Williams Fancy Co

30.09.1878: 261 ounces 14 pennyweight 2 grains of gold obtained from 1605 tons of stone crushed; taken
from a formation 8 feet wide at 140 feet from the surface.
31.12.1878: 221 ounces 4 pennyweight 12 grains of gold obtained from 1350 tons of stone crushed; taken
from a formation 8 feet wide at 130 feet from the surface.
1878: After Dark claim to the north purchased in order to secure a further 600 feet along the line of the reef;
now in possession of 1050 feet along the reef.
31.03.1879: 177 ounces 16 pennyweight 3 grains of gold obtained from 1270 tons of stone crushed; taken
from a formation 6 feet wide at 140 feet from the surface.
30.06.1879: 215 ounces 13 pennyweight 18 grains of gold obtained from 1400 tons of stone crushed; taken
from a formation 10 feet wide at 130 feet from the surface.
30.09.1879: 154 ounces 5 pennyweight 18 grains of gold obtained from 900 tons of stone crushed; taken from
a formation 6 feet wide at 130 feet from the surface.
struck some excellent stone in a winze at the bottom level will have to deepen the shaft to work it.
31.12.1879: 161 ounces 15 pennyweight 18 grains of gold obtained from 1145 tons of stone crushed; taken
from a formation 7 feet wide at 140 feet from the surface.
1879: profitable results obtained and the claim paid good wages.
31.03.1880: 18 ounces 0 pennyweight 3 grains of gold obtained from 250 tons of stone crushed; taken from a
formation 6 feet wide at 140 feet from the surface.
operations delayed because of a lack of water.
30.06.1880: 76 ounces 6 pennyweight 6 grains of gold obtained from 840 tons of stone crushed; taken from a
formation 7 feet wide at 150 feet from the surface.
30.09.1880: 21 ounces 19 pennyweight 14 grains of gold obtained from 600 tons of stone crushed; taken from
a formation 7 feet wide at 150 feet from the surface.
mine let to tributers who sank the shaft 20 feet opened out and are now driving for the lode in very hard
ground.
31.12.1880: 104 ounces 14 pennyweight 6 grains of gold obtained from 987 tons of stone crushed; taken from
a formation 7 feet wide at 150 feet from the surface.
1880: yields decreased and the mine was let on tribute.
12.1880: tributers struck the lode, but gold is very scarce.
31.03.1881: 165 ounces 2 pennyweight 15 grains of gold obtained from 880 tons of stone crushed; taken from
a formation 7 feet wide at 150 feet from the surface; tributers sank the shaft further and eventually obtained
payable stone 20 feet wide at a depth of 190 feet.
tributers are getting better yields; the last crushing gave them £5 4s per man for the fortnight.
30.06.1881: 155 ounces 11 pennyweight 6 grains of gold obtained from 1100 tons of stone crushed; taken
from a formation 8 feet wide at 170 feet from the surface.
tributers have worked out the present level and are sinking deeper.
09.1880: tributers have sunk the shaft to 190 feet and struck a lode showing gold which went a further 20 in
depth.
31.12.1881: 271 ounces 14 pennyweight 18 grains of gold obtained from 760 tons of stone crushed; taken
from a formation 20 feet wide at 190 feet from the surface.
31.03.1882: 160 ounces 6 pennyweight 6 grains of gold obtained from 450 tons of stone crushed; taken from a
formation 6 feet wide at 190 feet from the surface.
quantity raised by tributers is less than usual because of the foul air.
31.06.1882: 177 ounces 4 pennyweight 22 grains of gold obtained from 1090 tons of stone crushed.
30.09.1882: 184 ounces 18 pennyweight 17 grains of gold obtained from 403 tons of stone crushed; taken
from a formation 8 feet wide at 190 feet from the surface.
09.1882: yields began to decrease as the upper levels became worked out.
preparing to sink deeper; purchased a winding and pumping plant.
12.1882: winding and pumping plant erected; mine let on tribute to a party of 14 men who have cleared out and
repaired the old shaft down 190 feet; they intend sinking to 232 feet.
03.1883: shaft sunk to 232 feet; opening out for the lode which is expected at 85 to 90 feet; ground is very hard
and wet.
30.06.1883: 68 ounces 17 pennyweight 21 grains of gold obtained from 389 tons of stone crushed; taken from
a formation 8 feet wide at 220 feet from the surface.
tributers have struck the lode which is 8 foot wide.
30.09.1883: 219 ounces 10 pennyweight 15 grains of gold obtained from 817 tons of stone crushed; taken
from a formation 10 feet wide at 220 feet from the surface.
the stone is being raised by the tributers and it is improving as it goes south.
31.12.1883: 361 ounces 12 pennyweight 18 grains of gold obtained from 1020 tons of stone crushed; taken
from a formation 10 feet wide at 220 feet from the surface.
tributers have done remarkably well and their prospects are excellent.

31.03.1884: 270 ounces 0 pennyweight 3 grains of gold obtained from 859 tons of stone crushed; taken from a
formation 12 feet wide at 220 feet from the surface.
30.06.1884: 175 ounces 19 pennyweight 0 grains of gold obtained from 865 tons of stone crushed; taken from
a formation 10 feet wide at 215 feet from the surface.
06.1884: shaft sunk to 232 feet where, in a cross cut, payable stone was obtained in a crosscut which
improved southwards and yielded highly profitable results up to this time.
30.09.1884: 43 ounces 10 pennyweight 0 grains of gold obtained from 145 tons of stone crushed; taken from a
formation 10 feet wide at 220 feet from the surface.
tribute given up and the mine has been idle for the past 2 months of this last quarter; company are pumping
water out of the mine and preparing to resume work.
31.12.1884: 70 ounces 15 pennyweight 12 grains of gold obtained from 222 tons of stone crushed; taken from
a formation 10 feet wide at 220 feet from the surface.
suspended operations.
1885: the payable run of stone dipped underfoot, the tributers abandoned their work, the company
commenced to prospect, but finding nothing payable, suspended operations.
03.1886: winding and crushing plant were sold and removed to Smythesdale
23.08.1895: taken up again by a Ballarat party.
23.03.1900: will put in pumps to allow sinking to resume.
20.07.1900: company successfully floated; a pumping plant has been acquired and will be removed and reerected,
and a 9 inch lift will be used.
(new company - Williams' Fancy Company)
1900: company formed to work the Williams' Fancy or Nil Desperandum Reef between the Birthday lease on
the south and the Kangaroo lease on the north. The area of the lease was 118 acres 3 roods and 11 perches,
with a length along the reef of about 50 chains. A new shaft was sunk and equipped with winding and pumping
machinery.
27.07.1900: preparing pump foundations.
31.08.1900: engine foundations and bob pit are finished.
09.11.1900: pumping plant is complete and work will be resumed toward the end of the week.
31.12.1900 : erecting suitable machinery.
26.04.1901: a new working barrel has been put in and pumping will be resumed.
12.10.1901: a small battery - Banham's - has been purchased and will be utilised until the permanent mill is
completed.
26.10.1901: the Hoare Brothers have won the contract to dismantle the battery from the Rice's Freehold mine
and re-erect it at the mine.
16.11.1901: cleaned up the small battery; parts of the permanent battery have arrived at the site.
07.12.1901: the Hoare Bros are making good progress erecting the new battery.
12.1901: 169 ounces 18 pennyweight 12 grains obtained from a trial crushing of 389.5 tons of stone taken
from No. 1 level.
1901: a 6 head battery was purchased, situated some distance from the mine, and used for trial crushings.
01.03.1902: both batteries are crushing material from the lode.
06.1902: 1236 ounces 13 pennyweight of gold obtained from 3588 tons of stone taken from Nos. 1 and 2
levels and stopes.
27.09.1902: additional 10 head of stampers to the battery are almost complete.
03.11.1902: fault found by the original company is expected to be met soon; north slope continuant seems
better than south; extending crosscut in bottom level to determine where water is draining from; a drive was
started south on the course of the lode; the face is continuing slope and slate, and favourable prospects for
gold are obtained.
10.11.1902: manager reports that gold has been found.
17.11.1902: very low yields are expected to improve when the new equipment is ready.
24.11.1902: battery boiler has sprung a leak and crushing has been delayed; hope to resume operations
today; operations underground have been limited as a result; there is not sufficient storage capacity in the
battery to keep the men fully employed.
29.11.1902: additions to the battery to be finished in three weeks.
08.12.1902: battery boiler built in and housed; erection of additional stamps well forward.
12.1902: 1131 ounces 5 pennyweight of gold obtained from 6055 tons of stone taken from Nos. 1 and 2 levels.
1902: during the year as the yield from the trial crushings proved satisfactory a 10 head battery was purchased
and erected near the shaft.
the underground workings showed the existence of a large body of low grade ore which could only be treated
successfully by increasing the battery by an additional 10 heads.
trial crushing from a body of stone 12 feet wide left by the Kangaroo Company on the lease boundary yielded
52 ounces 3 pennyweights from 321.5 tons of stone. As this was not as rich as stone obtained nearer to the