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

The Lady Barkly Company -…Main shaft has also been sunk; total depth, 790 feet… Seventy-two
men are employed. The St Mungo Company… Ninety-four men are employed. Sadowa Company is
stoping at the 620-foot level. Eastwood’s Company is sinking a winze, which is now 45 feet below
the 690-foot level… Ten men are employed. The Ellenborough Company took out a trial crushing
from the eastern spurs above the slide, and about 15 feet above the 800-foot level… Forty-three men
are employed. Belmont and Saxby Company are stoping at the various levels with average success.
Seventy-two men are employed. LaBelle Company is extending the level at 790 feet… Seventeen
men are employed. York and Durham Company… Seventeen men are employed. The Acadia
Catherine Company is raising quartz from the 985-foot level. The Williams United Company is
driving a cross-cut at 800 feet. The Catherine Reef United Company is sinking their main shaft;
depth, 1,077 feet. The North Johnson’s Company… Twenty-two men are employed. The Rose of
Denmark Company… Eighteen men are employed. The amount of water consumed for mining
purposes in the subdivision was - from main, 15,000,000 gallons; from open race, 3,000,000 gallons;
total, 18,000,000 gallons. 1
Mar 1885: On the New Chum kine there are now four companies working payable reefs between 1,500 feet and
1,860 feet, while an important discovery in this respect has been made on the Garden Gully line,
where the Victory and Pandora are opening up what appears to be a payable reef at 1,860 feet. On
Hustler’s line, the Great Extended Hustler’s Tribute Company is preparing to cross-cut at 1,550 feet.
The New Chum line continues to produce the largest amount of gold. The Eureka Company get
moderately payable returns from the reef at 1200 feet ... They are putting up a very powerful winding
plant in order to prospect the mine at greater depths. On the Garden Gully line the principal
importance attaches to the discovery in the Victory and Pandora Company. On the Hustler’s line the
operations are almost purely progressive. March 1885: Eaglehawk Division - mining carried on with
unabated vigour, the principal companies along the main lines of reefs still giving good returns. The
machinery on some of the most important mines has had a thorough overhauling, and the prospects
are, to say the least, very encouraging. The mines from Sebastian are still giving satisfactory yields
... Mining at Sydney Flat is dull, as also at Lightning Hill. Progressive work is being carried on at
Raywood. The Nil Company has had a new make in the shaft at 420 feet, which promises to be a
payable character. The Pearl Company is sinking their main shaft; depth 869 feet ... Machinery in
first-class working order. 24 men employed. Great Extended Company - 13 men employed. Dixon’s
Tribute Company has repaired their machinery ... 3 men employed. The New Catherine Company -
engine baling 2,000 gallons per hour. 12 men employed. Duke of Edinburgh Company - 19 men
employed. New St. Mungo Company - 58 men employed. Extended South Devonshire Company -
13 men employed. South Devonshire Company - 53 men employed. The Duchess of Edinburgh
Company - 18 men employed. United Devonshire Company - 98 men employed. Extended St.
Mungo Company - 27 men employed. Phoenix Company - 21 men employed. Unicorn Company -
24 men employed. South St. Mungo Company - 75 men employed. Lady Barkly Company - 58 men
employed. St. Mungo Company - 91 men employed. Sadowa Company - 84 men employed.
Eastwood’s Company - 10 men employed. Ellenborough Company - 34 men employed. Belmont
and Saxby Company - 73 men employed. La Belle Company - 7 men employed. York and Durham
Company - 12 men employed. Acadia Company - 32 men employed. Williams United Company -
20 men employed. Catherine Reef Company - water heavy, 47 men employed. Rose of Denmark
Company - 47 men employed. Great Northern Company - 19 men employed. Golden Pyke
Company - 7 men employed. Specimen Hill United Company - 35 men employed. North Argus
Company - 2 men employed. New Argus Company - 8 men employed. 2
June 1885: Sandhurst Division - The district still continues in a prosperous condition, and the recent
discoveries in the deep ground have already had a marked effect in causing increased activity. This
has been the more noticeable on the Garden Gully line, where the discovery of a payable reef in the
Victory and Pandora mine, at 1,860 feet, has already caused several companies on the south end of
the line to resume operations, which had previously been suspended for lack of any encouragement in
the shallower levels. In two or three instances new machinery will have to be erected. The New
Chum line continues to hold foremost position, both in regard to the vigorous nature of the work
being carried on and the results being obtained. On the south end of this line, the South Bellevue
Company, who for some months had a suspension of the labour covenants, decide to resume work in
consequence of good results being obtained immediately north, and are now cutting down their shaft.
The Eureka Company have been working the reef at 1,200 feet profitably ... They have just
completed the erection of a new and powerful winding plant. The New Chum Railway have worked
the same reef at 1,106 feet, also with payable results ... They likewise have erected a more powerful
winding engine.
1 Mining Surveyors’ Reports, December 1884
2 Mining Surveyors’ Reports, March 1885