Gold Mine

Central Deborah Gold Mine is located at Tram Stop No. 1 and is easily accessible by Vintage Talking Tram, we pull-up to the front door!

Central Deborah Gold Mine is a living piece of history that provides a glimpse into Bendigo of old, a time when thousands of families risked everything to make a living (and, if they were lucky, a fortune) from gold mining.

There were more than 5,500 registered gold mines in Bendigo, one of which was the Central Deborah Gold Mine. It successfully extracted 929kg of gold from the ground, which would be worth around $47 million in today's prices, and is significant as being the last commercial gold mine to operate on the wealthy Bendigo Goldfields.

It is not until you take your first step underground and feel the drop in temperature, the dampness in the air, the deafening sound of silence and experience your eyes trying to adjust to pure darkness, that you can truly put yourself in the shoes of past gold miners.

There are three different underground experiences on offer which are all personally run by a tour guide. The passion of the guides is infallible and they include ex-miner's and some of the grandchildren and relatives of the original Central Deborah miners.

TOURS:

Mine Experience Tour: 75 minutes, 61 metres underground.
Don a hard hat and miner's lamp to descend to the depths of Bendigo and walk in the footsteps of past miners! With only the light on your cap to light the path you will discover what conditions as a miner were really like during the harsh gold rush era. This tour is wheelchair accessible. Children need to be 3+ years of age.

Underground Adventure Tour: 2.5 hours, 85 metres underground
Gear up in overalls, boots, miner's hat and lamp. Climb ladders, work a mine drill and search for gold with finders keepers! This tour also includes a traditional 'miner's lunch' served in the Underground Function Room where you will get a delicious taste of what life was like working underground. Children need to be 8+ years of age. 

Nine Levels of Darkness: 3.5 hours, 228 metres underground - Australia's deepest underground mine tour!
Drop to the depths of Bendigo in the original miners' cage to Level 9 of the mine and see if you have what it takes to be a gold miner from the 1900s! Learn how to set a charge and operate a mine drill. Climb down parts of the mine shaft using the ladder way. Experience the thrill of following the cap of the reef up into a T-rise. After a hard day's work, enjoy a lunch break underground. Children need to be 14+ years of age. 

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