Norseman Gold Mine, Norseman, Dundas Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Norseman Gold Mine	Mine
Norseman	Town
Dundas Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

This property of 36 acres, included the original reward claim, for where gold was first found at Norseman. Gold was discovered here by L. Sinclair July 1894, or more accurately his horse called Hardy Norseman did when he pawed the ground. This horse gave rise to the Norseman name for the town. Sinclair was from the Shetland Islands originally, which is also where the Norseman name came from in naming his horse. The Norse had in the prior centuries invaded the islands, and established colonies on them.

The Royal Dane Gold Mine adjoined it, and both were worked together in the late 1890's, although owned by separate companies. The Norseman company had two leases, the western one the site of the battery.

The company was floated in Adelaide in July 1895 with £40,000 capital. It can be viewed as the first incarnation of the Norseman company which eventually took over much of the area, and mined gold here until 2014. The first version of the company however was short lived, lasting only until 1899.

The reef ran close to the western boundary of the lease, and was more irregular, and a smaller width, than the same reef in the Royal Dane lease. There were three shafts, one called Alsop's near the northern boundary down to 280 feet depth. Another was a new main shaft, sinking had begun in 1898. The third shaft was down to 124 feet, and the water level on a reef 2-4 feet wide.

Both the Royal Dane and Norseman companies, combined finances to purchase a small plant. This was an experimental plant called the Saunders Rapid Ore Crusher, and was the equivalent of a 3 head normal stamp battery. Two of the Saunders plants had been erected in June 1897.

The theory behind the plant was the use of springs, to more rapidly crush the ore. The ore was hard, and the springs constantly broke. The source describes the plant as a 'toy'. Little ore actually got crushed, and was a major factor in both companies going to the wall in 1899.

The northern portion became the Norseman Gold Mine GML 758, voided in August 1901. It was then held by W.B. Pybus until voided in January 1904. The southern portion became the Golden Calf Gold Mine GML 761 until September 1899. The reward claim was Norseman Reward GML 740 until April 1899, subsequently held by T.C. Ellis until October 1900, and then finally surrendered in November 1903.

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