Address & Contact Edit
W Kiewa Logging Rd
Hotham Heights VIC 3741
Phone: N/A
Email: N/A
Web: N/A
Red Robin
Mine is located on the Machinery Spur track between Mount Hotham and Mount Feathertop. Willian (Bill) Spargo discovered gold there in 1940 which initiated Victoria’s last gold rush. This
mine became not only the richest (112 ounces per ton) but also the highest (altitude) in Victoria and is considered significant to the state of Victoria and is registered by
Heritage Council of Victoria.
Since its discovery, the Red Robin
mine was worked virtually continuously until it was abandoned relatively recently (late 1990s?). Although Spargo sold his
mine in 1952 subsequent miners continued to use traditional methods relying on their own brands of inventiveness to counter the difficulties posed by extreme Alpine conditions. The site contains a fascinating blend of old and new elements including huts, adits, mullock heaps, tracks, roads, sand dams, and mining equipment.
The
mine was still operating up until the 1990s however is now abandoned. Remnants of the machinery & buildings are still around.
Adventurers can visit both the
mine site and the battery via Machinery Spur, which is a very steep switchback track. The track is used by both hikers (enroute between Mount Hotham and
Falls Creek) and 4x4 drivers. I believe that the Machinery Spur Track is gated & locked. Permission to traverse this track is most likely available from the Hotham
Information Centre.