Bendigo General History - Department of Planning and Community ...

The Shamrock and the Young Chum Companies are both sinking, and the Craven, Garibaldi, and
Ellesmere Companies is working on stone of more or less payable appearance between 600 and 950
feet. The New Chum Consolidated shaft is down 1,135 feet. The New Chum United Company is
still getting handsome returns. The northern deep claims are working with renewed courage since the
publication of the returns from Lansell’s 180 mine. The Lazarus is down 1,557 feet, and the Old
Chum Company 1,340 feet. The New Chum and Victoria have cut a small reef at 1,560 feet, and
from the same stone, at 1,500 feet, have had a crushing averaging about 1 oz per ton. North Old
Chum is just opening out at 1,650 feet to cross-cut for the 180-foot reef. The Victoria Quartz Mining
Company has recently resumed work. On the Garden Gully line the Londonderry Company have just
opened up a small reef above 1,200 feet, and the first crushing gave a satisfactory result. The claims
between this and the Garden Gully United Company are doing little work. The Victory and Pandora
shaft is down 1,865 feet, the second deepest in the district. On the Hustler’s line matters are quiet.
The Hustler’s Reserve No. 2 are working payable stone at 400 feet, and have just succeeded in
getting on the dividend list. The Great Extended Hustler’s Tribute is cross-cutting at 1,452 feet. At
Golden Gully matters remain rather quiet. None of the mines in that quarter can show any substantial
success. At Axedale, the Acott Company, having found the old reef unpayable, sank the shaft, and
are now just on the point of opening up on another reef at 276 feet. The Alexander Company, at
Lockwood, appears to have a payable prospect at 260 feet. There is nothing worth mentioning in
alluvial mining. 51,000,000 galls. of water have been sold for mining purposes during the quarter. 1
June 1884: Eaglehawk Subdivision (FR Ellis) - The present has been even more successful than the past
quarter, the dividends being £89,253 14s and the calls £47,428 10s, which is an increase on last
quarter’s return of dividends over calls of £10,624 4s. The principal contributors to this grand total
are the Bruhn’s Tribute Company, at Sebastian, its yield being 2,556 oz 4dwt for the quarter, and the
Lady Barkly Company 2,448oz 14dwt. There is at the present time a good prospect of the
continuance of this success. The Duke of Wellington Company have lately struck gold, but at
present the prospects are not very encouraging, the last crushing of 50 tons yielding only 11 oz 5dwt
of gold. The Pearl Company is still prospecting at the 550-foot and 630-foot levels. The Great
Extended Victoria Company, which is still sinking (their present depth being 518 feet), have erected
a very efficient winding plant at a cost of over £3,000, and are now in full work. The plant is of a
very powerful character, and exactly similar to the splendid machinery of the St Mungo Company.
The Dixon’s Tribute Company, whose shaft is now 523 feet deep, have opened out, and put in a
cross-cut 76 feet. The New Victoria Catherine Company, since last report, has sunk a further depth
of 20 feet, making a total of 615 feet from the surface. The Duke of Edinburgh Company has an
appliance in use for the prevention of over-winding of cages. The apparatus is simple in
construction, and has been very favourably commented on by experts. Their shaft is now down 395
feet, and they are now sinking. The Victorian St Mungo are now down 395 feet, and still sinking.
The New St Mungo are again on the dividend-paying list, they having crushed 1,553 tons for 1,010oz
16dwt during the last quarter. The quartz was obtained from the 575-foot and 650-foot levels. The
Extended South Devonshire, at a depth of 612 feet, have driven a cross-cut a length of 154 feet from
the shaft. In this cross-cut, at 151 feet from the shaft, a black leader with spurs was cut, showing
gold. The South Devonshire are still sinking. Their present depth is 525 feet. The Duchess of
Edinburgh is now cross-cutting at the 710-foot level. 2
Sept 1884: Sandhurst Division (NG Stephens) - ...the most noticeable amongst which has been the furnishing of
further decided evidence of the advisability of deep sinking. The bulk of the work now being done in
this division is in the deep ground, so that the success attending the efforts of several companies
below 1,000 feet is of a very pleasing character. The New Chum line continues to occupy the leading
position, and work is being carried on with unabated activity. At the south end the Eureka Company
are working a reef of a highly payable character at 1,200 feet, and, having cleared off a heavy debt,
will shortly pay dividends. The New Chum Railway Company, next north, are also getting good
yields at 1,026 feet, a decided improvement having recently taken place. The Shenandoah and North
Shenandoah Company, who are working conjointly, are opening up a reef at 1,250 feet, which
promises to prove of a fairly payable character. The Shamrock and Young Chum Companies are
sinking their shafts. Craven’s and the Garibaldi Companies are working at 910 and 720 feet
respectively on stone of but moderate quality. The Ellesmere and New Chum Consolidated are
conjointly sinking the shaft of the latter company, which is now down over 1,100 feet. The New
Chum United are still getting fair yields at 900 and 1,025 feet, and have the shaft down a good deal
deeper. The Lazarus Company is erecting a winding engine under ground, in the 1,000-foot crosscut,
to haul from the blind shaft, which is nearly 600 feet deeper.
1 Mining Surveyors’ Reports, June 1884
2 Mining Surveyors’ Reports, June 1884