WARNINGS: Ballarat Gold Museum curator Roger Trudgeon. Photo: Pat Nolan.
A BALLARAT mining expert says there are still a large number of abandoned mines below Ballarat’s surface, most of which date back more than 100 years.
And most of the mines, particularly the scale ones, could open at any time.
Roger Trudgeon, manager and curator at the Ballarat Gold Museum, said there were up to 300 old mines below Ballarat.
Some of them once sunk as deep as one kilometre underground, such as Sebastopol’s South Star mine in 1907.
Mr Trudgeon said old mines were extremely common in Ballarat, particularly in the Black Hill and Golden Point areas.
On Monday night a
It is believed he slipped on rocks and fell down the shaft, having entered through an unlocked security gate.
Ballarat City Council has since “further secured the site” and has pleaded for caution and common sense around such sites.