Nil Desperandum Gold Mine (Burtville), Burtville Goldfield, Laverton Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Nil Desperandum Gold Mine (Burtville)	Mine
Burtville Goldfield	Ore Field
Laverton Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Nil Desperandum was the original lease pegged on the field by its discoverers Billy Frost and James Tregurtha (see main Burtville Goldfield Mindat heading) in 1897. They gave the Nil Desperandum away, and instead worked the Wanderer lease for two years, which turned out a low grade affair. The Nil Desperandum was one of the major prospector mines on the goldfield, and encouraged Sons of Gwalia in the early 1990's to develop a small pit on the site, the ore hauled to its processing plant at the Barnicoat mine to the north. This operation produced 64 000 ounces of gold at 1.4 g/t.

From 1901 to 1903, R. Robinson controlled the mine, and sent through several rich crushings via the state battery.

From 1905 to at least 1920, Thomas King and Herbert Gaston owned the mine. Both appear to come from Adelaide, or least had residences in Adelaide during the period. King took no active part in the mine, relying on a dozen telegrams a day from Gaston, detailing all aspects of operations. Gaston was a former Major at Southern Cross, the postmaster at Burtville, and also a Justice of the Peace, which carried the responsibilities of a law judge in the town. The following is enlightening:

'Probably the most interesting thing at Burtville is the administration of the law. This is dealt out at periods when policeman Manning musters up a sufficient number of derelicts to warrant a court, over which an affiable party named Gaston, being the only J.P. in the district, presides in a building about the size of a couple of horse boxes. No matter how heinous the offence, the penalty rarely goes beyond the limit of a half a crown fine'. The writer goes on to say Gaston has to put up with the dregs of Burtville in his court, loathes his J.P role, and escapes as soon as he can back to his mine.

Around 1912, Gaston began expanding the lease, with neighbouring Surprise, Away from Home, Away from Home South, Golden Bell North, Adelaide, and Bateman Hill leases acquired. Development took place at least on the last three, and were said to be joined underground to the Nil Desperandum.

In 1922, Gleeson and party, Richards and party, and Smith and party are all operating on the lease.

In 1931, part of the old Nil Desperandum lease are held by three different parties, being D. Aitken, H. Richards, and A. Probert.

J.W. Barrett and T. Crowley put through a crushing in 1947 which achieved 47 dwt. This was 35 tonnes of ore from the 40 foot level below the surface at the northern end of the lease.

The mine was described as a network of quartz leaders in kaolin and ironstone. From 1897 to 1915 the mine produced 5322 tonnes of ore worth 47 165 pounds in early Twentieth Century figures. From September 1912, when a new shaft was sunk, 1144 tonnes of ore for 14 465 pounds money-wise.

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