Andrew Farquharson Ridland had worked as a gold miner and mining agent on the Carrick goldfield. He was a man of small stature. He took up a coal lease on the eastern side of Shepherds Creek, at the junction of the Bannockburn Creek. At a point on the western side of Bannockburn Creek he sunk a prospecting drive heading south (#499). He worked on this drive on his own over a period of two years. He made a very neat job of it and removed the spoil using a wheelbarrow. After tunneling for about 250ft (76m) he struck a good seam of coal which he names the 'Cairnmuir' seam. Unfortunately the seam was very upright. His drive was very flat, with the result that all the coal was underneath his drive and was not able to be worked.

in July, Andrew Ridland and William Anderson too up a coal lease on the eastern side of Bannockburn Creek, opposite the junction with Shepherd's Creek. Here they opened up the 'Cairnmuir' coal mine (location #190). From here on, the drive #499 was taken to be part of location #190.