Criffel Diggings, Wanaka, Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago Region, New Zealandi

Regional Level Types
Criffel Diggings	Diggings
Wanaka	- not defined -
Queenstown-Lakes District	District
Otago Region	Region
New Zealand	Country

Gold was discovered here in 1883 by Cardrona miner, farmer, musterer, John Halliday and his two mates Henderson, and Beattie (surnames). They managed to keep it secret until 1885, when around fifty miners rushed to the site. Mining continued into the 1890's with 27 miners, and ended in the first decade of the 20th Century. Around 2000 ounces of gold was produced per year, although the figures are rubbery, as much of it went undeclared.

(Lake County Press newspaper, 1885) states 'The papers have been teaming of late with glowing accounts of the field, and it is strange, some of those red hot efficiencies were written by scribes whom it is doubtful if they ever saw Criffel, though they seemed gorged to repetition with the doings there on... an article lately published... was a regular snorter in its way, for it was fraught with the wildest dreams of gold fevered brain, and fringed and blazoned throughout until the end of virgin gold.'

Gold was found in alluvial gravels, being ancient beach deposits, uplifted over time high into the Criffel Ranges. The gravels are on the ridges, with little gold found in the gullies below. The gold is coarse, dark coloured, not much waterworn, impregnated with, or attached to quartz, and of a poor quality.

The goldfield was the last discovered in the Otago Region, 25 years after gold was discovered in Gabriels Gully, and is also one of the highest in New Zealand, at around 1200 metres. The area is snow bound six months of the year. It is a windswept, bleak place, of tussock grass, hills, gullies, and bogs.

The area contains pink and white scars from sluicing across three closely spaced areas. There is a fourth area 6 kilometres to the south in the upper Luggate Creek, which is not easily accessible. The main area covers 7 kilometres by 2 kilometres. This shows sluice faces up to 15 metres high, old pack trails, and remains of dams, and two water races constructed by Halliday and Craig 24 and 16 kilometres long.

(Otago Daily Times newspaper, 1887) reports on who was mining here at the time. Halliday with mates Henderson and Beattie; Craig and Robertson; Hawthorne, Huggen and Young; J.C. Barker and his two sons, and the Fox brothers. A reef had been discovered not far from the workings while sluicing by Alex McKenzie, Jason Corringan, Jason McCormack, and W.D. Andrews, stated as 4 feet thick, trending east-west, and dipping west.

The diggings are on a pastoral station (deer farm), and are not publically accessible. The station does provide accommodation, and tours of the property, which could potentially include the diggings for those staying at the property.

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References