L&M Group employees (from left) Hans Biemond, of Earnscleugh, Shirley Herridge, of Christchurch, and Dean Sheehan, of Alexandra, take a break from explaining about the operation of the mine to members of the public during the mine's open day on Saturday.
About 500 people attended the open day at the alluvial gold mine, the largest in the country.
During the day, machinery at the mine continued operating, allowing spectators to see how it worked.
The mine, which has been operating since 2009, employs about 35, and runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The dredge, seen in the background, is capable of processing 175cu m of gravel an hour, or about 4000cu m every day.
Every shift, the dredge produces about 250 litres of concentrate, which is then processed for any gold within it.
All entry fees collected on the day went to the Earnscleugh Community Society to be used for preservation of the Earnscleugh Hall.
- Leith Huffadine
