The History of the Ben Trewhella, Pioneer of Blackwood.   

Compiled by Margot Hitchcock, Historian for the Blackwood & District Historical Society.  November, 2020.   ©

Benjamin Trewhella was an early Pioneer and gold miner in Blackwood.  Edward and John Hill arrived in Australia with Isaac Povey and Ben Trewhella in 1854.    The large mining village at Barrys Reef was later surveyed as Bayup.’

The chief reefs were Barrys Reef, and Trewhella’s Reef opened about two miles N.W. of Blackwood in 1858.  The prospectors of Trewhella’s Reef were brothers, Benjamin, John, Matthew and Christopher Trewhella and Tobias Uren.  Ben Trewhella Sen. had pegged out the ‘Lucky Hit’ mine in 1862 on the Yankee Reef and a seam of gold was found just below the surface.

The success of the Trewhella Brothers brought other prospectors to work and in 1868 Messrs. Harris and Fitzgerald, on the Trewhella line further north discovered this reef line which was called ‘Eureka’ Reef.  They worked the claim as a private party and had several crushings yielding three ounces to the ton.  Messrs. Harris and Fitzgerald sold their claim to the public company called the Sultan Mining Company which consisted of 2,500 shares at £5 each. 

The Trewhella Brothers have been the most successful quartz miners on Blackwood, and as they were the discoverers of the Sultan line of reef, which afterwards became famous for its richness, a few particulars concerning their career may be worth recording.  Benjamin, John, Christopher and Matthew Trewhella, in travelling to and from Simmons Reef to Blue Mount, north of Blackwood, in 1866, usually passed the Kyneton Gully (now called Split Tree) where there were alluvial working. 

They picked up some angular quartz showing gold, and they came to the conclusion that a gold-bearing vein must be near at hand, but as only 24 feet on the line of reef was allowed to be taken up under the mining bye-laws by any one co-operative party (no matter how many members it consisted of) they determined to keep their own counsel until a larger area should be obtainable.  Accordingly, in 1867, when the bye-laws were altered so as to allow each miner 20 feet on the line of reef, the Trewhella’s pegged off a claim about half a mile from the old Barrys Reef (now Egerton Company) to the west and applied for a prospecting grant of an extended area.  Their application was opposed by Candage and party, but the warden, (then, as now, Mr. Charles Shuter), having visited the ground in dispute, awarded the Trewhella Brothers 160 feet on the assumed line of reef.  They immediately set to work, and soon came on a small quartz reef, which was thin and poor at first, but afterwards widened to two feet, showing good gold. 

They sank till 90 feet was reached, and then put up a rude battery, which was driven by water power.  A road three-quarters of a mile in length was cut from the mine to the battery, and soon crushing began, the first quartz treated yielded 2 ozs per ton.  The brothers continued to work the ground, meeting with great success until the claim was swamped with water.  Operations were then suspended for a time, but were subsequently resumed, when the tunnel was extended.  In doing this, what was afterwards known as the Trewhella Western Reef was crossed.  Messrs. Trewhella continued to work for about two years after this, during which time, they cleared about £1,200 ($2,400) per man, but finding it would be necessary to erect pumping machinery they decided to sell out, and Messrs. Mounter and Company became proprietors of the mine.

An article in the – Bacchus Marsh Express, Saturday 15 November 1902, states – BLACKWOOD. By the death of Mr. Benjamin Trewhella, J.P., of Blue Mountain, the district loses one of its oldest identities and honored residents. Deceased was in his usual health on Thursday, 6th inst., but during the night he was taken ill, and expired almost immediately from heart failure. Mr. Trewhella was born in the parish of Lidgvin, Cornwall, in 1827, and was therefore 75 years of age at the time of his demise. He arrived in Victoria in 1854, and in company with his brother, Christopher, went to Forest Creek. From there be tried his luck at the Avoca and Creswick fields, with varying success,, eventually arriving at Simmons’ Reef in 1855, where he started to mine in what is now Mr. B. Hosking’s lower garden. He also opened up various points between Red Hill and Simmons’ Reef, being now joined by his brothers John and Matthew. They opened up a rich lode at Barry’s Reef (known now in the Sultana lease as Mounter’s.) Here they discovered some exceedingly rich stone, each of the brothers realising a competency. At this time he selected his farm at Blue Mt., where he has since resided. ©

Researched by Margot Hitchcock from her forthcoming book ‘The History and Pioneers of Blackwood’, hopefully to be published soon.  Other books published by Margot Hitchcock – “Aspects of Early Blackwood”, Some History of Simmons Reef, Blackwood” and “The Billy Pincombe Tragedy”. See – www.blackwoodpublishing.com

For help with information on Blackwood ancestors contact Margot Hitchcock – email – margothitchcock@bigpond.com

Photo of Ben Trewhella Blackwood.  ©

Photos Courtesy Margot Hitchcock, and the Blackwood & District Historical Society.