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Record series

Parish of Wonthaggi, State Coal Mines – Drillers’ Logs

VPRS 19346
1910 - 1957
Open
North Melbourne
About Record items Record groupings Related record series Related functions

Agencies

This record series was created by:
Mines Department (also known as Department of Mines and Mining Department) ( VA612 ): 1910 - 1911
State Coal Mine ( VA720 ): 1910 - 1957
Victorian Railways (also Victorian Railways Commissioners 1883-1973, Victorian Railways Board 1973-1983) ( VA2876 ): 1911 - 1957
Agencies responsible for this record series:
Geological Survey of Victoria ( VA 4118 ): 2022 - present

Date Range

Series date range: 1910 - 1957
Series in custody: 1910 - 1957
Contents in custody: 1910 - 1957

Function / Content

This series contains records of drilling operations at the State Coal Mine (VA 720), Wonthaggi, created between the years 1910 – 1957.

In 1909 the State Coal Mine was established by the Department of Mines (VA 612), primarily to supply coal for Victoria’s railways. Control of the mines was transferred to the Victorian Railway Commissioners (VA 2876) in 1911, and the mine ceased being operational in 1968. It is now managed by Parks Victoria (VA 4253), as a state park and tourist attraction.

The records in this series appear to be summaries of boring activities carried out at the mine. Details recorded include the bore number, locality, drill number, surface level, total depth drilled, the date drilling commenced and the date it was completed. Details about the strata passed through are recorded in column-format and include the type of strata (surface soil, clay coal, sandstone, etc.), its thickness, and depth struck. The thickness of coal and depth struck is also recorded separately.

Each page records an individual bore. The logs are all hand-written by various individuals and appear to be signed by the foreman on duty at the time.

This series is related to VPRS 6811 Daily Drill Reports, State Coal Mine, Wonthaggi. Records within VPRS 6811 appear to have been created by the foreman on site at the time the work was being completed, while VPRS 19346 appears to be a summary of completed work filled out after the fact.

How to use the records

Browse through the volumes to identify individual records.

Recordkeeping system

Records are bound in volumes in sequential order by date and bore number. There are some gaps between dates, most notably between volumes 5 and 6 (1928 – 1953).

Before coming into the custody of Public Record Office Victoria, this series was held at the Geological Survey of Victoria (GSV) Drill Core Library at Werribee.