On the morning of 12th December 1882 at 5.30 am Mason and Reeves, who were working the face of the tunnel at the Australasian No. 2 Mine, broke through into the old workings of the Australasian No. 1 Mine. Immediately they ran along the tunnel, banging at the pipes to give the danger signal to all who were underground.
Of the nearly 50 people who were below at the time, 27 men were trapped for nearly 3 days, while above ground every attempt was being made to lower the water level so a search and rescue party could be sent down.
5 men survived the 3 days below, Thomas Corbett, Cornelius Quirk, John Manley, Peter Moloney, Patrick Bowen.
22 men perished , Christian Frederick Fisher 55 yrs; James Carmody 53 yrs; George Baulcomb 52 yrs; Nathaniel Trescowthick 45 yrs; Michael Hayes 45 yrs; John Gower 44 yrs; William Curtis 42 yrs; James Minihan 38 yrs; William Tregloan 37 yrs; Edward Campon Dargon 36 yrs; Anton Andersson 36 yrs; John Henry Crougey 36 yrs; James Mitchell Temby 36 yrs; James O'Shea (Walsh) 31 yrs; Carl Waldermar Theodor Serrurier 34 yrs; Thomas Penbertha Chegwin 31 yrs; Abraham Wyatt 31 yrs; Jabez Bellingham 28 yrs; Benjamin Bellingham 21 yrs; John Tom Clifton 27 yrs; Edward Wood 26 yrs and John Thomas Hodge 18 yrs.
Of the 22 men who died, 21 were buried at Creswick in their respective religious sections. Mr. John Gower was buried at Ballarat New Cemetery on the same day, 15th December 1882. During the following year both Mr. Temby and Mr. Trescowthick were exhumed and reburied at the Ballarat Old Cemetery.
