PITFIELD PROPRIETARY CO NO.1
PITFIELD-CRESSY ROAD PITFIELD, GOLDEN PLAINS SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
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PITFIELD PROPRIETARY CO NO.1 - History
Contextual History:History of Place:
Heritage Inventory History of Site:
PITFIELD PLATEAU PROPRIETARY Co.,
09.04.1894: intend to start boring to locate the position of the deep ground west from the prospectors claim.
14.05.1894: completed erection of store; contract will be let for sinking of shaft.
30.07.1894: shaft sunk the required depth and centred up; engaged in erecting a whip; will open out a chamber in a few days and then start prospecting drives.
03.09.1894: machinery considered to be too expensive and directors have decided to erect a whim and horse puddling machine to work from the present shaft.
22.10.1894: contractor finished the whim and puddling machine; shaft skidded and cages put in; underground operations resumed; contract let for erection of pine tank to supply puddling machine with water.
03.05.1895: extended the north drive, west cross-cut and south drive; yield of 9 ozs 2 dwt from 2 machines.
06.05.1895: tributers getting usual returns.
13.04.1896: No. 1 tribute poor this week, one machine yielding 2 ozs 15 dwt; No. 2 tribute erecting a puddler; No.3 shaft down 16 feet.
1899: a lease covering 250 acres of crown land; five tribute parties work the ground and they pay a percentage of the gross amount of gold won:
No. 1 tribute party consists of 10 shareholders and 10 terms men; it has worked an area of four acres of its 25 acres; it pays the proprietary company 10% on the first 20 ozs of gold and 20% on yields over 20 ozs.; a whim and puddling machine are in use; have averaged more than wages for the past three years.
No. 2 party of 24 shareholders also has 25 acres, and has worked out the ground around their first shaft and are sinking another a further 1000 feet north; the second shaft has bottomed and a compact steam winding plant has been erected; have averaged wages to date.
No. 3 party, or more commonly known as the "Ninety-Six" party has 21 shareholders and occupies 25 acres; struck some very rich patches after early disappointments; averaged £4 per man per week; erected a steam winding plant and horse puddler.
No.4 tribute party holds 20 acres and uses a whim plant has just struck payable gold.
No. 5 tribute party has been swamped out while sinking and are about to erect machinery.
The Proprietary Co. has more than half of its lease undeveloped; another tribute party has won more than 3402 ozs of gold and the proprietary company has distributed £1600 to its shareholders.
04.01.1901: the total production for the year was 2390.25 ozs, with the second half of the year being better than the second by 300 ozs; the No.3 shaft, with its rich patches, was the best producer.
16.01.1903: referred to as the Plateau Proprietary Co. which reported that at the No.5 shaft the boiler is bedded in and steam will be got up in the middle of the week.
18.02.1905: the plant of the No. 2 Plateau Co. has been secured by the Perseverance Co. at Linton.
PITFIELD PROPRIETARY No. 1
25.12.1897: One of the most successful co-operatives to date; party of 10 shareholders and 10 terms men; paying the Proprietary Co. 10% of the gold won; yield of 1153 ozs valued at £4612; shareholders have received £4 per week and the terms men £253; worked by a whim and horse puddling machine.
01.1897 to 03.1907: recorded production of 12110 ozs 11 dwt (or 687.731kg).
PITFIELD PROPRIETARY CO. No.2, or the PITFIELD PLATEAU CO. No.2, Pitfield Plains
25.12.1897: referred to as the North-west estate; worked by a whim; had some nice rich patches but not giving wages; yield for the year 715 ozs 5 dwt giving a dividend of 38/- per 20th share; paying 10% of the gold won.
PITFIELD PROPRIETARY No. 3, or the PITFIELD PLATEAU CO. No.3 or the NINETY-SIX TRIBUTE PARTY
25.12.1897: erected machinery and bottomed the shaft early in the year taking some time before they found some rich patches; party of 22 shareholders all of whom are presented by working miners; working 25 acres and paying 10%; company is free of liabilities; yield from 22 July was 450 ozs; machinery includes double cylinder portable engine which operated wire ropes; the wash is thin and can be treated by horse puddler; intend acquiring a steam puddler; an air drive parallel to the west drive provides perfect ventilation.
04.01.1901: this is the best producing shaft on this company's ground.
10.01.1903: yielded some rich patches from time to time.
25.09.1909: the No.1 shaft of this once famous mine has come to a standstill, all the auriferous wash has been removed; the mine dates back to 1896 when operations began with 20 men who finally struck the richest wash in this field after 12 months of prospecting; gold valued at £70,000 has been won in 12 years of operation, £7000 of which was paid to the leaseholders the Pitfield Plateau Proprietary Co.; the wash was rich but somewhat patchy with yields of up to 350 ozs per set; the wash north of the Federal Mint Co. is still believed to be payable but could not be worked from the shaft because of the great distance that the wash had to be transported; it was decided to purchase the plant of the Federal Mint Co. and operate the mine from that shaft; there is over 1000 feet of lease to be explored.
23.04.1910: making good progress with their reef drive from the Mint shaft.
23.07.1910: treatment of wash held up by a shortage of water.
03.09.1910: very poor wash and it is likely that work will cease.
1895 to 1909: recorded production of 14560 ozs (or 452.877 kg).Heritage Inventory Description
PITFIELD PROPRIETARY CO NO.1 - Heritage Inventory Description
The owner of the property refused access to these sites, which all contain mullock heaps and from a distance seem as disturbed as the sites on the adjoining property. The No.3 Tribute, or Ninety-Six, Party site appeared to contain tanks from a cyanide treatment plant.
Heritage Inventory Significance: Local
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