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Sub Treasury

SUB – TREASURY & GOLD RECEIVER 

The Sub Treasury is currently closed for referbishment.
 
Original small wooden office on current shire hall site
 
1856 – 7          Worked under the Gold Warden to handle & Prepare gold for the 2 weekly escorts to Melbourne.
 
1850’s             Price for gold was 4 Pound an ounce.
 
1855                                Escort took 192,000 ounces to Melbourne
 
1857                Escort took 350,000 ounces to Melbourne
 
1855                April & March 1857 Bank of New South Wales purchased over 300,000 ounces
 
1857                               Addition added at rear 2 offices and a strong room, barred windows and a massive gold vault – stronghold for the precious metal.
 
1880’s             Sub-treasury became the Police Station
 
1997                Police shifted to a new Police Station around the corner, opposite Prison
 
Armed escort to Melbourne every 2 weeks carrying up to 14,000 ounces at a time.
 
No record of it every being robbed.
 
How much was taken out unofficially is unknown.
 
 
GOLD WARDENS OFFICE
 
Wooden structures stood on this site until 1859 – 60.
 
1852                                First Gold official arrived in the Ovens Goldfields
 
1853                                Understaffing & Incompetence were a problem because of roving chinese
Population of 8,000 miners, only 3 Gold Commissioners & inadequate   police presence.          
 
1855                June changed from Commissioners to Wardens.
 
1859 – 60        Built
 
Gold Commissioners were unpopular because they enforced unpopular tax of 30 shillings a month to maintain order on the goldfields it did not discriminate between the wealthy miner and the miner and the one not makes ends meet.
 
He settled claims, receive & guards gold for escort, maintain order on Goldfields.
They had to cover great distances on horseback, issuing miners right & business licences, measure claims, settle claim disputes, determine water rights & preside as police magistrates at petty sessions or chair local courts.