Webster's Find Gold Mine, Malcolm Goldfield, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Webster's Find Gold Mine	Mine
Malcolm Goldfield	Ore Field
Leonora Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

Webster's Find is located in an area of a number of prospector shows covering several square kilometres north of the Leonora-Laverton Road, and west of Bummer's Creek. About two dozen groupings of historic shafts were counted. Many are hidden in the mulga scrub. There is a maze of barely noticeable faint tracks, and getting lost is a distinct possibility. Most are lines or groupings of shafts and the occasional trench or prospecting pit.

Access to Webster's Find is via an obscure route. Take the track on the northern side of the highway, immediately after Bummer's Creek. The track immediately crosses the normally dry creek bed. Then immediately after is a fork in the track. The right hand fork winds north to several historic mines. The left fork heads generally west, before taking a sharp turn and heading north- north-west to the mine site.

The location has remnant battery sands which appear to have been largely removed, a couple of minor building foundations, and a line of shafts and some more modern trenches crossing an ephemeral creek. Several groupings of shafts can also be found a short distance to the north and north-east.

The deposit was discovered by Jack Webster in 1896. For a period just after 1900, three London based companies mined the deposit, spent great sums of money, and obtained a fair amount gold. But through an influx of water, over-capitalisation, and poor management, all collapsed within a short space of time.

The Webster's Find Gold Mining Company was here around the turn of the century. The old 10 head battery was being dismantled and replaced by a new 15 head battery. Plant, general store, offices, machinery was being installed by 35 men in a hive of activity. 12 000 tonnes of tailings were on the site, indicating substantial mining before 1900, but little information on it was found. There are four shafts on a reef trending north-south. A tram line was being built between them and the battery. The lease covered 79 acres. 200 000 pounds gets spent on developing the mine, a ludicrous sum for the day.

By 1903, the 15 head battery was operating by the company from ore being raised from 3 shafts. The reef was 4 to 6 feet wide, with 5 shoots of ore noted. It appears at this stage the company is called Perseverance Gold Mines Ltd. They are paying off the liabilities of the old company, and have 16 000 pounds capital to develop the mine further. They also own the Perseverance Mine south of Coolgardie. The tailings from Webster's Find have been sold to pay debts. One brave shareholder at a London meeting warns of the impending demise of the company if they continue at Webster's Find, but he is shouted down.

By 1905, the company is in liquidation. An influx of water and poor management is blamed. A new company is floated in London called the Esperanza Westralia Ltd. The company has purchased the mine from the liquidators of the prior company. The London press denounce the new enterprise and warn investors off. Regardless 19 500 pounds is raised. To this point 10 863 ounces of gold has been obtained from the mine. Most appears to have been from a short period April 1903 to December 1904 at 10 357 tonnes of ore for 6303 ounces of gold.

In 1909, the following was printed about the company in a newspaper: 'This company has been most unfortunate owing to its properties having to be abandoned either on account of flooding or failing to come up to expectations.'

They had posted a loss of 15 180 pounds between 1905 to 1908. Shareholders in London tried to force the company to be wound up in the courts but failed. The company is still active elsewhere in 1912, trying to find a payable gold mine, but nothing was found after this date.

Two leases, jointly owned by Charles Elliot, and George Thomas Young, were taken out at the site in 1946, and that was the last information found.

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