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.
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