Source: John Aldersea and Barbara Hood, Walhalla historians.

First registered as the Coolgardie Mine in December 1893. The claim was taken over by Mr. James Whyte a year later and renamed Landy’s Dream.

The reef was worked by tunnels to a water-powered battery on the Aberfeldy River.

In June 1895 the Landy’s Dream Mine packed 25 tonnes of ore down the spur to their battery. This returned 33½ ounces of gold and created the need to build an aerial tramway. This type of aerial lift shifted great loads of ore from the mine to the battery 1500 metres below.

The concept of the tramway was the weight of the 48 buckets going down would return the empty buckets up to the mine.

Despite many problems in its construction and operation the tramway was operational by October 1896. It was considered to be a marvel by the local community being more than half a mile long and with pylons as high as 15 meters.

It was instrumental to a rush of new claims in the area two of which had unusual names. One being the Lord Hopetoun and the other Keep It Dark GMC.

Photos: Aerial tramway and ore hopper at the top of aerial tramway. From John Aldersea

Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.

Aerial tramway a local marvel Landy’s Dream 1894 - 1896