Welcome Gold Mine, Lennonville Goldfield, Mount Magnet, Mount Magnet Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Welcome Gold Mine	Mine
Lennonville Goldfield	Ore Field
Mount Magnet	Mountain
Mount Magnet Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Welcome Mine is the most northerly on the field, in an area on the goldfield called 10 Mile.

It was initially a dryblowing alluvial patch. Well known prospector, Joe Badge, took a lease over the area, but due to a lack of interest let it be forfeited. Meanwhile six friends who had known each other for many years formed a syndicate. They were Andrews, Miller, Pennycruick (surnames), and the three Ross brothers. Their friendship resulted in a stable syndicate, unlike the infighting which some other leases in the area suffered. They hung around the area, and as soon as Badge let the lease go they claimed it around mid 1896.

They sunk a prospecting shaft, and by pure luck struck an incredibly rich area of gold. The syndicate was not shy initially in releasing information, with daily reports of the gold they were finding. Three weeks after the initial discovery, they held an open day. Most of the town turned up, stumbling over each other to ogle at box after box of gold specimens. They peered down the shallow shaft. The local journalist was beside himself. It was unequalled in Western Australia for its richness we are told. Other well known finds sink into oblivion compared to this latest bonanza. The shaft, a whole 6 feet deep, has quartz leaders with solid molten gold between, running across the lode like spokes of a wheel. In one part the gold is so solid it has the appearance of ingot gold. It quickly gained the local nick-name the 'Golden Hole'.

On the other hand, James Thomson, was not going to allow some bling to cloud his judgement. He notes a 6 foot shaft does not prove a mine. He provides an example of another location in Western Australia, where a similar bonanza was found. It was sold to a company for an incredibly inflated price, only to find the seam quickly ran barren.

The syndicate stated they would not sell the mine for anything less than 45 000 pounds. The bailiff had just sold 48 acres of leases for a grand total of 500 pounds. A reasonable mine on the field would go for 3000 pounds. It was a laughable figure, except then someone offered
15 000 pounds for the lease. When this was refused, the next offer was 35 000 pounds, and then finally 48 000 pounds, all knocked back.

The open day had an unwanted consequence. On seeing the gold, Badge was struck by a fit of jealousy, and took out a Supreme Court action to get the lease back. This failed. The result was the syndicate threw off the lease all the alluvial dryblowers, and information about the mine dried up.

There is no doubt the mine was initially rich. Figures are difficult however to verify. Some sources claim 1500 oz was dollied in one week, 4000 oz it is claimed in the first six weeks, another a total of 50 000 oz for the mine to 1898. As far as official mill crushing reports, the mine produced during its life to 1935 2146 tonnes at 6212 oz. The last crushing was found in 1900. The shaft at this time was down to 110 feet.

The gold was found as a vertical vein in friable snowy white quartz, conglomerate and white opaline. As the shaft was sunk the vein split into an east and west vein before coming together again as one lode at the 70 foot level. A second shaft was sunk to the south. By 1898, the site contained a Tremain mill, Cornish Boiler, Blake pump, water tanks containing 25 000 gallons of water, and 1000 tonnes of ore at grass.

It would appear the vein did not retain its richness at depth. In the 1980's, a now abandoned open pit was developed over the historic workings.

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