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

The Old Chum Company is opening out to cross-cut for the reef at 1,400 feet. The New Chum and
Victoria Company have opened up a reef of good quality at 1,500 feet, and have been paying regular
dividends therefrom. They are the first public company in the district to pay dividends from quartz
raised from so great a depth... The North Old Chum Company has cut the same reef at 1,650 feet. It
is very small, but promises to become larger when opened up. The yields from the 180 mine
(Lansell’s) have been of a payable character. The various companies between it and the Hercules
have been doing progressive work without any special results. The Hercules and Energetic Company
have been crushing a lot of stone with a small profit. On the Garden Gully line the operations of
most of the companies are without any special interest. The Garden Gully United Company is alone
getting profitable yields, and their dividends continue large. The Victory and Pandora Company
have sunk their shaft to 1,900 feet... Rock’s Pioneer Company having almost completed the new
western shaft, and will shortly open out at 400 feet to prospect for the reef. On the Hustler’s line
operations are not at all on an extensive scale. The Great Extended Hustler’s Tribute Company, in
the 1,452-foot cross-cut, passed through nice country. Among the outside mines, the GG
Consolidated Company, at Golden Gully, is opening up a gold-bearing reef at 790 feet, but it is not
profitable yet. The Tambour Major Company, at the head of Long Gully, has cut some gold-bearing
spurs in the shaft at the 450-foot level, and there is evidently a reef near. The Acott Company, at
Axedale, has been crushing, with moderate results, from some cross reefs below 300 feet. A
discovery of some importance has been made at Myrtle Creek (14 miles from Sandhurst) by a farmer
named Pilcher, who,, while ploughing, discovered some surface leaders. Fifty-four million gallons of
water have been sold for mining purposes during the past quarter. 1
Sept 1884: North Sandhurst Division (FR Ellis) - ...The Duke of Wellington Company cross-cutting at the 220foot
level. The Pearl Company during the last quarter, been doing a vast amount of prospecting
work, but with little return. The Great Extended Victoria Company sinking their shaft, which is now
570 feet deep. The Dixon’s Tribute Company not found anything payable during the quarter. The
New Victoria Catherine Company continued mining operations with the utmost energy, but at present
without any payable prospect. The New St Mungo Company stoping at the 703-foot level. The
Duchess Tribute Company opening out the reef at the 500-foot level, which is now showing very
good gold. The United Devonshire Company driving a level at 666 feet. The Princess Alexandra
Company sinking. Depth of shaft 738 feet. The Extended St Mungo sunk their main shaft 525 feet.
Phoenix Company. - The stone crushed by this company has been taken principally from the 510-foot
level. They are also sinking their shaft, which is 563 feet. The Unicorn Tribute Company - During
the quarter operations carried on vigorously by this company. A deal of permanent and prospective
work has been done. The South St Mungo Company stoping at the 610-foot level. The Lady Barkly
Company cross-cutting at 380 feet... Depth of shaft 764 feet. The St Mungo Company: The crosscut
at 745 feet has been extended 95 feet. The Sadowa Company. The stopes at the 620-foot level
are showing fair gold. Eastwood Company. This company started to open out on some spurs in the
eastern winze, showing fair gold ... Work is also being done at the 690-foot level. The Ellenborough
Company working principally at the 720-foot level. The Belmont and Saxby Company. The stone
crushed has been taken from the No. 2 and No. 3 levels. The La Belle Company stoping in the 790foot
level. The York and Durham Company driving a cross-cut east at 900 feet. The Acadia
Catherine Company working the 985-foot level. The Williams United Company obtaining very good
gold at the 800-foot cross-cut. The Princess Alice Company. - The No. 14 cross-cut has been driven
267 feet. The Catherine Reef United Company sinking their main shaft, which is now down 1,027
feet. The Central Windmill Company driving a cross-cut at 560 feet, which is now in 78 feet. The
Confidence Extended Company sinking their main shaft. Present depth 912 feet. The North
Johnson’s Company extended the 300-foot eastern level 54 feet. The Rose of Denmark Company.
The 280-foot level has been extended 154 feet from cross-cut. The Frederick the Great Company.
At the 320-foot level there is a large body of stone showing splendid gold. Bruhn’s Tribute
Company driven a cross-cut from the 200-foot level, a distance of 10 feet, through a strong body of
stone. The No. 20 Tribute Company. The 150-foot level has been driven 80 feet. The Nil Company,
at Raywood, lately erected an engine, 24 horse-power, value £450; boiler 26 feet long by 5-1/2 feet in
diameter. Work in the mine during the quarter has been almost entirely confined to stoping at the
386-foot level. The total rainfall during the quarter was 2.587 inches. The amount of water
consumed for mining purposes in the subdivision was 17,000,000 gallons. 2
1 Mining Surveyors’ Reports, September 1884
2 Mining Surveyors’ Reports, September 1884