Gold in the Pyrenees - Open Pit Gold Mine and Wash Plant in Operation

Today we're going to take a look at a working alluvial gold mine in the Pyrenees. This family-owned mine is worked by three generations, and what began as a small washplant twenty years ago has grown into the gold mining operation we see here today. These guys are working an ancient buried riverbed from a big open cut, on the junction of two leads. They're extracting the gold-bearing layer which the old time miners first worked about 150 years ago, when they sank their shafts and tunneled throughout this whole area. Very interesting relics are being recovered from the site, including miners' picks and timbers which supported the drives underground. A large haul of mining picks was taken out from one tunnel, where they had all been abandoned, which the modern miners suspect was the result of a cave-in underground. This site gives us a fascinating glimpse into Victoria's remarkable gold mining heritage, which is now carried into the present day by our prospectors and miners. This operation is a fantastic example in the small mining industry, an industry which we hope will continue well into the future. Small mining operations like this one provide local businesses and councils with materials for building, road construction, and more. They provide employment opportunities for locals, and work for local businesses such as engineering for components of the processing plant, and maintenance of trucks and other heavy machinery. I was very kindly allowed access to this site to film the wash plant, which both recovers gold and screens the tailings, producing stones, gravels and sands for local businesses. I got lots of great shots of the wash plant operating, so I hope you enjoy the footage. I'd like to say a huge thank you to the owners and operators of this mine, who generously allowed me to visit and film their operations. And thank you to The Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria. Check them out at https://pmav.org.au/ --- Explore the Victorian Goldfields - https://www.goldfieldsguide.com.au/