Mining in the Victorian Age

Many types of shovel were used underground. Round-nosed shovels were called banjos, because of their shape. The large ones were used for shovelling coal,once it had been hewed, the smaller ones for shovelling stone, which is much heavier.

Shovel work was a very necessary job underground. Work was frequently needed for repairs to the mine roadways, which could move due to pressure from the overlying rock strata.