour the first explanation. I was reading an old wardens report and found references to a town I had never heard or read of. The report ended with this curiosity invoking sentence - As the inhabitants of -------- have been unable to secure any help with restoring the track, they have packed up their easiest to carry possessions and babes in arms and walked off. Leaving their houses with most of the contents inside to fall into disrepair and their nearby mining unfinished. This was dated about 1880 and despite talking many times to long time local residents about similar subjects, no-one ever mentioned it? I managed to find the start of the track into it, but that route in is totally impossible, unless someone wants to spend a week walking about 3 k's. I was at an old coal mining area that had been stripped for steel by scrap metal dealers, I was detecting down a gorgy creek and found an astonishingly huge pile of stuff that had obviously been dumped over the edge many years before. There must have been a hundred tons of steel coal mining junk, and possibly double that lying in a tangled overgrown mess. Might be better in the West Coast locations thread. Later NUGGY

Lammerlaw		Posted : Tuesday, 9 October 2012 9:26:34 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		NUGGY I have all the ingredients for Ammonium Triiodide sitting in my shed - a legacy of when I worked and a result of my employment. When they got rid of me I was instructed to ditch any chemicals which were dangerous rather than leave them for some unwitting person to experiment with. All my life I have been after a stamper battery - it has been and for that matter still is a desire of mine to get one and also to set it up and get it going. The Amalgam plate sounds cracker and I daresay that if I found it I would have been very keen to have rescued it - one way or another - of course in this country of corruption and crap you wouldnbt be allowed - DOC, who have not got the rescources to look after these things would get off their trolley if they caught anyone rescuing these things. A shame really as they can only disintegrate further if left lying there - of course the ideal would be to locate these things then restore them and rebuild the battery sheds and have them maintained by volunteers but there doesnt seem to be anyone in DOC who can actually THINK of these ideas. When you find that village give me a yell and I shall come and see what I can pillage and plunder.

NUGGY		Posted : Tuesday, 9 October 2012 9:52:24 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 20/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 267 Location: greymouth Thanks: 85 times Was thanked: 76 time(s) in 58 post(s)		Hi Lammerlaw, yes the battery is a possibility, as once relocated and gps plotted it would be easy to chopper out. It is easily the smallest battery I ever saw and I doubt it was ever used it looked so new. It wouldn't be missed either as no-one knows it's there. Would tell you where, no problem but not going to let the world know. Pretty sure the amalgam plate has disintegrated, as it was well on the way when I found it, and mercury tends to aid corrosion with the dissimilar metals interaction thingy. The village is a very interesting subject, and I will tell some young keen fellow where to find it one day. I once had or have read almost every book about that area and was on the local museum committee, but never heard or saw a mention of it, until I read the wardens reports. I don't know weather you have any copies of these or have read them, but they contain heaps of info on their local areas. Later Nuggy

Lammerlaw		Posted : Thursday, 18 October 2012 9:47:02 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Hi NUGGY You have me genuinely interested - when I was in the Forestry at Totora Flat I used to go exploring and we found all sorts of weird and wonderful things but my big dream was always a battery and a sluicing gun, the latter of which I have one. Have you ever tried chipping out the rust flakes and cracks in the buckets of some of the old dredges - I know a bloke who got two ounces of gold many years ago doing that but the dredge in question had not long stopped working...I tried it myself not so long ago when I was doing a Tiki Tour of the Empire but all I got was rust! As for the village - I love it and would also love to go looking - I still think I can do what I did as a 21 year old and I guess thats the way the lights will go out!!! Edited by user Thursday, 18 October 2012 9:48:45 AM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

simon		Posted : Thursday, 18 October 2012 1:26:32 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		Nuggy, that sound like a dream spot. wish there was something that big round here. a bit hard to hide stuff in the mountains that big. the rosehip and matagauri and native new growth is doing ok hiding the smaller things. it's amazing what you can still find but nothing like what is hidden in the bush i'm sure. there's some great bits and pieces in those warden's reports all right. that's just the beginning of it if you are looking at then finding a mentioned place esp if there is now stuff all left there. i guess the battery was so small as it was too much of a mission getting in anything full size. or there was not much head of water perhaps.
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oroplata		Posted : Thursday, 18 October 2012 2:10:57 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 16/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,040 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 211 time(s) in 152 post(s)		http://www.kaelewis.com/
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Lammerlaw		Posted : Thursday, 8 November 2012 9:01:49 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		A selection of little crucibles which were used by various mines to melt down their gold in order to pour it into ingots - the smallest three in the middle are merely small devices for melting samples by blowpipe for whatever reason so strictly speaking should not be in the photograph. The larger ones all came form quartz mine sites around Central otago and were picked up by me when I was first out and about in the hills and out of the way places. Edited by user Thursday, 8 November 2012 9:02:51 AM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified Lammerlaw attached the following image(s):

Lammerlaw		Posted : Tuesday, 29 January 2013 5:57:44 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Another historic item is this muzzle loading .577 rifle - Rifles like this were taken by miners and early explorers into the hinterland for the purpose of protection, shooting pigs and in the case of the North Island to protect against the threat of 'rebel' Maoris during the Hauhau wars and the land wars of the 19th Century. This particular gun has a provenance going back to the 1860s and would have been made between the years 1859 and 1865 as its lock plate is engraved 'Robert Adams 76 King William Street London' and Robert Adams operated from this address during the period 1859 - 1865. It is a standard military pattern but made for the commercial market as the stock has a chequered fore end and the wrist of the stock is also chequered. Although some miners would have taken firearms like this most preferred revolvers as they were far lighter and easier to carry but once transport was available and Gold Escorts were formed rifles such as this would have been reasonably common place. The second photo is unrelated but was taken a week or two ago and shows three forum members and the cook on a day out detecting for gold. The Russian Lada is a Wednesday one as it is still going...never buy a Lada made on a Monday so they say as the factory workers are still hung over from the weekend! Still one and a half kilometres to go and the blasted thing was already boiling...they just dont make Iron Horses like they used to...this is an exciting trip as the track runs out and just ahead the tussock is higher than the windscreen in places! Last weekend the girls chickened out and walked the 6ks back to the hut! Edited by user Wednesday, 30 January 2013 9:36:55 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified Lammerlaw attached the following image(s):

Lammerlaw		Posted : Tuesday, 26 February 2013 5:26:54 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Another Goldfields gun - both of these rifles may well have seen service one way or another on the Otago Goldfields as they are both Otago firearms. They are Sniders - the one with brass trigger guard is a MkII and these had what was called the 'suicide lock' as the breech block did not have a secure catch to hold it closed so that if the rim blew off a cartridge then the user could well get a major fright at the very least and at the worst end up on a par with "The Headless Horseman' - the MkII rifles were actually muzzle loaders which had been converted to breech loading cartridge guns - the other rifle is a MkIII and they had a secure latch to lock the breech closed and at least gave the user a better sense of security. Both took what was known as a .577 Snider cartridge - basically the original 'Earsplittingloudenboomer' Sniders would have seen very wide spread use on all New Zealands major gold fields from the mid 1870s onwanrd. Adopted by the British army in 1867 I think they got to New Zealand in time to hear the last echoes of the shots of the Maori Wars and it is not known if any were actually fired during those wars under actual combat conditions but the Volunteer movement and police had them and of course they would have seen use on the gold escorts later in the piece The second photo is one taken just a few days ago of my very good friend 3oznuggetman on my property where he has cleared a channel right down to bedrock at a spot where both he and my son have found 'the odd colour' The third photo is him amusing himself with one of my heaters trying to destroy tin cans - a common pastime on my place when theres a moment to spare - it also has a distinct advantage in laying a complete 'blizzard' of decoy trails for budding poaching detectorists so that there is maybe a method in the madness of sowing lead from Hallelujah to Purgatory - its is getting quite common place for guys to dance up and down and scream with delight at finding 'gold' only to go to an effort to actually recover it from the soil to find that it just happens to be a bullet. Edited by user Tuesday, 26 February 2013 8:35:53 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified Lammerlaw attached the following image(s):

Southridge		Posted : Tuesday, 26 February 2013 8:09:57 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 19/02/2013(UTC) Posts: 23 Was thanked: 18 time(s) in 7 post(s)		Hi there new to this so don't know if this the right place to put this and would like say this forum is great and a wealth of knowledge lammerlaw if you find that stammper battery u are after I would as a builder be as keen as mustard to help you get it going I have a bit of a passion for this sort stuff I hate to say it but I worked for doc for about 6 years and did quite a bit with the old gold mining historical equipment in fiordland well as much as I could there is some amazing stuff in there big old stamppers and all manner of stuff I do wish that doc would do more but having seen it from the other side they just don't allocate bugger all money to these projects a real shame so much history just going to rott away blame the barstards in Wellington anyway hope you find your stammper before its too late cheers again for sharing all your wisdom great reading

Lammerlaw		Posted : Tuesday, 26 February 2013 8:31:30 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Southridge Hi there new to this so don't know if this the right place to put this and would like say this forum is great and a wealth of knowledge lammerlaw if you find that stammper battery u are after I would as a builder be as keen as mustard to help you get it going I have a bit of a passion for this sort stuff I hate to say it but I worked for doc for about 6 years and did quite a bit with the old gold mining historical equipment in fiordland well as much as I could there is some amazing stuff in there big old stamppers and all manner of stuff I do wish that doc would do more but having seen it from the other side they just don't allocate bugger all money to these projects a real shame so much history just going to rott away blame the barstards in Wellington anyway hope you find your stamper before its too late cheers again for sharing all your wisdom great reading I have always meant to go and pillage - Oops - visit down the Wilson River way but it is now a race between me to get there and the Grim Reaper to get me! There are two types of people in Department of Constipation - goodies and aresholes - the arseholes are highly qualified self opinionated, sanctimonious, dimwitted, tunnel vision, halfwitted sub intellects who actually think that because they have gone to University and hold a piece of paper stating that they have a qualification they know everything when in fact they generally know very little except what text books tell them and have an inability to actually relate to others...and then theres the good guys - generally people from a non university background who have actually seen a bit of life and 'been there done that' To be fair to them though many do their best with the funding they have available to them and they also have volunteer programmes to take volunteers to do track and hut restorations etc. It would be absolutely amazing to resurrect many of the old stampers, reconstruct them as well as some of the old Goldmining towns like Macetown - make them into living museums like they have in the US of A - Stampers operating, sluice guns, shops and homes all resplendent in their Victorian refinery...a bit like the Wild West town that some bloke up in the North Island has built or Shanty town but more realistic with board walks and dirt or rock paved streets like Clyde, Arrowtown and Naseby used to be. I have my own sluice gun and it is one of the smaller types but it is missing a couple of bits - I always dreamt of also getting it set up on m,y place and moving a bit of hillside but never got around to it - dreams are free. Edited by user Tuesday, 26 February 2013 8:32:43 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

Southridge		Posted : Tuesday, 26 February 2013 9:35:53 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 19/02/2013(UTC) Posts: 23 Was thanked: 18 time(s) in 7 post(s)		Yes you are right there have been some great people that I got to know at doc most were ex forest service and as they reach retirement and leave its just getting worse and main part why I left red tape gone mad. As for Wilson's river and even places like coal island and sealers 1,2,3 and te anaroah very very awesome places when I was there last you could still even see the timber rails for the trams going for miles and if you were a pilliger and not to say you are you would have a field day I do know that a few have tried to dredge Wilson's river and I will just say good gold was found I also know of four dredges that are no longer were the owners left them ( not my doin) going back a while tho. a MD would be fantastic in there there is still a few of the old miners huts well piles of roofing iron and plates pots pans in the bush at Wilson's I would go back and explore if I had the time that's for sure also not a cheap place to get to its about 40 min by chopper If I remember right those old miners did it hard eh it's a long way to anywhere and living conditions were lets face it shit I do have some photos of these places somewhere I'll try and find them and put them up

Lammerlaw		Posted : Tuesday, 26 February 2013 10:02:55 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Southridge The days of the 'real people' of the New Zealand Forest Service are long past and this country is going to the dogs - you cant do a thing today without obnoxious little Hitlerites throwing their weight around. I never dreamt when I was in the New Zealand Forest Service that society would become draconian and ruled over by arse licking do gooders and white collar criminals who dance to their masters puppet strings. Back then everyone looked after each other and you could go where you want, explore where you wanted, hunted where you wanted and looked for gold where you wanted. I had a really nice piece of gold quartz from the Wilson River at one stage - sadly I broke it up out of curiousity - I should have left it as it was. The beach at Coal Island yielded some good gold specimens and I daresay there is a great deal to be found there yet.

Southridge		Posted : Tuesday, 26 February 2013 10:24:58 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 19/02/2013(UTC) Posts: 23 Was thanked: 18 time(s) in 7 post(s)		Just had to look inside that rock eh haha I'd do the same. A mate that I hunted with is still culling and did a stint hunting on coal spent about 4 weeks there so has had a real good look round as it not that big realy he found a wee bit yes but he knows nothing about gold and where to look ( hasnt got the fever) there will be a little left I reackon if I remember right a very large nugget was found on the beach there back in the day but I have heard conflicting stories on how big it really was do you have any idea ?? Ow yeah you can land on that beach too.!!

Lammerlaw		Posted : Wednesday, 27 February 2013 10:38:24 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Southridge - to the best of my knowledge A large number of really good gold nuggets were found on the beach or on the island itself. The Constipation Department has a brochure that states that - quote 'One of the largest gold nuggets ever discovered in New Zealand was found on the beach at Moonlight Point, reportedly weighing-in at 16 ounces.' - 16 ounces was NOT one of the largest found in New Zealand though for New Zealand standards it is large. At Moonlight Flat at the Eastern end of the island Lewis Longuet was reported to have found a nugget weighing about 30 ounces - now that is more like one of New Zealands largest nuggets - The Honourable Roddy nugget found at Ross weighed 99 ounces and is recognized as New Zealand's largest nugget - I once read that a 'rumour stated that the Honourable Roddy had actually been brought over from Australia but I guess that is the Aussies up to their tricks again - they think they owned Phar Lap and a few other bits and pieces...at least we got Pineapple Lumps! Anyway back to the story - regardless of the twaddle written by the Constipation Department we might like to consider a bit of information that the Constipation Departments experts never picked up on - the diary of George Valentine Biggar of his trip into Preservation in 1896 - he wrote in reference to Coal Island 'The piece that was picked up on the beach yielded 40 ounces of gold' Otago has seen a fair few nuggets heavier than the Constipation Departments Coal Island 16 ouncer - several at least have been recorded at over 20 ounces and I understand that one was found on or adjacent to my place at 24 ounces and one at Post Office Creek Waipori at 27 ounces. For an interesting read the following contribution on the Gold Dredging Forum is well worth reading http://golddredgingforum.proboards.com/thread/72

crisyboy		Posted : Thursday, 7 March 2013 12:50:31 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 20/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 233 Location: whangarei Thanks: 39 times Was thanked: 76 time(s) in 69 post(s)		all my freinds are asking me whos this graham character where does this come from massive stuff there lammerlaw.
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Lammerlaw		Posted : Tuesday, 12 March 2013 6:10:57 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Originally Posted by: crisyboy all my freinds are asking me whos this graham character where does this come from massive stuff there lammerlaw. An interesting bit of information I got from a bloke I knew by the name of Confuscious in a previous life was "Always speak on all things with an air of authority, after all if someone asks you a question then they do so because they dont know the answer so that if you know the answer well and good and can tell them and if you dont but make it up then they are none the wiser and yet wiser in that they are content with the answer" Edited by user Monday, 18 March 2013 11:49:03 AM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

Lammerlaw		Posted : Wednesday, 27 March 2013 9:08:52 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		The last of the Goldfields rifles I am putting on here at the moment is a single example of a Martini Henry. When we choose to learn about Gold fields history it pays to learn from Primary sources - letters, journals, newspaper articles and books all contemporary to the time of the gold fields as these tend to be more accurate. As time goes by people get facts wrong and when writing reports and books do not research their facts thoroughly enough so that the truth becomes distorted. In one museum I have seen a Martini rifle with a label that it was used on the Gold Escort - this I doubt as these rifles were not adopted by the British Military until 1871 and the first of them didnt arrive in New Zealand until a considerable time later - indeed their predecessor the Snider wasnt even here in time to see field service in the Maori Wars and the Maori Wars finished about 1872. It did not alter the fact though that many Martini Henry rifles would have found their way to the latter gold fields during the era of the Dredging boom where local volunteer units would have been issued them. The cartridge was virtually a mini Artillery Shell! It was said as a matter of recorded history that one shot nailed four Zulus at Roukes Drift! The cartridges were originally foil cased then later drawn brass and came in two loads - a full rifle load with a white paper band around the projectile and a carbine load with a red/orange paper band around the projectile. I have no doubt however that more than one gold claim toward the end of the nineteenth and around the turn of the 20th Century had a .450/577 Martini Henry stashed away in the corner in case someone visited with evil intent. Ironically enough the strength of their action and popularity is such that just recently two or three were found by US soldiers in a Taliban Arms dump! The second photo was taken on my place at a spot where we have found a good deal of gold - my son panning the days finds. To the best of my knowledge about 1894 a 9 ounce nugget was found close to here and recently I got a 6 gram one about fifty yards/metres away. The grey shadow under the base of the hill are large rocks, tailings from the early mining days. The third photo is another 'Treasure of the Goldfields' - well in my book anyway - my daughter took this photo the other day and if I had not been there and seen it for myself I would never have believed it as the lizard is walking on the water and was halfway across the stream when this photo was taken. Edited by user Thursday, 28 March 2013 9:22:23 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified Lammerlaw attached the following image(s):

Chrispy		Posted : Friday, 29 March 2013 10:44:27 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 31/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 314 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 82 times Was thanked: 230 time(s) in 102 post(s)		hey lammerlaw i really enjoy the history lessons bro,, inspiring. im keen to know were you find and aquire you older rifles as im keen to start a collection of my own historic older pistols and rifles. id like to stick with muzzle loaders but looking for anything pre 1900s with a bit of history. just got back from a trip up the avoca with a mates reproduction 50cal muzzleloader. saw 7 hinds but all on opp ridges. had a couple of shots at rocks with the old girl, heaps of fun.

Lammerlaw		Posted : Friday, 29 March 2013 11:45:51 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Chrispy hey lammerlaw i really enjoy the history lessons bro,, inspiring. im keen to know were you find and aquire you older rifles as im keen to start a collection of my own historic older pistols and rifles. id like to stick with muzzle loaders but looking for anything pre 1900s with a bit of history. just got back from a trip up the avoca with a mates reproduction 50cal muzzleloader. saw 7 hinds but all on opp ridges. had a couple of shots at rocks with the old girl, heaps of fun. Black powder is fun and on my own property now and again we blast off old Winchester 73,s and a Whtiney Kennedy I have and also Martini Henry rifles like the one in the above photo - join the NZAntique and Hysterical Arms Association and they have auctions where you can get them and sometimes good shooters fairly cheaply. I worked with the NZFS up the Avoca way many moons ago - also Bealey - in fact I had something to do with the earlier trees that were planted up behind Bealey Lodge...seems a lifetime ago but in reality only a few dozen accidents ago! Go for muzzle loader rifles and cap and ball revolvers - you dont need a firearms licence and the draconian measures you have to go through to renew your licence clearly indicates that this government want to take firearms out of the hands of the populace under pretexts and excuses. Edited by user Friday, 29 March 2013 11:47:55 AM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

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