Blacks diggings, Ophir (Blacks; Omakau), Central Otago District, Otago Region, New Zealandi

Regional Level Types
Blacks diggings	Diggings
Ophir (Blacks; Omakau)	- not defined -
Central Otago District	District
Otago Region	Region
New Zealand	Country

The historic hamlet of Ophir was once called Blacks, also the name for the neighbouring alluvial gold diggings.

The diggings were divided into a Blacks No. 1, 2 and 3, trending north-south, stretching along the base of the Raggedy Range from near the historic bridge, behind the town (east), and north of the town.

Gold in the area was discovered mid 1863, by Charles and William Black on their pastoral property, the area becoming known as Blacks, or Blacks Diggings. Two thousand miners rushed to the area due to the flooding of the Clutha River (called the Molyneux River at the time), which had forced miners off their beach claims along the river banks, and into prospecting the district.

Rough to very fine gold, from grains to the size of a penny were found in gravels. Little evidence appears to remain of the diggings, although a small private claim can be seen next to the historic bridge.

The rush was short lived, as the thought of greater glittering prizes on other newly discovered fields, caused many to leave. Two hundred Chinese miners were said to be in the area, who would often take over abandoned leases. Mining continued intermittently, viewed as a poor man's field, to come back to after some rush elsewhere had failed. In 1887, it is reported 25 men are on the field. Claims were opened and then abandoned again several times. It is reported in 1889 there is no activity at Blacks 1 and 2.

The workings were shallow, 5 to 12 feet deep, in the hills and gullies along the edge of the range to the Manuherikia River bank. The gold was said to be evenly distributed amongst the gravels. In 1864, two puddling mills are reported and a water race from the river, crossing eight bridges on the way to a claim.

Blacks No. 3 was discovered in 1865, and appears the most active of the three workings. The location is uncertain, however government mining geologist A. McKay in 1894 states it is located at the eastern base of the Raggedy Ranges, at Poolburn. Minor evidence of diggings can be seen just north of Ida Valley Omakau Road, and one kilometre to the south-west a private lease containing a shed, and shallow pit, as possible locations.

Gold was found at the base of north-south trending gravels. In descending order was blue-grey sands and clay; rusty ferruginous quartz grits; black carbonaceous quartz sand; grey quartz sand; white clay; auriferous gravels, and then basal white clay again.

The Try Again Gold Mining Company was formed in 1871 by Peter Nicolson, to work the Blacks 3 claim. Thirty shareholders raised only 800 pounds for the venture. Some were listed at Blacks No. 3 itself, and were either neighbouring miners, or shareholder/miners of the company itself. They were John Pitches, John Beatie, James Garrick, Neil Brown, John Motherwell, William Davidson, Patrick Barret, and Peter Revel.

In 1883, the Mount Ida Deep Lead Gold Mining Company was registered to work the Blacks No. 3 claim, with 1200 pounds capital. John Galbraith was manager, listed as a doctor, so how much mining experience he had was open to question. The company had initially 36 shareholders, mainly locally from Ophir and the Ida Valley.

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