Jubilee Mine - Italian Gully
ITALIAN GULLY TOWNSHIP
Prior to the discovery of gold John Brown's station "Moppianum" included the area later known as Italian Gully. In 1852 a man named Bundy found gold at this location while prospecting during a trip from Geelong to Pitfield. In 1855 a party of Italian miners struck gold in this gully and the area became known as Italian Gully. In 1856 a Census shows that 324 people lived in Italian Gully, 220 males and 104 females. By 1863 alluvial mining was on the wane. People left the area to pursue more promising finds elsewhere. Mining surveyor John Lynch reported that the biggest problem facing mining in the Italian Gully area was the lack or excess of water.
Mining was not the only industry in the area. There was a saw milling business, several carriers, hotels and a range of shops. In 1860 the Church of England opened a school which closed in 1865. From this time until 1904 when a government school was provided children attended the Scarsdale or Piggoreet schools. The government school closed in 1934 due to low attendance.
Mining remained at a low ebb until 1887 when the Greenwood Brothers and their brother-in-law Mr Richards discovered the Jubilee reef about 2Kms south of Italian Gully. From 1887 through until 1913 when it closed the Jubilee Mine supported a large community which was serviced by many businesses including grocers, bakers, butchers, hotels, blacksmiths and more.
After the first World War in 1923 a Government Battery (quartz crushing plant) was set up just south of the Italian Gully township to encourage quartz reef prospecting in the hope that another Jubilee reef might be found. Sadly, this was not to be, and the Battery was closed in 1947.
1844 John Browne's Moppianum run is established
1852 Gold is discovered in Victoria and at the location later called Italian Gully
1855 A party of Italian miners' strike gold near where John Boyds Blacksmith shop later stood and at the junction of two gullies. The name Italian sticks and the main gully becomes Italian Gully. The side gully is now known as Splitters Gully the origin of this name is not known.
1857 A census at Italian Gully diggings shows a population of 324. Males 220. Females 104.
1859 Mining Surveyor's report says 40 claims registered on the Black Ball deep lead with 6 or 7 working. Three puddling machines working and a population of around 700. A Methodist Church is erected 20' x 16', construction is of a canvas roof and walls with a dirt floor and hardwood seats. John Pounder Roberts builds a general store well stocked with groceries, ironmongery, boots, shoes and men's drapery.
1860 A new Methodist Church is built at Italian Gully.
1861 A census shows a population of 926. Males 621. Females 305. Chinese 49. Dwellings 321. Coaches from Ballarat and return running 3 times per day.
1862 An Aboriginal tribe visits Italian Gully looking for water causing some alarm to residents.
1863 Mining at Italian Gully is in decline and with many large mines working at other locations many residents have left.
1865 Dr Lewis Saenger shot and killed at Italian Gully. The road from Smythesdale through Browns and Monkey Gully surveyed and cleared. Many small parties working on alluvial, but the bulk of the population has left.
1870 Many small alluvial mines in operation, only 150 miners remaining, only bush roads and no conveyances.
1882 Only 10 miners now in Italian Gully.
1887 The Jubilee reef is discovered by the Greenwood Brothers and also their brother-in-law, Mr Richards.
1887 - 98 The successful Jubilee mine gives Italian Gully a new life.
1898 The Jubilee mine is sold to the Jubilee company and the operation is expanded.
1904 A Government school is provided for Italian Gully.
1913 Jubilee mine closes. Italian Gully is in decline again.
1923 A Government Battery is provided to encourage prospecting.
1930 - 1940 The road from Newtown through Italian Gully to Berringa is formed and surfaced.
1934 The Government School closes due to low attendances.
1947 The Government Battery is closed.
1950 - 1970 Italian Gully has largely disappeared but the road from Newtown is rebuilt and sealed.
1960 Electricity comes to Italian Gully.
1964 A light plane crashes just off Splitters gully at Italian Gully.
1970 Browns road is constructed from Smythesdale to Italian Gully and later sealed providing a more direct route to Smythesdale.
2014 Italian Gully township is no more, the area is used for grazing with only a handful of descendants from the original families still in the area. Many of the mine workings have been levelled and the quartz tailings removed for roadmaking, traffic on the sealed road is substantial due to residential subdivisions at Staffordshire Reef and Berringa.
THE FOLLOWING NEWSPAPER ITEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
Star (Ballarat, Vic.: 1855 - 1864), Tuesday 6 December 1859, page 4
ITALIAN GULLY.
(From our own Correspondent.)
2nd December.
STAFFORDSHIRE REEF. - Since I forwarded my last letter a remarkable improvement has taken place on this reef, and to such an extent as has never before occurred. The liveliest appearances are now everywhere to be seen in a way that is quite cheering to witness. Messrs Porter & Co.'s purchases on the one part, and the Homeward Bound Company's on the other, and some other individual operations have caused this brisker state of things.
In Messrs Porter & Co.'s claim the quartz is said to be yielding- | oz. per ton, and a prospect in another of the claims is very good, and it is believed and wished that they may meet with a goodly reward.
The Homeward Bound Company, too, hold several purchased claims on the reef, all of which are looking equally well also; lately they have bought 7 and 8 south. They are busy raising quartz with a " whip," which I hope in a few months will be replaced with a portable steam engine, which, by the bye, could be moved from one shaft to the other as wanted, providing the necessary derricks were erected.
The prospecting party and No. 1 are both working quartz that appear most likely to yield about 2 to 3 ounces to the ton. The prospect in these claims is very good.
The Unity Company is also persevering well and are down a good depth. They have also struck a vein which looks likely to yield 2 oz per ton. This company has 50 shareholders in all, and shares are looking well up. I hear they intend to sink 600 feet in total depth, so as to get a good supply of water for crushing close to the shaft, &c.
The prospects here are first rate, and that they may be so for a long time everybody most heartily wishes.
The Moonlight Reef is very good; several claims have got it good in the leaders, and some beautiful specimens have been exhibited at Smythesdale from there.
We are not to be accommodated with a Post Office, I hear, at this place, and I think it a great shame, and particularly so as Linton's, Carngham, &c., are attended to from Smythesdale.
We also have no opportunity of getting a newspaper, as there is no agent here or anybody who gives us a call; it is some weeks now since there was one to be purchased. It is
certainly, hard lines now that the |" reformed parliament " is sitting.
Monkey Gully is lively, and in a prosperous state in mining and business.
Budgeon's Lead, outside the district of Brown's proper, is looking well. Several shafts are going down within cooee of each other, and the men seem to entertain hopes of being well
in before the next winter.
The Black Ball Lead is said to be, on the whole, very poor, and scarcely giving wages; certainly, on passing looks of a second-rate cast.
Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854 - 1954), Monday 4 December 1905, page 7
SCARSDALE. — The lode recently cut in the bottom level at the Jubilee is opening up satisfactorily. The stone appears to be one of the " big blocks," similar to that exposed in the level above, which go down in a regular manner. A width of 7 feet of crushing material has been
proved. The ore is heavily mineralised and shows gold freely. The crosscut has been enlarged, and drives started east and west on the formation. A full face of quartz is disclosed in the east face, but on the west side the stone is narrow. The winze going down to connect the two levels is carrying 2 feet of payable ore. Aver-age quartz is being broken by the rock drills on the big block between Nos. 10 and 11 levels. The new winding plant is expected to be in full swing next week.
Ballarat Star (Vic.: 1865 - 1924), Tuesday 19 December 1905, page 6
COUNTRY NEWS.
FIRE AT THE JUBILEE MINE. FIREWOOD STACK BURNT. SCARSDALE, Monday.
A disastrous fire occurred at the Jubilee Mine this afternoon, about 400 cords of firewood stacked on the mine being totally destroyed. At the time of writing, it was still burning, and it is likely that the whole of the firewood —800 cords—will be lost. The mine machinery is safe. The Smythesdale Fire Brigade was telegraphed for and assisted to put the fire out. A hut, the property of an employee on the mine, was destroyed.
Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848 - 1957), Monday 26 October 1908, page 10
JUBILEE MINE
SCARSDALE, Saturday - At the JUBILEE, the lode here met with at No. 15 level, 555ft. from the shaft is 18in. wide, and carries payable gold. In the drive opened west on the lode the stone is making bigger, with values maintained. Some 80ft. of driving will connect with the winze sunk from the level above, and as this sink (150ft) showed a full face of payable ore throughout, the outlook for big reserves of stone between No. 14 and No. 15 levels is promising. The main shaft is deep enough to receive the opening frame for No. 16 level. The country continues firm, so that it will probably take about a month to complete the well, prior to driving for the lode. (Trove text corrected by Nita)
Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854 - 1954), Monday 24 May 1909, page 9
NEW JUBILEE MINE.
BALLARAT. — In sinking their No. 2 shaft, which is now down over 480 feet, the New Jubilee, Scarsdale, have struck stone, 12 feet wide, carrying " a little gold and a fair amount of mineral. " The ore is of strong quality, and ad-vices from the mine on Saturday indicated that
it will probably improve in quality. The water continues tolerably heavy, but the tanks are however, coping with it. The sinking of the shaft should soon be completed, when powerful pumps will be put in. At the No. 1 shaft good average results are still being obtained.
Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), Saturday 25 June 1910, page 7
MINING MEETINGS. NEW JUBILEE COMPANY. A FLOURISHING MINE.
The half-yearly meeting of share holders in the New Jubilee Company was held at Craig’s hotel yesterday; Mr James Warne presiding.In moving the adoption of the reports and balance-sheet, the chairman con-gratulated shareholders on the fact that the mine had opened up so well during the past term that dividends totalling £3OOO had been paid. About 28 ½ per cent. of the gold yield had been dis-tributed in dividends, and in addition to that, all the work at the No. 2 shaft and the equipment there had been paid for out of the gold won. This went to show that in working the stone there was a profit of 40 per cent. on 7 dwt 6 gr dirt. This was an excellent re-turn, and something that shareholders might be proud of. They had paid about 2d per share income tax for the honor of helping to keep up the cost of the government of this State, but they did not complain much about this.- < All he had to say on the subject was that the mining industry did not get the help from the Government that it deserved. (Hear, hear.) During the past half-year only 10 applications for visiting orders to the mine had been made, and this showed either that shareholders were apathetic or were satisfied with the manner in which the directors and mine managers were con-trolling affairs. At the present time they had 81 men employed at the mine, and labor was being engaged by the company in other ways. At the 4OO feet level they were driving back north on the Indicator. At the 200 feet level, further back to the north, a con-siderable quantity of golden stone was taken out in the early days, and the company wished to get right under it. They had erected a five-head battery, and it would have been a bigger one but for the fact that they desired to pay dividends at fairly regular inter-vals, and because the engineer had found that the engine power would not be sufficient for an additional 10 heads. At the No. 2 shaft they were down 640 feet, and when they were down 700 feet they would put in the opening set ? right on to the 800 feet level, and endeavor to cut the lode simultaneously.i • The lode was stronger at 600 feet than it was closer to the surface, and there was no reason why it should not go down to 2000 feet. The New Jubilee Company was only in its infancy, but it was a strong, healthy baby. (Laugh-ter.) Mr Bailey seconded the motion, which was carried. Messrs G. Buchanan and J. Warne were re-elected directors. The directors’ fees were increased from £2 10s| to £5 per sitting, and the auditors’ fees were raised, to £4 4s each. Messrs Bunce and Jas. Buchanan were re-elected auditors. (Trove text corrected by Jan)
Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854 - 1954), Thursday 6 February 1913, page 14
JUBILEE MINE CLOSED DOWN.
130 MEN IDLE. Ballarat, Wednesday
Information has been received in Ballarat from Scarsdale to the effect that the Old Jubilee mine has been closed down temporarily. The stoppage will throw about 130 men out of employment. These men practically constitute the Scarsdale branch of the miner's association, which will have to be dissolved unless they promptly obtain employment at other mines in the district. It is stated that the suspension of operations has not been due to the mine becoming wholly unprofitable, but to the fact that in its earlier career adequate facilities for working at deep levels were not provided. The latter-day management of the company is, of course, not responsible for this. The mine was a steady dividend payer for several years.
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