Just off the Goldfields Track, on the eastern side of Jackass Road in Creswick, lies one of the old sluicing dams used for mining – Eaton’s Dam.
This dam is notable for its striking construction: a 70-metre-long bank faced with stone, and a 5m stone retaining wall.
Sluicing was the process of using running water to wash away soil and capture any remaining gold nuggets. Around Creswick, this method of alluvial mining was practised for about 50 years, beginning in the mid-1850s.
Water for sluicing was delivered through open channels, known as races, which carried it from dams built in the higher catchments of nearby creeks. These races often wound their way over long distances, skirting the heads of intervening gullies before reaching their destination.
At Eaton’s Dam, water was discharged from the centre of the wall and channelled several kilometres via a race, to a site known as Humbug Hill, where it was used by miners.
If you’re out walking or riding the Goldfields Track, keep an eye out for other historic sites.
And have a look at our Understanding Country section to know more about how Traditional Owners connected with the land.