Location of Hard Hills near Buninyong.

[rusted]

I am after the location of "Hard Hills" near Buninyong Vic. looking at various descriptions of the mining happening there, I have come to the conclusion it is possibly between Buninyong and "Black Lead" or "Cambrian Hill", most of the mining reports seem to include talk of Black Lead and the Leigh River.
This is not the same place as "Little Hard Hills" which is a bit further away and would not be described as near Buninyong.
I am reasonably familiar with the Geography of the area but this is a new one.

[rosball]

Hi rusted,
Not sure if this helps but this ad states
  "on the celebrated Hard Hills at Scotchman's near Buninyong"

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article112891295
(near top of second column Prospectus of the Royal Mining etc)

regards
   Ros
(by the way there are various mentions on trove of Little Hard Hills near Bunninyong)

[rusted]

Thanks Ros, I have read all (well lots) of those gold mining stories and ads and prospectuses, thats what gave me the idea that it was near Black Lead/ Cambrian Hill, Scotchmans is right on the nail.
Little Hard hills is (I think) an entirely different place, in the Enfield area 10 or 15 Km further south.
With every single one of my ancestors digging holes searching for yellow metal I come across some strange place names, this lot that lived at Hard Hills then moved to Gumtree (also near Buninyong).
One of them did quite well as the owner of a mine at Black Lead, but I bet he did better from the Pub he built at the mine to take the money back again after he had paid his miners. When that mine ran out there are Ads in the Ballarat papers for quotes to move the Pub to Hiscocks (also Buninyong) where he had another mine.
Shifty schemes galore.

[rosball]

Sounds like an interesting goldrush family rusted. 

Just in case you want more reading  , here are some articles you may want to browse
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ge2/

cheers,
   Ros

[Nettie]

http://www.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&cmd=sp&zix=r&p=303364&st=&s=Hard%20hill&pg=1&m=0&wnb=91772837&c=1&x=143%2E88388&y=%2D37%2E65019&w=10000&mpsec=0

Sorry, I didn't shrink the link. But hopefully the link will give you the geographic reference you need.

[rusted]

Thanks Nettie and Ros for your input.
The spot linked to by Nettie is near Stawell and is not it.
I am reasonably certain from reading more of those mining reports that the Hard Hills I am looking for is the one at Scotchmans, which is also a place that is just another long lost gold field, but it does at least show up on some modern maps.
A lot of gold rushes had a name but were actually a quite small geographical area and once they were done the place didn't exist any more, nothing left but some mounds of dirt and holes.
Its nice to actually go to some of these spots and say to yourself "well great grand dad was born in that paddock"
I find the research and standing on the spot helps to understand the hardships they faced, probably very little you could call a reference, but it does help. 

[Neil Todd]

Try this one.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01gep/

Neil

[rusted]

Thanks Neil

No Guernsey with that one either, if you zoom in on that map between Buninyong and Napoleons you can see Scotcmans Lead, I think the worked area a bit North is possibly it, an area we knew as "The Dredge" when we were young.

Paul

[Neil Todd]

Better let Geoscience Australia know they are wrong then