Eldorado Gold Dredge
The long-disused Eldorado Gold (and Tin) Dredge, sitting in its last working pond near the small township of Eldorado in north-east Victoria, is the largest and most intact surviving bucket dredge in Australia.
Bucket dredges of the same basic design were used to dig up and collect alluvial gold or alluvial tin. Some - like the Eldorado Dredge - collected both gold and tin simultaneously, and so represent both applications.
The heritage value of the dredge has been recognised by the Australian Heritage Commission, by Heritage Victoria, by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), and by the Rural City of Wangaratta (wherein the dredge is located). The dredge is now recognised by Engineering Heritage Australia.
This nomination discusses at some length the processes that went on in the Eldorado Dredge, the equipment involved in those processes, and the current condition of that equipment. It also discusses briefly the condition of a number of other dredges still “surviving” in Australia. This is done to make clear the high degree of significance, integrity and rarity of the Eldorado Dredge in comparison with those other Australian dredges.
Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
| Marker Type | Engineering Heritage National Marker (EHNM) |
| Award Date | October 2015 |
| Heritage Significance | The Eldorado Dredge is now the largest surviving bucket dredge in Australia. At the time it was built, the (Cock's) Eldorado Dredge was said to be the largest bucket dredge in the southern hemisphere. The Eldorado Dredge is also by far the most intact bucket dredge surviving in Australia. Apart from relatively minor damage due to corrosion or vandalism, it faithfully displays its structure and operating machinery virtually as was in 1954. |
| Nomination Document | Available here. Appendices Available here. |
| Ceremony Booklet Ceremony Report |
Not Available. |
| Plaque/Interpretation Panel | Available here. |
