Richmond Gem Gold Mine, Malcolm Goldfield, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Richmond Gem Gold Mine	Mine
Malcolm Goldfield	Ore Field
Leonora Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Richmond Gem Gold Mine is 1.5 kilometres south of the former Malcolm town site, now marked on its eastern side by a modern railway siding, just south of the Leonora-Laverton Road. The North Star Gold Mine is a few hundred metres north-west of the Richmond Gem. Nothing much remains at either mine, than some base remnants of battery sands, and a few shafts.

The Richmond Gem Gold Mining Company was the first to systematically develop the mine from 1896. Three shafts were sunk on a reef 4.5 feet wide, with a 10 head battery and cyanide plant erected about 1897. The ore was a fair grade, but the ground exceeding hard. Active mining ground to a halt around 1900, and the mine was purchased by a syndicate at the beginning of 1902. They conducted some haphazard mining for a short period before placing the mine up for sale again.

In July 1905, Antonio Dellagrassa was killed in a dynamite explosion while working underground at the mine.

M. Fairclough came to the town around 1905 to purchase the battery and send it to Southern Cross. Upon arriving, he decided to do some trial mining, found the ore to be payable, so stayed on. He became Malcolm's Mayor, handed over management of the mine to Tom Brimage, who eventually purchased the mine from Fairclough, when he decided to leave Malcolm.

Brimage was a State politician. It appears in those days, you could be a hands-on gold mine manager, and find enough time to attend parliament in far away Perth. The mine was a bitter experience for Brimage. He formed a small syndicate of associates to provide working capital, but much of the money to develop Richmond Gem came out of his own pockets.

Safety at the mine must have been poor, or not following albeit the limited regulations at the time, as he was often visited by the Mines Inspector. Some gold was stolen from the mine, and the battery was almost wrecked when the engine driver abandoned his post and left the battery running.

By mid 1908, mining had stopped, and Brimage has gone to Melbourne. Brimage retained ownership until at least 1913, when Richmond Gem is put up for sale, but no information was found after this date.

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