Oasis Reward Gold Mine, Davyhurst, Davyhurst Goldfield, Menzies Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Oasis Reward Gold Mine	Mine
Davyhurst	- not defined -
Davyhurst Goldfield	Ore Field
Menzies Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

While Thomas Davys had the location of Davyhurst named after him, from the 1899 discovery of gold at the Waihi, it was W.E. Miller who first discovered gold in the area. He pegged the leases calling it Oasis, and awarded to him by the government as a reward lease. It is now part of the Golden Eagle open pit, just east of the former town site of Davyhurst.

Miller's prospecting partner was J.H. North, the pair involved in the early days of the Mount Morgans mine near Laverton, before deciding to prospect west of Menzies. North left, and eighteen months after the initial discovery, Miller invited William Schmitz to join him. The pair had previously prospected together at Kanowna in 1898.

Miller was involved in a number of disputes with neighbouring lease holders. The initial one came when the government chose to reduce his reward lease after a dispute with the Forrest syndicate.

An internal dispute arose in 1903 between Miller and Schmitz. The agreement was Schmitz would get one third profits, with some food and clothing. By 1903, the mine was becoming highly profitable and Schmitz claimed half ownership of the mine. The matter went to court, which found in Schmitz favour.

The mine was sold soon after to the Westralia United Goldfields Ltd, and for a number of years thereafter the mine was operated by tributers.

The lode trended north-south and dipped 45 degrees west. It contained highly decomposed schist averaging 4 feet wide, very irregular, as high as 10 feet wide in places, with no defined walls. Quartz was found as bunches and small veins through the lode. By 1903 there were two shafts to 30 and 60 feet deep

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