Careers Corner

Fosterville Gold Mine

On September 5th, students in Years 10 and 11 caught a bus down to the Fosterville Gold Mine, just on the outskirts of Bendigo.  We were accompanied by Echuca College on the tour of the mine.  We were educated on some of the career possibilities that Fosterville Gold Mine offers.

When we first arrived, we were greeted and welcomed by some of the lovely Fosterville workers who delivered a presentation to us which included a basic run-through of certain jobs that they hold, how much monetary value of gold comes out of the mine and the history of the mine. One of the workers, Lee, passed around some cool rocks they had dug up from the mine as examples of what they collect there.

After we put on our PPE which included a hard hat, safety glasses and a high-vision vest we were split up into two groups and then began exploring some of the mine facilities, such as the digital drill which looked pretty intriguing for people who are interested in gaming as it looked like a gaming chair! Then we visited the shed where most of the mechanics reside.

To finish off our day we had a tour of the mine, with a couple of stops along the way to look at the “portal” of the mine and the large sorting areas.   We also saw the massive crusher in action.  After that we gave back our PPE, said goodbye to Echuca College and thanked Fosterville mine staff for having us and made our way back to Wedderburn. 

Thank you to Robyn, Mrs. Woodman and Mr. Gretgrix for accompanying our travels and showing us another world of work!

Report written by Kalais Crees & Ella Weber