Lafranchi's Hut
The hut was built around the 1920s by Victor Lafranchi, son of Swiss migrant Giulio (Julian) Lafranchi, who came to Australia in 1855 for the gold rush. He married an Irish girl, Ann Bridget Phelan, who was a midwife despite losing her arm to an infection. They had fourteen children .
Creswick Advertiser (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), Friday 19 June 1914, page 2
MINING NEWS.
NORTH PRINCE ALLUVIAL
G.M. CO.
The prospectus of the North Prince Alluvial G.M. Co. has been issued. This company is being formed for the purpose of acquiring from the vendors their lease application of about 200 acres at Eastern Hill, about two miles north west of Eganstown township. It is proposed to develop this alluvial field, which was partly worked some years ago under the title of the Sailor Prince. Operations, which were chiefly on the Deep Creek Alluvial Flats were ceased, owing to the levels being lost in the tunnel. Messrs Julian Lafranchi and Caligari look the last two trucks of dirt out and from them was obtained 7 ozs. of coarse gold. Mr. Lafranchi is quite certain that the long tunnel, which was put in some 5,000 to 6,000 feet, to intercept the lead, was going through at a much greater depth than the ground which they were working, and that the drive was taken 2,000 or 3,000 feet too far as a result. Another mistake was the neglecting to rise up or test the ground through which the tunnel is passing. He is confident that if the ground between the deep channel west and Deep Creek to the north from the end of the Sailor Prince tunnel is tested, the continuance of the good ground that was worked will be discovered. The shareholders had rich dividends every, fortnight for years. There were 36 of them. A record of dividends received by the late Mr. Hailing, after all wages and other expenses had been paid, has been supplied by his daughter, Mrs. Bradshaw, and gives his share as follows for the years mentioned:— 1871, £187 5/-; 1872, £189 11/-; 1873, £192 6/; 1874, £114/10/-; 1875, £212 18/-; 1876, £144/19/6; 1877, £102/ 8/6; 1878, £198/6/6.
It is estimated that about 2 miles of unworked country remains, and Mr. R. L. Davidson, the well known mine manager, in a report concerning it, remarks:—"This portion of the lead has been held in reverence by old time miners, so much so that a party of workers was formed (after losing level, and thus stopping work on the Sailor Prince tunnel at the richest part of the lead), and without outside assistance started another tunnel about 1 mile north, and drove in from 5,000 to 6,000 feet, when a deep system of wash was tapped, carrying fine gold, but not the sample of gold got from the Sailor Prince workings. This work look eight years to accomplish, thus proving the faith they had in the venture. I am of opinion, with others, that this tunnel was much deeper than the old Ballarat and Sailor Prince Lead, and by driving a new tunnel at a higher level from 700 to 1,000 feet would be all that is required to get the wash. The driving under the basalt is good, and will be done for 12/ per foot, so that, at a small outlay, a good profitable mine will be opened up. The work done from the old Ballarat and Sailor Prince tunnels paid handsomely. I am given to understand from reliable sources, that over £100,000 worth of gold was taken out in the early days, and since then no one has done any work near the place where the wash was lost, so I feel confident that whoever gets the lead will reap handsome profits."
It is considered that from £5oo to £600 will be sufficient to test the ground by means of a tunnel.
It will be noticed by reference to an advertisement in another column that the share list will positively close on Saturday, 27th June, with the manager, Mr. W. Ryall, 407 Collins street, Melbourne.
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