Muddy Terrace (Muddy Creek Terrace), Skippers, Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago Region, New Zealandi

Regional Level Types
Muddy Terrace (Muddy Creek Terrace)	- not defined -
Skippers	- not defined -
Queenstown-Lakes District	District
Otago Region	Region
New Zealand	Country

Alluvial gold.

Muddy Terrace is an 18 hectare area of flat land perched above the Shotover River, 3 kilometres south of The Branches pastoral station homestead. It is bordered to the north by Ironstone Creek, south Muddy Creek, west the Shotover River, and east by mountains. It is at the northern end of the Shotover valley auriferous area.

The road between Skippers and The Branches at this point is at the river level, with the 250 foot high sluicing face bordering the other side of the road. Some sluicing was also conducted at the northern and southern edges of the terrace. The terrace shows evidence of two large dams, and an extensive network of water races.

After the initial rush in 1862, the edges of the terrace were worked intermittently until the 1930's. It was said all parties obtained payable gold, but the expense of bringing equipment into such a remote area, and the sheer depth of the wash, requiring much capital, discouraged activity. There are several layers of gravels/sand containing gold, with a richer false bottom 100 feet below the terrace level. Stones/boulders are said to be relatively plentiful, hindering hydro sluicing.

Only some miners can be mentioned as with an alluvial field, various mining parties with limited capital would come and go, sometimes within months.

Mick Dwan worked the northern end late 1890's, and early 1900's. Also mentioned with him are James Costello, A. Campbell and P. Cummings at various times. Water races came from Stockyard Creek to the north and Muddy Creek to the south to their claim.

The Muddy Creek Sluicing Company, managed by J.L. Collins, had a large claim on the terrace in 1901, purchasing Dwan's Stockyard Gully water rights. However, with little work done, the syndicate was in liquidation the following year. It was taken over by Dunedin shareholders who moved operations to another terrace in the valley. In 1904, this claim was also for sale.

Egbert J. Sainsbury worked the terrace around 1897 to 1907. There was a senior and junior by exactly the same name, it is assumed father and son. Water was being obtained from Stockyard Gully.

A. Mills and party were active around 1904 to 1906; the Ward brothers, and the Gold Star Company managed by J. Robertson was active in 1911; some dredges are mentioned in the first decade of the 1900's; The Shotover Consolidated Limited managed by A.C. Hanlon 1926, with W.H. Paterson applying for the old Gold Star dam the same year, and various others until Joseph Stevens in 1934.

At the northern edge under some willows is said to be hut ruins, once the home of Dwan, who left just before the World War One years.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References