There's gold in them thar hills

This blog post examines what I have been learning about gold mining on Saddle Hill, a farming locality eighteen kilometres west of the Dunedin City Centre. It lies between Green Island and Mosgiel, both now part of an amalgamated Dunedin. My interest in this subject stems from my research into the life and times of my Great Grandfather, Adam Harris, (30 November 1841 to 26 July 1930), miner of Saddle Hill and resident of a farm, Summerwood.

I had not known there was gold mining on Saddle Hill until I read a bio of Adam in the Otago Witness , A Patriarchal Miner. Here we are told Adam worked digging a shaft for a gold mine.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19270118.2.177.13

There is some difficulty substantiating this story, since in February 1881 the Saddle Hill Quartz Reef applied to sink a hole "opposite Mr Adam Harris' ground". What "Mr Adam Harris' ground" might be, a farm or a mine of some description, does make this newspaper report confusing, but it is unlikely to be a gold mine.

Papers Past is not a comprehensive study of the history of Gold Mining on Saddle Hill. Nevertheless, there was some form of gold mining at that locality from at least 1869 until about 1895. All these ventures began with an optimistic forecast but eventually cost their investors money. It is possible that Adam an experienced coal miner who could handle explosives safely , did work on these mines but I can find no evidence either way.


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Gold mining on Saddle Hill, Otago

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