The hell hole

timdole · 17 Apr 2014, 3:16 pm

You never know what you can come across in the bush. Came across this today, a cleanish cut shaft, probably 2m in diameter, and approx 78m deep (took a rock 4 seconds to hit the elbow). Unfortunately I could only take phone pics

The metal sheet is easily 5m long on each side.
I have no idea why it is here, any ideas??? I highly doubt it's a mine shaft, and it wouldn't be a rock mine seeing as all the surface near by is rocky anyway.
https://flic.kr/s/aHsjX9siaL

danny_ · 17 Apr 2014, 5:09 pm

It really does look like a mine shaft

DeScent · 18 Apr 2014, 12:50 am

Wow! Looks super exciting!

Did you move the grill to get that shot?

Wonder how deep it goes?

timdole · 18 Apr 2014, 8:25 am

No, I stuck my camera through the spacing. You would need bolt cutters to cut the mesh in order to get in, thus voiding the reason the grate is there.
After some research, I found that another bloke had done a heap of research for me, how nice. Turns out both the council and the state mine registry don't know much about it. They have an idea who might have drilled it and a year it might have been drilled (1870). The first official report of its existence was 1890, and was found as an abandoned hole. Mines cut in this style were most likely to be seeking coal or shale oil. Thing is, these mines were almost always cut on flat plains, not 2/3 of the way down a gully. Additionally, they would try and mine in places where the rocks were all horizontal, and all the rocks here have been disturbed (ie they all slant at least 30 degrees.) If substantial quantities of anything were found, one would have to lug it up a 45 hill through relatively dense bush. On top of all of this, nobody can find evidence of who owned the land at the time, who financially backed it, anything.
At least three times (1890 and twice in the early 1900s) it has been investigated as a body dumping spot. All times nobody was found. When they lowered down people to see if anybody was down there, the mine is described as just stopping. No water down there, no stagnant air, it just stops. There is unconfirmed reports there is another section of mine nearby.
It then goes off the radar again for about 80 years, before it is reported again as a danger, and reported to council and the state mine registry. While the miners wanted the hole to be filed in with expanding foam, council chose the metal grate.

Here is a photo from council showing the new grate, to show size.

hatboy · 19 Apr 2014, 11:09 pm

what a bizarre find

timdole · 19 Jun 2014, 8:26 pm

[youtube]WCXe7anyiCw[/youtube]

Note the different times taken to hit something, I think that is due to an elbow shape.

maggot · 20 Jun 2014, 2:22 pm

Abseil??

That's pretty exciting. I'd travel all the way to the blue mountains just to throw rocks into that hole.

Catching · 04 Jul 2014, 8:12 pm

Found something similar in the upper mountains: two holes about half the size of that one, one with mesh over the top and the other one just with posts around it.

DarkClarky · 19 Nov 2014, 1:02 pm

Catching wrote:Found something similar in the upper mountains: two holes about half the size of that one, one with mesh over the top and the other one just with posts around it.

Where abouts in the upper mountains is this? As I live up that way.

TiNy · 19 Nov 2014, 6:35 pm

DarkClarky wrote:
Catching wrote:Found something similar in the upper mountains: two holes about half the size of that one, one with mesh over the top and the other one just with posts around it.
Where abouts in the upper mountains is this? As I live up that way.

Fresh tags man, casually writing over full colour artworks with a texta about how much you are a 'bad c*nt'

f1ex · 19 Nov 2014, 7:30 pm

TiNy wrote:
DarkClarky wrote:
Catching wrote:Found something similar in the upper mountains: two holes about half the size of that one, one with mesh over the top and the other one just with posts around it.
Where abouts in the upper mountains is this? As I live up that way.
Fresh tags man, casually writing over full colour artworks with a texta about how much you are a 'bad c*nt'

Is this a graffiti forum or an exploring forum?

DarkClarky · 20 Nov 2014, 10:37 am

Omg I forgot about that nite, blind drunk after the GTA's.. I shouldnt have done that. :-(

f1ex · 20 Nov 2014, 11:53 am

Hahaha can confirm he was blind drunk.

DarkClarky wrote:Omg I forgot about that nite, blind drunk after the GTA's.. I shouldnt have done that. :-(

maggot · 20 Nov 2014, 7:31 pm

TiNy wrote:
DarkClarky wrote:
Catching wrote:Found something similar in the upper mountains: two holes about half the size of that one, one with mesh over the top and the other one just with posts around it.
Where abouts in the upper mountains is this? As I live up that way.
Fresh tags man, casually writing over full colour artworks with a texta about how much you are a 'bad c*nt'

Ha! Funny c***!