THE GOLDFIELDS OF VICVICTORIA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1223, 7 August 1885, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS OF VICVICTORIA.

The reports of the mining registrars on the goldfields <>f Victoria for (lie quarter ending March 31st have been issued. From the summary compiled by Mr 0. W- Langtree, the Actingsecretary for Mines, wo take the following facts:— The first quarter of 1885 shows a falling ofi in the yield of gold, as compared with its predecessors, amounting to 55310z 4dwb 22gr. The mining divisions in which the principal decreases took place are the central division of the Ballarat district, and the Beechworth, Smythesdale, Davie River, Buckland, and Tarrengower divisions. The registrars’ leports show that, in many localities, mining suffered through want of sufficient water for sluicing and crushing purposes. The total quantity of gold raised during the three mouths ended 31st March was 192,4380z lldwt 15gr, and its value at £4 per ounce, L 769,754 6s 6d. The area of auriferous ground actually worked upon is returned as 315 square miles, being about 4i- miles in excess of the area worked upon dining the previous quarter.

The mining population of the Colony for the quarter ended 31st Ma.ch is estimated at 27,632, a decrease of 798 on the previous quarter. In quartz mining, 12,409 miners were employed, and 15,223 in alluvial mining. Of the total raining population 5,258 were Chinese, a decrease of 101 on the pre vious quarter. There was a decrease of 9 in the number of steam-engines employed in connection with mining compared to the previous quarter. The total value of all machinery employed in various mining operations on the goldfields of the Colony during last quarter is estimated at 1.1,879,316-