Beaconsfield Gold Mine

 production, gold mine

Mine:
Gold was first discovered in Beaconsfield in 1847. When the gold rush hit Victoria and New South Wales in 1851 and the Tasmanian Government offered a reward for the discovery of a payable goldfield. In 1877 the cap of a payable gold reef was discovered on the eastern slope of Cabbage Tree Hill by brothers William and David Dally. At the peak of the gold rush 700 men were employed in the gold mine and 26 tonne of gold was recovered.

2006 Mine Collapse:
Beaconsfield mine collapse occurred on April 25, 2006 in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia. Of the 17 people who were in the mine at the time, 14 escaped immediately following the collapse, one was killed, and the remaining two were found alive after five days nearly a kilometre below the surface. These two miners were freed on Tuesday May 9, a full two weeks after being trapped.