Completed and Ongoing Projects


Completed and on-going projects

FOMAD funds its activities largely by applying for grants from various state and private sources. To date we have undertaken the following projects:

Recorded and produced a CD:
Music of the Diggings: Songs and Tunes of the Central Victorian Goldfields Regrettably this has sold out and is no longer available
Produced an Education Kit:
comprising two large volumes, which supply young visitors, in school groups or with their families, with interesting projects and activities carefully designed to further their knowledge and to enhance their goldfields experience. (small pic of the Ed Kit)
Re-printed three books relating to life and experiences on the goldfields as well as producing two original texts: one outlining the role of the Djadjawurrung on the goldfields and another written around a selection of newspaper articles relating to the Chinese on the goldfields.(small pics of the books Tanderrum.jpg, and one not yet available, and link each one to the details on the Publications page)
Rejuvenated "Ruby", the Ruston & Hornsby gas suction engine used by the late Alf Cocks to pump water for his sluicing operations at the Forest Creek Historic Gold Diggings site in Wesley Hill. ìSheî is now powered by an electric motor driving the massive 5 ton flywheel and two huge pistons. (small pic of the engine Ruby.jpg)
  Designed and built a 'Geological Maze' at the Forest Creek Diggings site. This maze was built using concentric circles of the various rock types found in the goldfields. Fun for small children to test their maze skill. (pic of geo maze 2.jpg)
Produced two maps of the Forest Creek and Fryers Creek goldfields indicating the various creeks, hills and valleys with their original names used by the diggers.
Created a typical goldfields subsistence garden adjacent to Tute's Cottage in Greenhill Ave Castlemaine. This is now planted with the typical fruit trees and vegetables which were available to the early residents of this area.
Catered, with 'Billy Tea and Damper', for many visits to the National Heritage Park by various groups and officials.
Staged an exhibition of early Castlemaine photographs by well know artist A M E Bale and her father, as part of the 2009 Castlemaine State Festival
Regularly has the cottage and garden of Tutes Cottage open for public inspection as part of the biennial Castlemaine Festival of Gardens
   
   

 

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