Lady Sherry Gold Mine, Menzies, Menzies Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Lady Sherry Gold Mine	Mine
Menzies	- not defined -
Menzies Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Lady Sherry Gold Mine was a historic mine located between the modern Selkirk and First Hit open pits. It is now a much disturbed area, with a large tailings heap, major road and many tracks.

The deposit was discovered by prospectors Sherry, Paine and Wedderburn, early 1895, along with what was initially called the Wedderburn lease, and later the Queensland Menzies Gold Mine.

These leases were sold together for 3500 pounds, and two companies were floated in Brisbane. A.B. Taylor was mine manager for both mines. The Lady Sherry was 24 acres with 66 000 pounds capital. By 1897, the shareholders of the Menzies Lady Sherry Gold Mining Company were dis-satisfied with the joint management of the two mines, as they found it impossible to distinguish the figures and information which had generally been combined. A separate board of directors was formed in Perth, and new mine manager appointed to the Lady Sherry mine.

At this time the main shaft had been sunk to 139 feet on a reef 18 inches wide within a large lode formation. Three leases known as the Menzies Block were purchased in 1897, due to this reef entering these leases. Total 46 acres. All the ore was sent through the Queensland Menzies battery. Shafts were lettered as A, B, C, D, and the main F shaft. The reef trended north-west to south-east, but was said to twist and turn alot. The reef was 2 feet 6 inches to 8 inches wide. The oxidised ore reached 160 feet below the surface, and where the water level was, sulphide ore took over in hard diorite.

At the beginning of February 1898, John O'Brien was killed underground, when material he was using to secure the workings collapsed, and crushed him to death. The jury found the death was accidental with no-one to blame.

James McClay was a major shareholder in the Menzies Lady Sherry Company. The company went into liquidation around 1902. McClay with his son, A.H. McClay purchased the property for the bargain basement price of 500 pounds. McClay junior lived and worked on the mine. A battery was erected in 1909.

In 1912, the lease was automatically forfeited. No rent to the Mines Department had been paid for two years, exemptions from working the lease had expired, and the lease as not being worked. 18 acres. H. Jorgensen applied for a prospecting lease over the area. McClay who was living on the lease, and had much machinery installed there-on, fought the application in the Warden's Court, but stood little hope of succeeding, and the lease was awarded to Jorgensen.

The Lady Sherry is a small south-west plunging deposit hosted by amphibolite rocks and consists of a quartz vein up to 2 metres thick, and 40 metres long, with a small alteration zone. Pyrite and arsenopyrite are the main sulphides, with some chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

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