Conservation Work Continues at Falls

Published on 08 November 2017

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Conservation work at the Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins continues with several of the important dry stone walls repaired over the last month.

Council has enlisted the assistance of dry stone wall specialist Mr John Cox to oversee the restoration and repair of the walls among the ruins.

Director of Strategy, Community and Development Mr Gus Cox said that council had received funding through the Office of Environment and Heritage to undertake critical restoration work following the wet winter of 2016.

“Several important dry stone walls were at risk of collapse within the main ruins of the processing area.

We have been fortunate to have had the help of the Green Army team for this work in both strength and numbers. The bulk of the work with the stones required intensive manual handling to rebuild sections of the walls,” he said. 

Council has utilised the funding to undertake the emergency works to the main processing wall including the filling of a large cavity in a wall where a timber post in a major wall had rotted out.

“The assistance from the Green Army in this work has been invaluable and the team has quickly picked up the dry stone walling skills under the expert tuition of John,” said Mr Cox.

In addition to the stone wall conservation significant improvements to the drainage around the processing area have also been made.

“This ongoing conservation work will continue to enhance the site and help to enrich the experience for all visitors to the Ruins. A special thank you must go to Adelong Falls Conservation Coordinator, Louise Halsey for her tireless conservation efforts and dedication to this ongoing project,” he said.

The Adelong Falls and Gold Mill Ruins is a State listed heritage site and is a “must see” attraction in the Snowy Valleys Council area. The site is located on the Grahamstown Road a short distance from Adelong.

More information on the Adelong Falls and Gold Mill Ruins can be found at the Tumut Region visitor website www.tumutregion.com.au.